Making memories : Our office party during the 2020 pandemic

At Kezber, rewarding a job well done, the quality of our relationships at work, and work-family balance are among our core values.

For this reason, each year, we organize an event entirely dedicated to “Kezberians” and their families. In the past, colleagues and their families would get together for a BBQ lunch with activities and surprises, and inflatable games for the kids.

This year, with the COVID-19 crisis and the ban on large gatherings, we had to use our imagination and came up with a Microsoft solution to continue this tradition in virtual mode.

Each member of our large team – in Magog, Drummondville and Brossard – received a Kezber box with complete meals, beer, wine, treats and surprises. Kezberians were then invited to a very unique videoconference. Wow! This get-together was very different from the usual, but it was a resounding success. Here is our recipe for a memorable event.

An office party unlike any other

The group chat and file-sharing features were especially useful. We could send files for approval and share our information knowing that other members could answer as soon as they had a free moment. And the ability to add tags was really practical for connecting people to specific conversations. — Louis-David, project leader

Thanks to the Microsoft Teams survey function, everyone had their say in the menu to ensure that all specific needs were met. It seems that at Kezber, we are in the habit of always listening and then meeting expectations!

Coordinating the preparation and delivery of some 70 personalized lunch boxes and more than 80 gifts required great precision, management and follow-up. The Planner tool in Microsoft Teams was particularly useful for ensuring that each task was assigned to someone, with a specific deadline; that way, nothing was forgotten.—Alexandra, social committee member

The time came to announce the event and validate registration. Needless to say, thanks to Teams, the process went like clockwork. Employees could access an Excel document in a specific channel to register, enter the number of meals needed for their family, and notify us of any allergies. Because the document was shared and accessible in the Cloud, it was easy for many people to collaborate on the same document.

A party signed Microsoft Teams

On the designated date, all Kezber employees and their families got together via a Teams videoconference to participate in the traditional Kezber Day. And they could connect from anywhere, using a computer or a mobile device. One guest even joined via a mobile from his boat, with his meal and fishing rod.

The use of GIFs, photo-sharing and chat livened up the event. And sprits ran high when the time came to unwrap the gifts. The children had to make a drawing, take a picture of themselves and share everything in the conversation. No need to tell you how happy they were to share their photos on Teams and across the company. The adults took part in an interactive quiz, which they could do simultaneously via the Teams platform.

After it was all over, the most treasured moments captured in photos and videos were shared on social media in a secure Microsoft Teams file. There is no doubt that the event was really made possible thanks to Microsoft Teams and our team’s desire to adapt to the new reality.

Conclusion

The pandemic has jolted us into using new technologies, but when we master these tools, it becomes easier to carry on with our activities and even to use the tools to our advantage. For this reason, at Kezber, we embrace new technological experiences as a way of deepening our knowledge and consequently passing it on to our partners.

If you too want to organize incredible office parties or optimize the remote collaboration and management of your teams, contact us without delay (we have a great deal of experience in both areas.😊). For more information: info@kezber.com or 1-833-584-8036.