How to Throw a Virtual Work Party That Doesn’t Stink | Christine vs. Work

15 Dec 2020

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𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙖𝙮! ✨ https://www.youtube.com/c/HBRAscend ✨ Is there a way to make a virtual social event at work not stink? With so many offices working remotely this year, no doubt you’ve been invited to a virtual happy hour, birthday celebration, or event that in the end just felt like another meeting disguised as a social event. Innovation Editor Christine Liu was desperate to find out if there is a secret formula to throwing a virtual event that wouldn’t feel like the dreaded “mandatory fun.” Tasked with hosting the HBR.org holiday party, Christine spoke with Bryan Rafanelli, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Rafanelli Events, who specializes in high-end events like weddings and fundraisers, or any other social gathering in need of creative direction and planning. He’s not new to virtual parties, but this year he pivoted his long list of projects to virtual. The key to virtual party planning? Understand what makes parties (in general) work well. Bryan’s tips include: Truly believe the party will be a hit! Create buzz and hype among the who’s who on the guestlist Keep the event short (no more than 30 minutes) Assign a host or emcee to keep the party moving and on schedule Designate a way for guests to actively participate Throw in elements of surprise and delight Learn more about Bryan Rafanelli: https://www.rafanellievents.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- We’d love to hear from you! Tell us about your content preferences in our 10-minute survey: https://hbp.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2ldQ5v6xeoxKHrM?source=social_youtube At Harvard Business Review, we believe in management. If the world’s organizations and institutions were run more effectively, if our leaders made better decisions, if people worked more productively, we believe that all of us — employees, bosses, customers, our families, and the people our businesses affect — would be better off. So we try to arm our readers with ideas that help them become smarter, more creative, and more courageous in their work. We enlist the foremost experts in a wide range of topics, including career planning, strategy, leadership, work-life balance, negotiations, innovation, and managing teams. Harvard Business Review empowers professionals around the world to lead themselves and their organizations more effectively and to make a positive impact. Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review #workingfromhome #virtualevents #companyculture

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