A Holiday Party During Covid?
By: Mary Ann Bautista
Seems like a strange thing to even consider, but I truly grappled with how to celebrate the season with BDM employees this year. Obviously, the traditional dinner party was out. How could I be sure that they know they are valued and appreciated and that not everything this year had to be canceled or upended.
ENJOYABLE FOR ALL
I knew we were onto something when my VP of Shenanigans (aka Trisha Fawver) recommended a virtual trivia game. While I was a bit hesitant (I’m not a big trivia buff), it was a big hit, didn’t take a ton of time, money or trivia knowledge to be enjoyable for all.
HOW DID IT WORK?
So…how did it work? First Trisha arranged for snack baskets to be sent out to everyone at their homes. So, there were some fun treats to nosh, during the event. Plus we hired a “Trivia Game Master” who MC’d the entire event through ZOOM (of course!) Everyone was broken into teams of 3-4 and we all went into separate rooms with our team members. There, we were provided with a series of trivia questions. We all worked within our team to answer to the best of our ability. While I was terrible at the movie related questions, I could contribute more to the current event concerns. And so, it went with all the categories. Everyone could contribute at some point, based on their experience or knowledge focus! I think it’s fair to say that no one was shamed or felt uncomfortable. Everyone brought something to the table.
A timer was set, and we’d rejoin the entire group where the Trivia Master would review the answers and share the standings between the teams. Discussion and fun ensued, and it actually felt as close as I have felt yet, to a typical holiday party. But all Safe, all socially distanced!
The final round was a double points round, and my team came in 2nd, but not by far….
WE ALL NEED SOME FUN!
I encourage your company, family or other group to find ways to gather safely this holiday season. This is just one idea and I’d love to hear about other ideas. Please share, as I think we are going to be keeping socially distanced for at least a few more months. And we all need levity, fun and to remain safe as we make our way through the (hopefully) final stretch of Covid.
BTW, I am happy to share our Trivia Game Master’s contact info if you’d like to engage him. Just reply below or ping me individually.
Stay safe my friends and Happy Holidays to all!
