In today’s world of fully remote work, companies aren’t just adapting to online operations, they’re building entire cultures through screens. With team members scattered across different time zones and an endless variety of home office setups, gathering for moments of connection, recognition, and celebration matters more than ever. That’s why many big and small businesses alike are reinventing how they bring people together. One trend that is on the rise is hosting virtual banquets.
Whether you’re honoring milestones, recognizing standout employees, celebrating promotions, or simply looking to boost morale, a virtual banquet can remind your people that they’re part of a connected, thriving team — and of the important role they play in the bigger picture. Plus, it’s infinitely more fun than the standard online meetings you’ve been holding for moments that should matter.
Why Virtual Banquets Are Important In Remote Work Culture
Remote work has become a long-term structure for so many organizations. As companies embrace fully virtual business operations, cross-department interactions naturally shrink. Sales rarely talks to development. HR only sees people in onboarding calls. Designers begin to forget what the marketing team actually looks like. People hop daily between video meeting online windows, Slack messages, and email threads, often going hours without seeing another human face. Even co-workers on the same team can feel easily disconnected from each other.
A virtual banquet brings everyone back into the same (digital) room. It engages remote teams across departments. It creates moments of real-time connection that remind employees they’re part of something beyond their remote work setup, even if the closest thing to a shared space is the “Leave Meeting” button.
For company leaders and business owners, it’s a way to reaffirm their appreciation for the people behind the spreadsheets, product launches, and bottom-line wins. A dedicated event tells them, “You matter. What you do matters. We see you, even across screens.” Done right, it makes the whole work environment feel more human.
And the best part? You don’t need a ballroom, a buffet, or a podium. You just need an accessible platform, thoughtful planning, and entertainment that connects across screens.
But if you want your awards banquet to rise above the typical “Everyone log into Zoom and hope for the best,” you need to plan it with intention. This means considering the right online meeting tools, practicing virtual meeting etiquette, and hiring the right entertainment to keep things alive. Below are tips to host a virtual banquet that actually feels like an event, and not just another obligatory get-together.
Start By Choosing the Right Online Meeting Tools
Your virtual banquet lives or dies by your tech. The good news? You don’t need anything elaborate. Most of today’s video meeting online platforms are built to scale, support large meeting rooms, and create an engaging experience for all meeting participants.
If you’re hiring a comedian or keynote speaker (and you really should), they’ll need a platform that helps them read the virtual room, interact with attendees, and maintain momentum. Here’s what to prioritize:
1. High video quality
Whatever platform you choose — Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex — make sure it can support crisp video quality so your awards, presenters, and entertainers shine. A pixelated host is not the vibe.
2. Audience management features
Breakout rooms, spotlighting, muting, chat moderation, and Q&A tools help keep the event organized and flowing smoothly.
3. Ease of use
Your employees already juggle enough apps when they work from home. Choose something familiar so they can join without troubleshooting.
4. Integrations for fun
Polls. Reactions. Music. Backgrounds. Little things make a big difference in a virtual party setting.
Make Things Smooth With Virtual Meeting Etiquette
Good etiquette doesn’t have to feel stuffy. But having a few guiding principles creates a smoother experience for everyone. Just follow these few gentle guidelines:
1. Encourage cameras when possible
It increases engagement and gives your presenters a sense of real faces, not blank rectangles. But balance this with understanding that home offices are personal spaces. No pressure, just encouragement.
2. Use chat in real time
Ask people to cheer in real time, react with emojis, or type congratulations for award winners. That active chat becomes the digital equivalent of applause.
3. Keep microphone and muting discipline
Unmuted keyboard clacks, ping notifications, barking dogs, or sudden blender noise are funny for about two seconds and disruptive forever after. As with any virtual meeting, gentle reminders about muting are relevant.
Hire the Right Entertainment for a Fun, Memorable Event
Here’s the truth: virtual events take effort to keep engaging. That’s why it’s important to hire entertainment that will transform “just another online meeting” into a memorable event — one that remote teams will look forward to attending again. A comedian who’s adaptable, quick, and skilled at reading virtual cues can do all that and more.
Comedy breathes life into screens. It brings energy that cuts through the dryness that sometimes creeps into online events. A comedian delivers personality, banter, warmth, and humor that helps even the quietest team members feel involved. They help bridge gaps between departments, keep people laughing, and make sure the event flows naturally. Most importantly, with virtual comedy, you can create moments that feel genuinely special.
The right comedian can personalize jokes to your industry, poke gentle fun at shared remote-work quirks, and make awards feel exciting rather than procedural. If you want your remote teams to log off smiling, hire someone who knows how to play to a digital crowd.
Make Awards Feel Personal (and Fun)
You can absolutely still do traditional awards like “Employee of the Year, “Top Salesperson,” and “Leadership Excellence,” but virtual banquets give you room to get creative. After all, the whole workforce has been adapting to work remotely in unique ways, and remote-specific awards make people feel seen in a different way.
Recognize ingenuity. Celebrate the quirks. Think about how your team navigates distributed collaboration, home office life, and cross-department connection. Recognizing these realities gives your banquet heart. When employees across remote teams see their efforts acknowledged in a way that reflects their daily lives, the event becomes more relevant, more meaningful, and more engaging.
And here’s a secret: fun awards get people talking. They make everyone, from new hires to veteran team members, feel like part of a shared culture. That’s gold in remote work environments.
Some fun awards to consider:
- The Home Office Hero Award — for the prettiest or most chaotic workspace.
- The Real-Time Response Champ — for the speediest communicator.
- The Remote Teams MVP — for the person who bridges silos and unites departments.
- The Background Bandit Award — for the most iconic virtual background moments.
- The Always-On Camera Star — for the bravest among us.
- Innovation in Remote Work Setup — for turning unusual spaces into productive ones.
Ready to Host a Virtual Banquet Your Team Will Remember?
If you’re ready to plan a virtual banquet that brings remote employees together, boosts morale, and delivers an unforgettable night, HireAComedian.com can connect you with the right talent for your virtual banquet. Whether you’re looking for a comedian, a speaker, or both, our entertainers are experienced and vetted professionals you can trust. Plus, they’re skilled at tailoring their acts to your company culture and event goals.
Fill out our simple form online. Let us know the date, details, and budget of your event. From there, we’ll scout talent from our national database, and send you videos of potential entertainers for your virtual banquet. It really is that easy.