Tips For Hosting a Virtual Party
Posted in Coronavirus (COVID-19), In the news on April 17, 2020
As we all continue to social distance and follow stay-at-home orders, it’s important to stay socially connected. One way to do that is with a virtual party. Here are some ways to make your virtual get-together a rousing success.
Choose a service
There are many ways to connect with your friends and family, including the products below.
- Facebook Messenger: The Messenger desktop app recently launched, making it a little bit easier for people to stay in touch with friends and loved ones during this time. Highlights include a larger screen, multitasking options and chat sync across mobile and desktop.
- Zoom: Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others. It’s rated high for usability and streaming quality, but you’ll need to pay for a Pro account to host meetings that are longer than 40 minutes.
- Skype: Skype is a well-known communications tool specializing in video chat and voice calls between computers, tablets and mobile devices.
- Google Hangouts: This software from Google lets users bring conversations to life with photos, emojis and group video calls.
Video chats have become more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Set up your device and surroundings
- Make sure the camera that you use is at eye level. If you don’t have a stand, no worries – a box or some books will work just fine.
- Don’t get too close to the camera. Remember, the cameras on webcams and smartphones are wide-angle.
- Set things up so the light isn’t behind you. Otherwise, you’ll look dark and shadowy on the screen.
Themes and activities
- Food and drink: Encourage guests to cook a dish or set up a virtual happy hour.
- Movies or TV: Watch a movie or TV show together and share your thoughts afterward.
- Games: Host a game night and make sure it’s something that everyone can play.
- Costumes: Encourage your crew to dress up for a costume party.
A final word
Have fun! It’s disappointing that we can’t see our friends and loved ones in person. That said, there’s no reason we can’t all smile and laugh during a virtual party.