A Simple Guide to Pulling off a Zoom Virtual Happy Hour

How important are planning virtual happy hours compared to planning in-person happy hours?

1. Less important – It’s inevitably going to feel like another Zoom* meeting. You can’t make virtual events fun.
2. More important – In-person happy hours seemingly create their own vibe. But virtual happy hours need a lot more work!
3. The same – Just as in-person events can be awesome or lame, you get what you put into it when it comes to virtual happy hour events.

The correct answer is 3 – Whether you’re planning your happy hour to be in-person or virtual, you get out of it what you put into it.

• Imagine a party with poor lighting and no music, drinks, or games – just 20 chairs in a circle facing one another. It would feel more like an intervention than a happy hour.
• Although this would be a terrible event, you wouldn’t think ALL in-person events are a bust just because ONE party wasn’t planned right.

The same is true with virtual happy hours.

 Many virtual happy hours feel more like the party mentioned above; no ambiance, no planning, just a small crowd who barely know each other making small talk while making WAY too much eye contact.

Why do most virtual happy hours fail? Because of poor planning! Your participants then leave the party with virtual happy hour PTSD and won’t want to join again.

The key to a fun virtual happy hour is to plan it with the same mentality that you would plan an in-person happy hour.

Here we list 5 essential things you MUST keep in mind to host a fantastic happy hour on Zoom*.

Think about this: If you were planning an in-person event, you would likely figure out all the decorations BEFORE guests arrived.

In the same way, trying to figure out what Zoom features you want to use during your virtual happy hour is the equivalent of hanging up banners in the middle of a surprise party.

If you are unfamiliar with what Zoom has to offer, try taking a YouTube crash course on Zoom features and test them before you put on your virtual happy hour.

Pricing – For simplicity’s sake, we’ll divide Zoom into 2 basic categories, paid and unpaid. The free basic plan will probably have everything that you reasonably need for a virtual happy hour if you are ok with the time limit.

 Remember: your meeting will end in 40 minutes if you have the basic plan! You will then have to start another meeting to keep the happy hour going. If you feel like this will be a party killer, consider upgrading your Zoom account.

Gallery View – Gallery view allows you to view everyone on the screen at once rather than just one person at a time. This makes your meeting feel less formal and more relaxed.

Breakout rooms – Breakout rooms allow you to split up into smaller groups either for special activities or for more intimate conversations.

Suggestion: While a single Zoom gallery view page can hold several dozen participants, many find that 10 screens is the optimal amount for the best feel.

Screen Share – Screen sharing is a great tool to make your happy hour more interactive. Use screen sharing to share photos and videos, or even play games together.

Virtual background – This feature REALLY shines when your virtual happy hour has a theme. For example, if you have a “holiday destination” theme, participants can set their background to match their travel plans.

Planning the details of the who, what, when, and how is the foundation of a successful virtual happy hour and builds a solid framework for the rest of the event to grow on.

Date and Time: Choose a date and time that works best for everyone. A good principle to keep in mind is “When would I want an in-person happy hour to be?”.

Putting yourself in the participant’s shoes will help you avoid bad scheduling decisions i.e. the middle of a work day or during Super Bowl Sunday.

Consider the Duration: Keep in mind that virtual happy hours can be more taxing than in-person gatherings.

When in doubt, err on the side of keeping it short. It’s never a bad thing if people walk away “wanting a little more”.

Advertise the Details: Let people know well in advance all the necessary information, such as the theme, dress code (if any), and any items they may need to prepare in advance.

Share Log-In Info: It may seem like a no-brainer but it gets overlooked more often than you’d think.

Make sure to send out the Zoom link, the meeting ID, and the passwords well in advance so people aren’t texting you 3 minutes before the event wondering how to log on.

Whether it’s a baseball game, cocktail party, or hanging out at Buffalo Wild Wings, all in-person events have a certain ambiance.

Mimic the real-life experience by creating a colorful and fun atmosphere in your virtual happy hour.

Choose a Theme: A theme can set the tone and the mood for your virtual happy hour. The theme type is only limited to your imagination.

Some popular virtual happy hour theme ideas are:

• Hawaiian Luau
• Roaring Twenties
• 80s
• Cocktail Party
• Beach Holiday
• Black Tie Soiree

Music and Playlist: Encourage your attendees to set the mood in their home with some background music that goes in harmony with the theme.

To go the extra mile, create a playlist, such as on Spotify, and share it with those invited.

Food and Drinks: Food and drinks may not have a place during a business meeting but they CERTAINLY do belong at a happy hour.

Encourage participants to prepare their favorite happy hour snacks and drinks. Consider sharing recipes in advance, especially ones that go with your theme.

Virtual happy hours are usually more fun and have less awkward silences when there are some activities planned.

Activities keep the energy high and the conversations flowing.

Some of the best virtual happy hour activities from around the web are:

• Icebreaker Questions
• Pub Trivia
• Virtual Happy Hour Bingo
• Virtual Scavenger Hunt
• Virtual Board Games
• Virtual Escape Rooms
• Jackbox
• Show & Tell
• Talent Show
• Cocktail Party
• Guess That Song
• Virtual Happy Hour Kits

As the host of your virtual happy hour, you are taking on the responsibility to make sure that everything runs smoothly and everyone is happy.

Of course, you don’t want to micromanage the event. But being a good host means that you should manage some parts of your virtual happy hour:

Keep It Small: Having an open-ended invitation may sound fun but remember this isn’t a college dorm party.

Too many people at a virtual happy hour can make it difficult to manage. If you do have a large crowd, use the “breakout room” function mentioned earlier.

Start on Time: Starting the event on time shows that you respect your attendees’ time and schedule.

Don’t Drag It Out: Keeping the virtual happy hour to the planned duration will help your attendees from feeling “Zoom fatigue”. Also, keeping things moving will prevent people from feeling restless and bored.

Stay on Audio Control: Encourage all attendees to participate and to mute themselves when not speaking to prevent interruptions.

If necessary, you as the host can mute them. Also, you can also tactfully step in if one person seems to be dominating the conversation.

The right mentality is key to a successful virtual happy hour. You HAVE to plan your virtual happy hour with the same mindset that you would an in-person happy hour.

Common sense tells us that the more effort you put in, the better results you will get.

So don’t be scared of putting on a virtual happy hour. View it as an opportunity to bring together the fun of traditional happy hours with all the convenience of going virtual.

Are you struggling to make other aspects of your virtual and hybrid meetings enjoyable for your audience?

Our team has worked hard for years to understand how to make virtual and hybrid events TRULY exciting. Our implemented techniques have been a game changer for countless organizations.

Shoot us a quick message outlining your problem and we’ll quickly give you an effective solution you can implement today.

*While Zoom is specifically mentioned, these suggestions apply equally to all platforms.