For many, the pandemic has contributed to a lack of connection—the type of connection that unites employees with each other and their company culture. With a little creativity, marketing teams can help foster that connection through virtual opportunities.
We polled eight marketing and HR executives and asked for their ideas and personal experiences of virtual events that marketing and creative teams could design for employee engagement. Each virtual-event idea is intended to foster customer-focused awareness, build internal employee relations, and educate employees about their brand’s products and services. Every contributing professional agreed that when employees feel they are recognized as valuable and knowledgeable team members and they understand how to deliver on the organizational promise of the product or service, they will have a stronger sense of purpose and connection to each other and to the company.
7 Employee-Focused Virtual Events for 2022
Check out these ideas for virtual experiences and see if they might benefit your team:
1 Thought Leadership Panel
This is an opportunity for customer, vendor, and industry leaders and pioneers to exchange views and information, discuss challenges, and share ideas with your company executives and key employees.
2 Award Ceremony
From the invitation to the online event, create a memorable virtual event to recognize departments and employees. Delivered-in advance food and drink ideas could include cheese and charcuterie, a family picnic basket, or dessert tastings. Employees and their families can participate online. This is also a great way to make company announcements, give updates, and speak to the future of the organization.
3 “Our Impact” Showcase
Showcase the impact of your products or services by inviting a small group of VIP clients to be part of a virtual panel to talk about how their relationship with your organization—and your products and services—has positively impacted their company. If you participate in philanthropic activities, invite representatives from those organizations you have partnered with to show how the donations of time, money, etc. Have impacted the communities they serve.
4 The Game Show
Host a virtual game show where employees compete online for prizes by answering questions about your company and your products or services. This makes for a fun evening of virtual team building while educating your employees about your brand and products or services.
5 Virtual Design Thinking Workshop
Design thinking is a process in which teams attempt to understand their customers, reimagine problems, and brainstorm creative solutions. Design thinking teams should include employees from all departments of your company. By combining different design thinking exercises, you can encourage diversity of thought and stimulate new ideas from your team members. It’s perfect for a virtual environment!
6 Customer Journey Mapping Workshop
The process of customer journey mapping has gained popularity over the last decade, but the idea of taking it online in the form of a virtual marketing-and-sales event has exploded since the pandemic. As a virtual event, it allows you to include team members from all corners of the company, providing a broader lens of customer-centric thinking and bringing a new level of collaboration to the process.
7Virtual Behind–the-Scenes Tour
No matter the size of your company, rarely does every employee know what each department or division does at your organization. Teams can be tasked with creating a virtual tour of their department to build awareness and educate fellow employees on the role they play, from manufacturing to customer service and beyond.
