At-Home Event Hosting 101

From the outdoor event to the computer screen, here’s a crash course in hosting an unforgettable at-home event

It’s safe to say that your Spring 2020 event isn’t going to go as originally planned. Under normal circumstances, the worst we’d expect for our graduations, music festivals, weddings, vacations, baby showers and birthday parties would be inclement weather. Quarantine, however, has forced us to abandon even our best-laid plans and participate in these gatherings inside, behind a computer screen. And let’s be honest, while we’re fortunate to have technological capabilities at our fingertips, simply clicking in is an unsatisfying way of celebrating a big milestone. 

Yet, quarantine is its own shared experience. As marketers, all of us at NVE are finding innovative ways to make this shared experience uniquely significant. We’ve always been obsessed with creating community, conversation and personal connections to brands through experiences that feel purposeful, inclusive and exciting. These pillars uphold everything we do at NVE and you have the ability to apply these same strategies to your at-home celebration. 

Please don’t abandon your plans. Yes, your celebration will look different this year, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be special. To help you create that unforgettable moment, I’m sharing some of my best expertise and production experience.

Prime your space for conversation

No matter the occasion, meaningful conversation is the heart of any memorable event. Make sure your space (and your tech) are able to facilitate connections and discussion. That said, never underestimate the value of a test run. A “rehearsal” can help you diagnose tech issues that would be conversational obstacles. Keep an eye out for pitfalls like bad lighting, spotty wifi, sound problems or distracting backgrounds. 

Your surrounding area--that is, the rectangle of space that your Zoom screen will show your guests--can influence conversation at your event. It might help to have all guests display the same background, eliminating any potential and unintentional distractions. Create a custom backdrop that you can share with your guests in advance so that everyone looks like they are in the same place, like a solid color, an image of where the event would have taken place, or perhaps an inspiration photo of a luxe, platinum-style event. 

Sound is also of utmost importance, so make sure to eliminate ambient noise in the background. If you have one person speaking who needs to be heard clearly, like delivering wedding vows or giving a toast, consider muting all other viewers so that no distracting noises get in the way. If you’re playing music for a first dance, be sure to play your song from your computer speaker instead of an external speaker in the room for the clearest audio quality.

Additionally, keep in mind that it’s difficult for more than 10-12 people to participate in a conversation—this is true in real life but even more evident online. If you are inviting a large number of guests to your event, consider a system that allows you to create breakout rooms or sessions. While these tools might be more commonly used for live conferences, they can also be used to separate your guests into more intimate groups--almost like they’re sitting at a table together. You can assign individual breakout room hosts who can manage and move people around so that everyone has a chance to talk before coming back to the main session area.

Find ways to connect 

It’s not easy to create lasting connections when your guests are calling into your event from separate places, but distributing a celebration kit can help everyone bond around a similar, shared experience. 

Plan ahead and send celebration kits to your guests before your scheduled event. These kits can include shared cocktail recipes, sweets or other less perishable food items, supplies for a DIY activity, or simple decorations that everyone can set up at home so that all environments feel connected. For the really determined host, you can plan to send a kit with advent style reveals that guests will open at specific times during the event. This creates anticipation and excitement with each new reveal. 

If you don’t have time or supplies to send a kit, you can also plan shared activities with things you probably already have at home. Try an at-home paint-and-sip experience or crafting together with whatever materials you have on hand. You can also have a spa-and-sip using your own nail polish or facemasks. Or, if you miss your fitness classes, you or a friend can lead a workout via video conference. Get creative--there are many possibilities. 

Shareable experiences, complete with photo ops and custom hashtags, can also help facilitate connection. Use tools like a custom Snap code from Snapchat to give guests a common shareable filter to use for their posts. You can also send your guests customized images to use as Zoom backgrounds as well as a photo backdrop for social posts. Incentivize guests to share their images with your custom hashtag so that you can curate a gallery specific to your moment. 

Like any event, you’ll want to have an idea of your programming schedule to keep the experience moving and feeling purposeful. Consider the different stages of your event – introductions to help people get to know each other and learn what everyone’s been up to during quarantine, game time, themed interactive group activities, winding down, and goodbyes. The key is to make sure you have at least a loose agenda so everyone can enjoy the intended experience seamlessly.

Create your own community 

Most importantly, plan your event with a community focus. This means looking beyond your event and finding ways for everyone to keep the conversation going--literally and figuratively--after they leave the Zoom meeting. 

If you’re planning a big event that doesn’t happen often, like a wedding or birthday, consider how you and your guests can continue to stay in touch, support each other, and stay connected during this unusual and difficult time. Your celebration will be a positive aspect of an otherwise uncertain, troubling reality--what are some ways you can continue to spread that positivity? Consider an “after party” if the conversation is good and everyone’s still having fun. This requires some flexibility and an open mind, but if some guests are reluctant to leave, a breakout room or separate session can be an alternative for the late-night lingerers. 

You can also encourage guests to stay in touch, check-in regularly, and make the gathering a weekly ritual. Hosting, however, is time-consuming, so open up the floor for other friends or family members to host next time. This takes the burden off of you and also adds a little variety to the event. A different host can help plan a different activity to keep things innovative and exciting.

No matter what, the sense of community your event brings to isolated guests will be one of the biggest takeaways of the evening. We need each other now more than ever, so plan your event around fun, positivity, and support--even if things don’t go exactly as planned. It’s good to be together right now, so take the time to connect with your loved ones and enjoy a well-deserved distraction.