The purpose of a networking event or a meeting is for like-minded individuals to interact with their colleagues, build strong connections, learn from each other and grow their professional network. But as a manager, what can you do to build a more engaging experience for all attendees during VR corporate events?
The answer is simple – all you need are a few fun, practical and easy-to-implement ice breaker activities in collaboration with event companies UK. These team activities can help people overcome communication barriers, kick-start meetings immediately, and build closer bonds with each other. Whether your attendees are joining your event remotely or in person, you need to select these activities carefully so you can tailor them according to the attendees’ needs. Here is a list of ten ice breakers and online team building activities that you can try at your next meeting or networking event:
1. Music Mayhem
First up on our list is Music Mayhem that you can play virtually in groups of four. Ask four attendees to select one of the most played songs on their playlist. Then, play a snippet of each song. After that, ask all event participants to vote for the song of their choice and crown it as the winning soundtrack for the event. Music Mayhem is an excellent way for people to find others who share the same taste in music as they do. It can lead to great conversations as well. Besides, music can be uplifting and boost moods!
2. One Word Ice Breaker
One Word Ice Breaker is a great activity for conferences. Make small groups of five people and ask all members to take one minute to think of one word that describes X (any topic). Then, ask a few volunteers to share their responses with all attendees. This activity will yield a variety of interesting answers that will spark spontaneous conversations.
3. Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie is a very popular ice breaker that helps people know more about each other. Ask everyone, turn by turn, to write or say two truths and one lie about themselves in any random order. Share the responses with the rest of the participants and ask them to identify which one is the lie. This game will increase synergy and enable teamwork. You can use the Seven Events virtual event platform for this game as it allows all attendees to share their screen and their responses with everyone else.
4. Travel Tales
Travel Tales is another exciting game you can play at VR corporate events. Begin by sharing maps of the city, country, or continent from where you are hosting your event. Then, ask all participants to make a list of all the places they have visited on the map you shared. Each participant gets one point for each place visited. In the end, the person with the highest score gets to share their favourite travel story with everyone else!
5. Partner Lunch
Looking for a fun and delicious way to break the ice? Host a Partner Lunch! This ice breaker requires a little bit of prep work, but it’s not impossible. Schedule a time for you and your team members to video call and eat a meal together. During the meal, randomly assign partners in your team and encourage them to talk one-on-one for 10-20 minutes before the group call. This is an excellent way for all team members to get to know each other.
6. Dance Break
One of the most fun online team building activities is a dance break! If your team is feeling tired or demotivated, you can kick things up a notch by putting on a song that everyone can dance to for 30 seconds or a minute. You can either get a good laugh from each other’s dance moves or dance like nobody’s watching! If you are hosting a virtual event, you can have everyone mute themselves on video call and allow them to dance to their own music to unwind and relax.
7. Company Stories
Many companies prefer beginning conferences and monthly meetings with a discussion on core company values and stories. Storytelling is one of the most successful networking tactics, particularly during virtual networking, because when you are separated, there’s a limit to your actions but not to your words. To keep things professional, you can ask attendees to share a company story or victory that will help everyone else feel more positive and engaged. Ask your team members questions like “Tell us about a time when you gave your best performance at work” or “What was your first job, and how did it help you get where you are today?”
8. Guess the Name
If you are hosting an event where the attendees do not know each other, Guess the Name is the perfect ice breaker! It is a fun way of getting to know everyone on the team. Begin by asking your attendees to offer a clue rather than displaying their names on the screen or introducing themselves. For instance, a team member named Jennifer can write, “I share my name with an American actress who was a lead actor in the popular TV drama called FRIENDS.” Alternatively, your attendees can also leave blanks in their names to let others guess it. For example, someone named Enrique can write E_R_ _U_ in place of their name.
9. Trivia Quiz
A trivia quiz can be an entertaining ice breaker for your next networking event or meeting. You can base the quiz on any topic you like – from sports and movies to geography and politics. When creating questions for the quiz, anticipate the interest of your attendees. You can also tailor the questions around the theme of your event. It would be an engaging and fun way to start the event.
10. Tell Me More
Lastly, you can also play Tell Me More to help attendees learn more about one another. Ask all attendees to take turns sharing a picture or map of the country or city they were born in. Next, ask them to share one thing about the place where they were born and what they like most about it. Tell Me More is a great way game for virtual networking events with attendees from all over the world.
Final Words
Are you excited to host your next virtual corporate event? Make sure you select an ice breaking activity that suits your audience and keeps them engaged throughout..
Author Bio
Sarah Hill is a content writer at Seven Events Ltd, a leading event company offering event planning and venue finding services. She started her career in the events industry almost a decade ago as time progressed she became an avid event blogger sharing her insight on corporate event planning.