Stats & Trends for 2021 Virtual Christmas Parties
Since 2007, Funktion Events has been a leader in the UK events industry.
Hosting thousands of hen, stag, group weekends & christmas team building activities, our company has grown from just a handful of staff to a fantastic team that’s dedicated to bringing amazing activities to customers all over the UK and in over 30 cities in Europe.
Now that 2021 has drawn to a close, this report is going to take a look at how industry trends have adapted and changed due to the unpredictability of the pandemic, government restrictions and the switch to hybrid working, and how all of this has affected the work’s Christmas party.
*Christmas party statistics are based on our own booking data
2021 Christmas Statistics
Corporate Virtual Case Studies
AXA Insurance
One of the leading insurance companies, AXA decided to opt for a virtual cocktail making event to get their staff motivated and ready for the new quarter. With cocktail making kits delivered to each participant, everyone got to learn how to make their favourite tipple whilst chatting over video conference.
Bradford College
Bringing their staff together for a bit of a different development day, Bradford College decided to go for a virtual escape rooms activity. With 80 people taking part, the group was split into smaller teams with their own escape rooms, where they raced to be the quickest to escape.
Bladonmore
London-based consultancy firm Bladonmore looked to go all-out to motivate their staff by going for a virtual murder mystery event. Bored with quizzes in lockdown, the team spent a couple of hours working together to solve a grisly murder case.
Metricell
Mobile analytics company Metricell also went for a virtual cocktail making party. Everyone taking part had a cocktail making kit delivered to their door and connected with each other over the internet to get crafting some delicious cocktails.
The Most Popular Virtual Activities
.jpg "The Most Popular Virtual 2021 Activities")
Out of all the virtual Christmas party ideas we provide, it showed that food & drink took the top spot in 2021, making up over three quarters of all bookings we received. This was closely followed by quiz based activities, which accounted for 14.75% of our bookings.
We believe our food & drink-based activities were so popular due to the tangible kits participants would receive at their chosen addresses.
Our quiz-based activities provided groups with a different experience than most are used to, and they were professionally ran by enthusiastic hosts.
The Cost of a Virtual Christmas Party in 2021
.jpg "The Cost of a Virtual Christmas Party in 2021")
Compared to the previous year, the amount spent on events had decreased slightly.
On average, groups spent around £890 per event, costing an average of £33 per person.
However, it doesn’t mean you have to break the bank with a virtual event as the lowest group spend came to less than half of that, at around £405… although some did go all-out with the highest group spend reaching £7140.
So whatever your budget is or how many people you’re inviting, there’s a range of different options for all kinds of companies.
Key Dates & Day Stats
✓ Average Spend Per Event - £890
✓ Average Individual Spend - £33
✓ Highest Group Spend - £7140
✓ Lowest Group Spend - £405
Group Sizes for Virtual Christmas Parties in 2021
.jpg "Group Sizes for Virtual Christmas Parties in 2021")
With the switch to these events, companies have managed to avoid in-person limitations made stricter by Covid regulations, one of which is the size of groups that can participate.
During the 2021 Christmas period, group sizes for events averaged around 27 people. However, some of the bigger names invited as many as they could, with our largest booking taking 166 participants.
On the other hand, these events are still fantastic for smaller companies as well, as we could still host a brilliant event for a team of just six people!
Key Time Stats
✓ Average Group Size – 27 People
✓ Largest Group Size – 166 People
✓ Smallest Group Size – 6 People
The Most Popular Days & Dates for a Virtual Christmas Party
Whilst our most popular date for conference-based events was Friday 17th December, the most popular day of the week for hosting turned out to be Wednesdays. With the easing of Covid restrictions in the UK towards the end of 2021, many businesses became inundated with work in the run-up to Christmas, so it would make sense that so many events took place midweek to break up the days.
Popular Times to Host a Virtual Christmas Event in 2021
.jpg "Popular Times to Host a Virtual Christmas Event in 2021")
When it came to timings, most companies opted for later start times, with the majority of events starting after 3pm and running into the evening.
In comparison, only 19% of companies chose to start their event in the late morning to early afternoon (between 11am – 2pm). This shows that despite being away from the office, companies still chose the classic after-work hours to party!
We found it interesting to see the difference between groups who decided to book their event within their working hours and those who booked outside of working hours.
Most Used Video Conferencing Platform for 2021 Virtual Christmas Parties
.jpg "Most Used Video Conferencing Platform for 2021 Virtual Christmas Parties")
Out of all the different platforms that were used for online xmas activities, Zoom took the lead with over three quarters of bookings using the software. When it came to others, the second most popular was Microsoft Teams, with WebEx, Chime and Meets making up the small remainder.
The stats run similar to last year’s results, except for around 1% of Zoom users who migrated to Teams.
Most Popular Platforms
✓ Zoom – 76%
✓ Microsoft Teams – 16%
✓ WebEx – 4%
✓ Amazon Chime - 0.5%
✓ Google Meets – 3.5%
Groups We’ve Helped
Whilst a great deal of companies had opted for a virtual event from the get-go, some had originally booked an in-person event before deciding to switch to an online alternative. Around 10% of companies did this, with the majority of them choosing an activity that was completely different to their original plans! Some of the most popular included virtual escape rooms, the virtual team quiz and horse racing.
Predictions for 2022
Of course, the big deciding factor and the reason these events have exploded in popularity is the status of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, as restrictions ease across the UK, we predict that more and more companies will come back to face-to-face team events.
However, it’s clear that some companies have had enough time to adapt to new working schedules and have become either partially or fully remote, with employees working entirely or partially from home.
For this reason, we don’t think that online team events will be going away any time soon, as we believe they have fully cemented themselves in the way companies connect and get together.
See the previous year - 2020 Virtual Christmas Party Industry Report
Source: Funktion Leisure Ltd t/a Funktion Events Booking Data
Based on participates in virtual Christmas parties taking place between 1st December 2021 to 31st December 2021.
Funktion Events have delivered over 20,000 group events since 2007 and are an ABTA bonded company.
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