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Social distancing may have taken over our interpersonal interactions, but when you have events in your blood, the party must go on. For our WM Events team, that means coming up with creative ways to entertain family, friends or clients – we’re just doing it virtually for the time being. As people all over the world have shown, sociability does not require physical nearness, but we certainly look forward to planning your next in-person events soon!
In the meantime, here are some ideas for staying connected and celebrating à la distance:
Virtual Dance Party
As many of our past events show, we’ve got the skills to create a club-like atmosphere at any venue, welcoming guests to hit the dance floor to a DJ’s sounds or tunes performed by a live band. We might enhance the experience with an LED dance floor, bring in some performers or dancers to get the crowd moving, or call on one of our favorite DJs to create a special playlist.
Lately, we’ve been linking up with friends to host virtual dance parties that bring the disco spirit into our living rooms. All it takes is the right playlist – visit a DJ’s Soundcloud account to find a perfect mix or even book one to provide tunes for the evening. Create mood lighting with dimmers, colored light bulbs, or a mini disco ball. Log in to Zoom, and you’re ready to hit the dancefloor with your friends near and far. Keep those endorphins coming!
Virtual Storytime
At an event, the right emcee can make all the difference. Who is going to keep the run of show on track and entertain guests at the same time? At one fundraiser, we brought in Artificial Intelligence with the voice of Bridget, whose Siri-like manner helped inform 1,000 tech-savvy supporters about where to go and what to do. The emcee is vital for telling the story of the host organization and getting guests interested and involved in the message.
We’re keeping ourselves involved in the storytelling aspect of event planning by hosting and participating in virtual storytime hours. This is as simple as inviting a guest reader or storyteller to share a story that is interesting for all ages. Storyteller and audience members around the world can log in to a virtual story hour and prepare to be transported to a realm of magic, intrigue, fantasy, or whatever the storyteller has in mind. It’s like going to storytime at the bookstore or library, but it’s even more comfortable at home.
Virtual Flower Arranging
At WM Events, we are known for our floral obsession. Around the world, we search for the latest trends in flowers, leaves, and plants. We bring this international floral awareness to inform centerpieces, décor, and installations at the events we design. The right florals, whether palm fronds or roses, do so much more than provide decoration. They set the tone for an event and reinforce the theme. Their importance cannot be overstated. In fact, we appreciate plant life so much that we created a garden at our WM Events office.
Like many, we have used this time at home to tend our own gardens, and we’ve found that a fun way to share blooms is through virtual flower arranging events. Whether taking the time to create perfect centerpieces with vegetation from your property or ordering fresh and dried flowers for delivery, enjoying nature’s splendor takes on heightened importance during uncertain times. Meet up with friends or take an online flower arranging class. You’ll breathe some extra beauty into your days.
Virtual Cheese Board
What’s a party without food? When it comes to hors d’oeuvres, you really can’t go wrong with a macked-out cheese board. It’s important to get the right combination of ingredients – charcuterie, fruits, nuts, breads or crackers, maybe veggies or olives, and, of course, cheese! And now is the ideal to time perfect your skills at putting one together. Host a virtual cheese board-making class and share your tips with others while they let you in on their best-kept secrets.
You can elevate your cheese board by incorporating local, sustainably produced products. From pâté to prosciutto, meats from area butchers and caterers bring a one-of-a-kind flavor to your presentation. Source cheeses from local dairies, and don’t shy away from a mix of milk types – cow, goat, and sheep. Naturally, nearby fruits will be fresher and jams more singular. Not only is it great to know where your ingredients have been grown or produced, it’s more important than ever to support local small businesses.
Virtual Dinner Party
At WM Events, we know a thing or two about dinner parties. From intimate gatherings to massive affairs, we have created atmospheres that compete with the food for most memorable feature. One of the ways to set the stage at a dinner gathering is by crafting the perfect tablescape. Our expertise in doing this has been noted. In fact, William was quoted in “Special Events” magazine explaining how to fine tune tables for events. There is no reason you can’t do this at home too!
While you may not be able to attend a seated dinner fundraiser for 500 supporters at the moment, you can host a home dinner party and even expand it by making virtual connections with friends and eating together. Before you organize the menu, style a beautiful table setting by carefully choosing linens, plates, flatware and glassware, especially the right wine glasses. Pulling together a top-notch tablescape may even make another meal at home feel like a special night out.
Virtual Mixology & Tasting
We’ve helped many clients put the finishing touch on events with signature cocktails or interactive tastings. From traditional martinis to setting up an hands-on molecular gastronomy station, we know how vital the beverage element is to any gathering. To add even more interaction, we’ve also incorporated tasting elements at events. Bourbon tasting is a favorite, and it pairs perfectly with take-home memorabilia like etched glasses or leather-press coasters.
Virtual cocktail parties have become all the rage, but we’re having plenty of at-home fun with bringing a dose of mixology to our social distancing get togethers. Crafting new recipes, coming up with a signature drink of the week, bringing on a live bartender to teach us tricks of the trade, and holding wine or other alcohol tastings – alone together – are some of our favorite new methods for keeping the fun of cocktailing alive. Now, if only one of us could get our hands on the champagne lady dress…
Virtual Entertainment
Entertainment helps turn an event into a happening. Outside of live music and a DJ, we love to explore the myriad options from the creative people who make a career of bringing joy and surprise to event attendees. We have plenty of entertainment tricks up our collective sleeves. Some of the favorite or most astonishing pop-up performance artists we have featured at events large and small have included mentalists and illusionists, a Michael Jackson impersonator, aerialists and mirrored dancers, a chocolate painter, and even a beer burro! (He was tipped very well, in case you are wondering.)
All of these entertainers have inspired us to bring virtual performance into our own homes. There has never been a better time to discover a new talent. Have you always wanted to be a magician? There are plenty of online classes to learn how. Or maybe you dream of singing opera at the drop of a hat? A virtual singing instructor can help – perhaps even a maestro from another country. We’re taking on unusual learning experiences like these and more. Will performing at our own events be part of our future? Probably not, but it’s sure fun stretching our abilities.
As a full-service event planning and design firm, we do everything from creating astounding table settings to planning food, décor, entertainment, and more. During social distancing, we’re honing our skills in new and creative ways!
