5 Tips for Planning a Hybrid Christmas Party

Virtual events provide a brilliant way to raise lots of funds for your cause – with endless opportunities of fundraising format. We want to show you exactly how easy hosting a virtual fundraising event can be!

A virtual fundraiser, simply, is an online fundraising event. Supporters gather online using video conference software from anywhere in the world. Virtual fundraising is something that nonprofits have experimented with for a while, but interest in virtual events surged during the pandemic. Virtual fundraising events can come in all different shapes and sizes, whatever suits your nonprofit and occasion best!

Why host a virtual fundraising event?

Hosting a virtual fundraising event is a great opportunity to reach donors who may live further afield and would be unable to attend an in-person event. This allows more people to attend which in turn leads to more funds being raised for your cause!

There are plenty of options when it comes to hosting a virtual fundraising event, whether that’s a hybrid event with virtual entertainment and in-person attendees or a mix of in-person and virtual guests! 

So, how do you host a virtual fundraising event?

First things first…

Choose what kind of virtual fundraiser you want to host

You can’t get started with planning your virtual fundraising event until you’ve figured out what kind of event you’d like to host!

There are many possibilities for your virtual fundraiser, including:

• Games tournament
• Online auction
• Peet-to-peer fundraising
• Quizzes and trivia nights
• Organise a WOW-element

To get people interested in your virtual fundraising event, you need something exciting to encourage ticket sales or donations. Interactive elements typically work a treat, with attendees feeling like they are a part of the event. 

Boozy Events offer Cocktail Masterclasses with a variety of packages available, perfect for getting attendees excited and ready to donate! 

We can organise a signature cocktail for your event, creating a memorable element for both you and your attendees! Plus, cocktail packages can be completely branded to provide the full experience. 

Publicise your event

Now you’ve organised your key elements, you can promote your event and encourage your regular donors to come along and bring their friends! 

When publicising a virtual event, it’s important to make it super clear how attendees can get involved and what, if anything, they’ll need to join in. Did you know that we can send off any materials your guests may need along with our cocktail packages? This reduces logistical challenges for you, and means attendees will receive everything they’ll need in one parcel!

You can easily create a Facebook Event for your virtual fundraiser, including all the links and information attendees will need. 

Encourage donations

Now, all you need to do is encourage attendees to donate! You can do this through testimonials of your work and promotional videos to show your attendees exactly where the money is going! 

You can also encourage donations through exciting raffle prizes and games to raise extra funds. Online gift card auctions are a unique way to encourage extra funds and are a great way to encourage donors globally! 

Virtual events can be a great way to organise a last-minute fundraiser, reach donors from around the globe and let attendees get to know your cause. Here are our final top tips for hosting a virtual fundraising event:

• Create a clear vision and purpose for your event, and make it clear for attendees! People want to know exactly what they’re raising money for – and it might make them more likely to donate. 
• Get your audience involved. Your guests want to feel involved in the event and be able to participate as much as possible. This can be done through games, masterclasses, and more. 
• Don’t make it a one-time thing! You can host regular virtual fundraising events, given the ability for them to be more last-minute. Incorporating virtual events into your annual event plan will help boost fundraising and keep donors involved. 

If you’d like more information on how we can help you with your virtual fundraising event, get in touch today.

The switch to virtual events has proved we don’t all need to gather together to celebrate a big occasion. Let us show you how to plan a virtual venue launch that will wow and amaze your guests from the comfort of their own homes!

Did you know there are 4.66 billion internet users globally? That’s up by 7.3% since last year! What’s more, more than half the world now uses social media. That’s a lot of people you can reach with your virtual venue launch. 

Hybrid events are proving a popular way to gather some guests in-person, and those who cannot make it can join in virtually. Alternatively, some entertainment can be provided through hybrid format – giving you access to the very best of service-providers from around the world!

Why host a virtual venue launch?

Virtual events are here to stay. But why would you want to host a virtual venue launch?

Virtual venue launches are a great way to celebrate the opening of your exciting new space and showcase your offering to potential guests. With no travel time for attendees, you’re likely to reach a wider variety of guests with a virtual event – some who may not have considered attending your venue previously. This provides an ideal opportunity to show people what makes you different, more about your brand and why they would want to book with you!

Virtual elements are a great addition to any event, even if you take a more hybrid approach. Whatever this may look like for you, we want to provide a helpful guide!

So, how do you host a virtual venue launch?

• Start as you mean to go on

Kick-off your virtual venue launch with a promotional video about your shiny new venue and more about your brand. This is a great way to set the tone of the event, remind people about why they’re attending and get them more invested in your offering. 

A live, virtual walkthrough of your venue with a Q&A is a unique opportunity to showcase your space – with audience participation keeping guests engaged. 

• Create that launch party atmosphere

Virtual icebreakers don’t need to be reserved for team meetings – they can be adapted to suit any occasion. A virtual icebreaker can create your desired atmosphere for the event and get everybody involved. These interactive elements are super engaging and ensure your guests feel like they are a true part of the event.

Boozy Events can offer 15 minute ice-breaker classes, perfect for warming up your guests and bringing the launch excitement to them.

Top tip: you can even create a signature cocktail to mark the occasion. This can be based around your brand, location or special theme for the evening – completely unique to your event!

• You’ve captured your guests’ attention

Virtual icebreakers such as our cocktail masterclasses are a great way to capture the attention of your audience. They’ll be in ‘pay attention mode’ – so follow this up with key information about your venue and brand. This could be a presentation from a keynote speaker such as your CEO, a Q&A session with a panel or more about your brand story.

Did you know, our cocktail kits can be tailored to your needs? You can include a brochure about your venue, sent out by us to your guests. This is a great way to get all the information to your guests – and is more exciting than a digital brochure. 

• Branding, Branding, Branding 

Virtual events offer a great opportunity for better branding. Your host can use a branded Zoom background, and you can even invite attendees to do the same! 

Top tip: utilise photos of your venue for this digital background – making guests feel like they are really there with you! Plus, sending them a variety of images they can use as a background offers a chance to showcase all the best bits of your venue! 

Boozy Events can include any branded merchandise you might like to send out. This is a super-easy way to get physical materials to your guests – making your virtual venue launch even more memorable! This also removes the logistical hassle from your end, allowing you to focus on creating the best possible launch event!

• Include Clear Call To Actions

Your virtual launch party must include clear Call To Actions telling your guests exactly what you want them to do. Whether that’s to post about the virtual launch party on social media, book a visit to your venue or something else – make it clear to them. 

You can do this through the creation of a branded hashtag for the event or a special promotional offer for those who attended to visit your venue. 

Virtual events don’t need to be uninspired and overdone. You can create an exciting virtual event launch with minimal hassle and generate the same amount of buzz around your venue as you would at an in-person event. Here are our final top tips for hosting a virtual venue launch:

• Use a variety of media to keep things interesting. Utilise live elements, video, music and more to keep your guests’ attention throughout the event. 
• Tell a story! Humanise your brand for your guests. Show behind the scenes elements, meet the team and more to bring your brand to life. 
• Avoid information overload. Ensure to split up information about your venue with guest-based sections to keep attendees involved. 
• Interactivity is essential! Include ice breakers, games and talking-points to involve guests in the event. 

Most importantly, remember this is a fun event to celebrate the launch of your venue. A virtual venue launch provides the opportunity to bring people from all around the world together for the evening – so keep things enjoyable and lighthearted. 

If you’d like more information on how we can help you with your virtual venue launch get in touch with us today.

In-person events returning? What we can offer based on restrictions!

In-person events are finally returning! We cannot wait to get back to mixing cocktails with you in person, but there are some rules we need to follow to keep everyone safe. We’re delighted to see so many inquiries for in-person events coming through, but most of them are not currently possible with the restrictions we’re in. 

Just like everyone, we became burnt out last year with the constant changes in restrictions impacting what we could offer and when. This time around, we are taking it slow and only taking deposits and payments once we are at the appropriate level. So, we will only take a booking for 14 people once we are in Level 0 – or we can be assured that we will be at that level for the event. 

We are still taking bookings for virtual events, which are still very popular. Our virtual cocktail making classes can work great for a small, intimate gathering at home – without all the additional travel expenses of a mixologist coming to your home.

Our Services Based on Scottish Government levels:

Level 4

In Level 4, we are unable to offer any in-person services. However, we would still be running our Virtual Cocktail Masterclasses.

Level 3

In Level 3, we can offer in-person events with 1 bartender and 5 guests.

We can also offer a self-service bar with 6 guests. This would increase to 50 guests for a wedding. 

Level 2 

In Level 2, we can offer in-person events with 1 bartender and 7 guests.

We can also offer a self-service bar with 8 guests. This would increase to 50 guests for a wedding.

Level 1

In Level 1, we can offer in-person events with 1 bartender and 11 guests.

We can also offer a self-service bar with 12 guests. This would increase to 50 guests for a wedding.

Level 0

In Level 0, we can offer in-person events with 1 bartender and 14 guests.

We can also offer a self-service bar with 15 guests. This would increase to 50 guests at a wedding.

Beyond Level 0

When things return to ‘normal’, we can offer unlimited bartenders and unlimited guests. This is the same for self-service and weddings. Woohoo!

You can keep up-to-date with the government guidance, here: https://www.gov.scot/check-local-covid-level/

Now we’ve given you an overview of what we can provide in the restrictions, we want to give you some tips on planning your next covid-safe gathering… 

There is nothing more exciting than planning a get-together with loved ones who you haven’t seen for a long time. But, in these ‘new normal’ times – it’s important to plan a safe and sensible gathering. 

Tip Number 1: Ensure your gathering complies with current government guidelines. 

This is a no-brainer really, you don’t want to be arranging a party with all of your nearest and dearest, to find out you’d be breaking the law. Take some time to read the government guidance and familiarise yourself with what you can do safely and when. 

In the current situation, planning ahead isn’t always the best option! Leave your gathering announcements last minute to ensure no changes to restrictions ruin your plans. 

Tip Number 2: Consider how you invite your guests

Everyone has different expectations and feelings towards coming out of restrictions. Inviting your guests via a phone call rather than a text message allows you to explain what you have in mind and find out whether that’s something your loved one is comfortable with. It also gives you a chance to set out your expectations for the gathering.

Don’t take it personally if a friend isn’t ready to get together. Everyone has a different comfort level and risk tolerance – which should be respected. Consider making different plans with more cautious friends, such as a nice walk or a zoom catch-up. 

Tip Number 3: Hygiene

We’ve all become accustomed to hand-sanitising at every opportunity – so continue this habit at your covid-safe gathering. Why not set up a nice hand sanitiser station with some of your favourites? Ensure plenty of soap and wipes are available to your guests. 

At Boozy Events, we love to use the Aberdeen brand, Palmsafe.

Tip Number 4: Enjoy your gathering!

Although things are very different from when we were last hosting gatherings, this is an exciting time and it’s important to enjoy it! Don’t put yourself in any situations which make you feel uncomfortable, go at your own pace, and respect others – and everything should go smoothly. 

In whatever capacity, whether it’s inside with a few friends or outside with a larger group, have fun and stay sensible. 

Boozy Events are ready and waiting to help you create a fun and safe in-person gathering.