Box Development May 8, 2020

Community Connections: Zoom Social Events

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Ask anyone that has been a part of a tight-knit CrossFit gym what keeps them coming back and most of the time you’ll hear a response that involves the words “the community.” Yes, the workouts help, too. But, let’s be honest: it’s the best hour of our day because we get to socialize with other adults who care about the same things as us i.e. the latest and greatest shoes, the fastest Fran time, and where to find the best gluten-free pizza. 

“The community” becomes a little family. So, in this era of physical distancing and mandated gym closures, how do we keep the family together? Virtual get-togethers.

Here are some ideas for social events that can be held on Zoom.

1. “Couchella” Music Festival 🎶

Recruit the musically-inclined folks from your gym to showcase their talents. At Invictus, we had our three headliners: first, a music aficionado who took us on a musical journey across the world with tunes from different countries and genres. Then, just a man and his guitar singing acoustic covers to today’s hits. Finally, a DJ capped off the night with some funky fresh beats. Whatever musical gifts you have access to, showcase them. Encourage attendees to dress up, too! Flower crowns, anyone? 

2. Coaches Q&A

Invite your members to submit questions and have a panel-style discussion with the coaching staff. Have they always wondered what you eat in a day? Or, what’s the method behind the madness to your gym’s programming? Or, which Avengers character would you least want to go up against? This is a fun way for the members to get to know the coaches on a deeper level. 

3. Crafting Cocktails

Have a bartender amongst your membership? Plan a community happy hour where the bartender walks everyone through the process of crafting different cocktails. Send out an ingredient list and the recipes prior to the event. If you don’t have a bartender, reach out to a local business and ask if they’d like to participate. Allow the bartender to put out a “virtual” tip jar by sharing their Venmo handle in the chat bar. Supporting a local business AND enjoying fancy drinks with your friends? Win-win. 

4. Cooking Class

Similar to the above, find the person in your community who is always sharing recipes or bringing their latest baked good creations for all to taste. Decide on a theme or meal, send out the ingredients, and cook alongside the “head chef”. A little wine for the recipe, a little wine for drinking. 

Regardless of which event you choose, here are a few “tips” for running a successful Zoom event: 

  1. Plan ahead! Try to schedule your events at least a week in advance to allow enough time to communicate to the community what the event is and if they’ll need anything for it. 
  2. Do a trial run. Test out the sound if you’re doing a music event or figure out the best camera angle for a cooking class. 
  3. Get feedback from the members. What events do they want? What did they like about a certain event? 
  4. USE the members. We are all amongst some creative, interesting, talented people who have gifts to be shared. Highlight them! 
  5. Have the members mute themselves so as not to distract from the presenter. But, have the chat bar OPEN. This is a fun way for the community to interact with each other.

Have fun with these events. We need each other more than ever and maintaining that sense of community will go a long way, both while the gym is closed and when it reopens. 

What other ideas do you have? Share them with us!

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