how to host a great virtual offsite
games and activities for a fun offsite event
THIS ARTICLE WILL FEATURE OUR BEST TIPS FOR HOSTING A GREAT VIRTUAL OFFSITE AND 20+ AWESOME IDEAS TO HELP YOUR TEAMS CONNECT!
As we approach the end of the year, offsites are a chance to reconnect with our team. An opportunity to regroup and refocus, to realign our values and our ideas. Offsites give us a chance to bring teams together, to give them a chance to reflect and to connect. To think about the year gone and to think about the year ahead.
When planning a great virtual offsite, you should consider the purpose. What is it that you hope to achieve? Is it team building or teamwork? Are you trying to boost creativity and ideas? Do you want to build a culture of wellness or support self-development? Identifying your purpose will help you and your event planner find the right activity or session for your team.
Before we kick off, here are some quick reminders about planning a great event!
Timing your event: You want your teams to look forward to your virtual offsite. This means considering any possible deadlines, projects, or holidays happening around this time. Your event should not clash with anyone’s schedule or work, so offer suggested times to the team to choose what suits them best. When the day comes, clear your teams’ calendars and schedule the event at an appropriate time, considering time zones. Then, wrap up the day early and let everyone go home early!
Setting the agenda: A clear agenda is a key to any great virtual event. Zoom fatigue is common, and your team should know what they can expect. Give them a quick overview of the session, including any breaks/lunch breaks and an estimated wrap-up time.
Listening to your team: If there is one thing we know to be true, it is that the more input your teams have in corporate events, the more likely they are to have fun. Especially for large teams, we encourage you to take a multi-experience approach to your event, giving your team the best of both worlds: group sessions that allow them to connect with the team at large and tailored team building workshops that suit their individual interests.
Elevating the experience: Your team may anticipate a presentation, a speaker, or a team building session, so think outside the box and find a way to elevate your virtual offsite. A corporate gift, gift card, or company swag is always appreciated!
We are constantly trying to create helpful resources to help you plan great virtual events. You can check out our corporate event planning guide and our holiday party ideas for some inspiration. And, of course, you can schedule a call with a KraftyLab virtual event coordinator today to start planning! Now, check out our favorite virtual offsite ideas!
Arts and Crafts Team Building Workshops
Team building experiences will boost your virtual offsite in several ways: your team will receive a gift in the form of a kit, they will bond over a shared experience, and they will learn a new skill. Invite your team to build and decorate during a terrarium-making session; after your session, they can proudly display it on their work-from-home setup. This session is particularly great for interns or welcoming/onboarding new colleagues! Alternatively, shake up the routine by teaching your teams a fun skill like candle or soap making, which make for an awesome end product they will use in their daily lives.
If your team is willing to tap into their inner creativity, help them experience the benefits of art therapy through a relaxing painting class or Japanese marbling session. These classes allow your teams to relax, unwind and make art solely for fun.
KraftyLab’s candle making class and kit.
Food And Drink Team Building Sessions
Food and drink sessions serve a dual purpose at any virtual offsite. Once, they are a great way to teach your teams something new, and people can easily bond over food and drinks. If your team is full of coffee lovers, invite them to a global coffee tasting with premium sustainable coffee or a bubble tea-making class, where they will learn about this global phenomenon's history and brew and build their own boba.
For a food-themed class, invite your team to immerse themselves in Latin American cuisine and learn how to make delicious street tacos with the help of an authentic Mexican chef. Live from Mexico City, your team will learn how to make taco filling, salsa, and homemade tortillas in this taco-making class. For a sweeter alternative, how about a little chocolate-making? Your team can learn how to make decadent chocolate truffles or an impressive hot chocolate bomb, perfect for any holiday event!
You can also use your virtual offsite as a teaching opportunity with a fun food-themed class. Our Zero Waste Cooking experience is led by an experienced Zero Waste chef and cookbook author, who will show your teams how to make delicious meals while reducing waste. This class is particularly great for international teams, as no kit is required. Your teams will cook with ingredients they may already have on hand during this Scrappy Cooking Class and leave feeling inspired to make a difference in their own home.
KraftyLab’s coffee making kit.
Virtual Happy Hour Activities
Just like a virtual offsite, a virtual happy hour is designed to help teams unwind, connect outside the work schedule, and have fun! Choosing a team building activity for your virtual happy hour means your team will learn something while having fun and enjoying a delicious beverage while they’re at it!
Pro Tip: Ahead of booking this session, we recommend checking in with your team to ensure a happy hour suits their interests and lifestyle choices. If you have team members who do not consume alcohol but still want to attend, we recommend a mixology class over drink-specific sessions.
Speaking of mixology, a cocktail-making class is a perfect activity for any virtual happy hour. Here, your team will receive a cocktail-making kit and ingredients to make some delicious cocktails/mocktails so that everyone can enjoy this session! This experience will serve your team beyond this session, as they can show off their new skills to their friends and family.
Beyond this, you can invite your team to a class that suits their interests and offer them the option between a beer-tasting or wine-tasting class. Beer tasting is a really fun and quick-paced session that includes a tour of Denver brewery, fun general knowledge, beer trivia, and learning how to pour and taste some delicious craft beer. Wine tasting is a luxurious session led by a Napa Valey wine consultant, who will help your team learn the 4 S’s of wine and wine pairings and even craft their wine cocktails with a deluxe kit featuring a red, white, and rosé of the season.
KraftyLab’s mixology and cocktail making class.
Online Games For Virtual Offsite
Virtual games are a great way to help teams connect, especially teams across departments or the country who may not always connect. Fun virtual games can inspire a little friendly competition among teams and help colleagues gain a little extra insight about one another, learning tidbits of information as you play along. The right host or game MC can ensure your team feels energized, inspired, and ready to contribute to the game session.
Blurt is a collection of party mini-games; think of all the classic party games like Search It Out, Hum It Out, Act It Out, and Draw It Out, all in one place! This highly interactive session is led by a professional stand-up comic, which will boost team morale and employee engagement, and they will connect through fun and laughter.
If your team has a competitive streak, a fun session of Team Trivia will challenge your team’s knowledge on fun pop culture topics, movies, geography, history, and more. Alternatively, Music Bingo can help your teams get to know each other in a really fun way! Invite a lively host and professional DJ to guide your teams through fun virtual Bingo cards with awesome curated playlists that will have your team bopping their heads, laughing, and ready to dance. You can organize a themed Team Trivia or Music Bingo session for a special holiday offsite to add to the occasion and get your teams excited to celebrate.
If you are looking for ways to encourage teamwork, a virtual Scavenger Hunt can be a great way to get teams to strategize and work together to divide and conquer. They will be racing against the clock (and each other) as they seek to find as many ordinary and random household items as possible.
Lauren Ansley - Scavenger Hunt MC and Host.
Virtual Entertainment Ideas For Virtual Offsite Events
Live entertainment is a great way to unite teams, as memorable experiences can offer a sense of community and bonding. Virtual entertainment experiences are perfect for big occasions like team celebrations, corporate milestones, team events, and virtual offsites. Bringing renowned entertainers, whether speakers, comedians, or magicians, will show your team that creating great experiences is important to you.
KraftyLab partners with world-renowned entertainers like magician Chris Dugdale and illusionist Kevin Blake. These incredible acts are the perfect addition to your offsite line-up, as they will challenge your teams to think outside the box, to be immersed into the world of illusion, and to be blown away by the sleigh of hand, bamboozling mentalism and unbelievable coincidences these acts contain. Magic shows are suitable for a wide range of occasions, including family-friendly events and events with major stakeholders in a company, like clients and senior management, as they will be blown away by your commitment to their fun and entertainment.
Kevin Blake’s Illusionist Act - Virtual Impossible.
Wellness Ideas For Virtual Offsites
Building a culture of wellness is not easy, but incorporating wellness activities and sessions into your offsite events can help your team feel supported in their well-being and mindfulness journeys. You are showing them you care by giving your teams the tools and opportunities to prioritize self-care and a work-life balance. In turn, this will help your teams feel more connected to your organization and to each other.
Invite your team to learn practical skills through our yoga and meditation classes, giving them the tools to align their bodies and minds and practice mindfulness. If you want to bring in the big leagues, invite an expert, like a mental health speaker, to give your team insight and guidance from a professional working in the field. You can tailor this experience to suit your teams, i.e. if your team is shifting to hybrid or returning to the office, seek a talk on returning to work, or if you are approaching a big project or season, learn about avoiding burnout in the workplace.
Finally, a virtual offsite should leave you feeling optimistic and inspired. Bucket List Coach Nini provides a Bucket List Coaching experience that will help your colleagues feel empowered to live life to the fullest and accomplish their goals on a personal and professional level. By the end of this session, your team will have set out their first step on a journey to being more fulfilled. Isn’t that what an offsite should be all about?
Shaunie Bello - KraftyLab’s virtual yoga instructor.
I hope these ideas have inspired you to think outside the box for your next virtual offsite. If you are ready to begin planning your virtual event, schedule a call with a KraftyLab event planner and get excited to create something special for your remote team.
About KraftyLab
KraftyLab is a leading team building events company providing corporate team building activities across the US & Canada. Our focus is on providing fun and engaging activities wherever your team may be!
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