Katerine is a senior associate at the law firm of Knight & Lutford, based in Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami. The firm specializes in family law and has a total of 43 employees. All of them are lawyers.

Katerine contacted John, the firm's senior partner, in order to arrange a Christmas dinner, as she has been organizing among the workers for several years, taking into account the difficulties posed this year by the pandemic. 

After the conversation between these two professionals, Katerine contacts several events agencies in order to organise a Christmas dinner as safely as possible, and ends up contacting eVerythink PR Boutique, a company that informs her how to organise a firm's event during this Christmas.

The answer is clear and unequivocal. The party must continue, we must celebrate with the members of the law firm, regardless of the size of the firm, as we do every year. We need an injection of positivism, to spend some time relaxing, to feel part of a team, to have a space to get to know each other better. For this reason, the Christmas lunch or dinner that each firm organises every year must be present within the 2020 calendar as well. Of course, it has to be totally different, for more than obvious reasons: the safety of all employees.

How can I surprise my team with an event that will help us to build a team and face 2021 positively? Technologies will be our allies, but the surprise factor cannot be missing. From eVerythink PR Boutique, they believe that communication must ALWAYS be present to make each project grow and advance, so the messages must reach clearly all the interlocutors through different channels or tools: 

- Customers, through calls, meetings, newsletters, social networks...

- Media: press releases, interviews, opinion articles, events with journalists...

- Team: weekly calls, internal newsletters, special actions and... Christmas event.

The Christmas event, of course, can be with the team or with the press, with clients, investors or leads we want to reach. It is a strategic moment that is shared with the people to whom we want to tell something, surprise them or make them feel good, so the first thing is to be clear about what we want to tell them, what they like and how I am going to tell them.  

To avoid physical contact, the videoconferencing platforms that have been used these months for our virtual meetings are a great ally. If many guests are going to attend the event, the best option is to delegate to professions that are capable of managing that platform according to the scale of the event, so that you can all enjoy it. 

It is important to know how to provide that differentiating touch always within the character of the company, its philosophy, and the objectives you want to achieve, and in that a communication agency, capable of capturing your essence and weaknesses quickly, can help you a lot. The event shows the company's image and every detail highlights your characteristics, so you have to be very careful with everything.

To start the Christmas lunch/dinner in the COVID-19 era, as in any other time of the year, we must take into account

1. Objective: Never lose sight of what you want to achieve with the event. With this first analysis we will know how to select the best proposal and get inspired to make it perfect. It is important to know what the message is, and that will be the basis for all the ideas that come up. Within its originality, we must manage to fit the tone and image of the company perfectly, providing this touch of surprise that is sought: we want to transmit tranquillity, positivity, tell them something important, have fun... 

2. Time of day: We must be clear about whether we want to have a meal or dinner. Anything goes this year! It is essential to prepare a timming and a script, key tools to have everything under control before and during the event. 

3. A common thread: Around the objective of the event there must be a common thread that must not be lost sight of so that everything has a meaning and is harmonious. There will be details that are differentiating, but it must follow the same line and blend in, so that it is not disjointed. 

4. The company's identity: It is important to know what the company wants to transmit and what values should be conveyed in the environment. Every little detail is important, and must reflect what the company wants to transmit. The image, the speeches, the actions, the messages to the workers... everything fulfills a mission!

5. Creating a unique digital space: We must play with the digital space in order to transform it, customize it and adapt it to our company. The colours, logos, welcome, closing, and selected music create a fundamental atmosphere that makes you part of that team. In addition, we can combine a face-to-face set where the CEO gives the speech or a concert is streamed with the rest of the staff connected remotely. The options are endless and the technology supports everything

6. Budget: It is important to know what budget we have and get the most out of it, making our suppliers and actions as profitable as possible. We must ensure that the ideas fit in with the budget so that everything looks good and is not inconsistent.

- It has to be digital, to avoid physical contact in these times of pandemic

- Within working hours, as everyone is at home and after hours may have family commitments that prevent them from connecting

- It must have a clear corporate message, a speech by the CEO, looking back on what has happened, thanking everyone for their efforts and laying the foundations for a promising 2021

- You should have some different activity that encourages the participation of all those connected: quiz show, cooking workshop with a live chef, talent show, concert and an impromptu exercise, for example, it's a good way to make a team and have fun!

- Send each employee a surprise box with lunch/appetizer/dinner, some surprise to open together during the event and share. Gastronomy unites and excites. 

- Do not steal too much time. The good, if brief, is twice as good! An hour and a half is enough to disconnect from the routine and get oxygenated

The organisation of any event absorbs a lot of time and energy, that's why it's key to have partners who can help you in this task and who already have a network of experienced suppliers who can organise the best company Christmas event for you, to be with your team and enjoy a different day in spite of the pandemic, without more stress than usual.