The holiday season traditionally includes lots of time spent on interpersonal interaction, whether in the office, at school, or at home. That’s not true for everyone, though. A sad truth about modern life is that work, school, and other responsibilities keep many people far away from where they really want to be during the festive season.

Thankfully, technology can get everyone more closely connected than ever before. And while cameras and speakerphones can’t fully replace the intimacy of a conversation at an office or class Christmas party, they are a huge step up from a simple voice call or email with good tidings. With that in mind, here are a few ideas for how you can use your company’s video conferencing equipment or your school’s education technology to make the most of the holidays.

Celebrate With Education Technology

Remote frivolity isn’t just for the corporate world. Those who work or study at educational institutions can also use their technology — like advanced streaming audio systems, PTZ lecture capture cameras, and visualizers — to help celebrate the holidays. Again, here are some ideas:

  • Holiday Event Inclusion: Educational institutions can use AVer innovations to livestream holiday events, allowing family and friends of participants to join in from afar. AVer’s Distance Learning Cameras are excellent for producing a live broadcast of a seasonal concert or play, or simply to host remote parties with other students in distant classes. With festivities in full swing, things can start to get raucous. But fear not; AVer’s AmpliWave Streaming Audio System is at hand to help with crowd control. Picture a classroom where the teacher’s voice rises above the chatter, thanks to every word being amplified clearly. The environment feels more orderly when the teacher communicates in a relaxed and natural tone, avoiding the need to shout or strain. What about students with hearing impairments who may find it difficult to follow along? AmpliWave has that covered with Assistive Listening Device (ALD) features to ensure no one gets left behind and everyone can participate fully and share in the revelry.
  • Remote Class Partying: Distance learners miss out on traditional campus socializing. When the holiday season rolls around and it’s time for class parties, include remote students by hosting a live event. Even if it’s just you (the teacher) on video, students can chat in to answer holiday trivia questions or share images of their ugliest Christmas sweaters. AVer’s DL10 tracking camera is your best choice here with its 6X total zoom that can show every hideous detail of your own gaudy garb (oh, thanks, full HD 1080p resolution!). Weighing in at just 760g, this is a camera that goes where you and the party go. And with AI auto tracking (never worry about walking out of frame or going out of focus), built-in noise suppression microphones (no annoying environmental sound interruptions), and gesture controls (simple hand motions to adjust camera operations), it certainly feels like a gift that keeps giving.
  • Long-Distance Gift Opening: The AVerVision U50+ and U70i USB plug-and-play visualizers (document cameras) are great for projecting documents or zooming in on detailed physical samples or models, but they’re also perfect for livestreaming from anywhere, due to their portability, compact design, and connectivity. Teachers who are working abroad can use these to start a live broadcast for family and friends to watch as they open care packages from back home. With 16X digital zoom and vivid resolution, these visualizers give new meaning to “show me, don’t just tell me.” They are even more powerful when paired with the free AVerTouch software, which allows for seamless cloud syncing and automatic backups of your notes, annotations, and recordings with Google Classroom.

Host a Virtual Office Party

Virtual party

Christmas and New Year’s parties at the office are great fun, but do you know what would be even more enjoyable? Spreading the season’s cheer to your colleagues who work at overseas branches or are stuck on ill-timed business trips, of course! Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others, you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give.” In that spirit, here are some ideas and AVer solutions to get the festivities going:

  • White Elephant Excitement: Play the gift-swapping game where participants exchange anonymous presents — now with a virtual twist. These exchanges often include a “steal” element, allowing participants to take gifts from one another. The goal is to provide entertainment as teammates compete to find the most peculiar yet still desirable (quirky?) present. Nowadays, the logistics of managing all this are a lot easier with dedicated platforms that can host such hybrid events. To capture all the action as it happens, you might consider a camera that offers stunning visuals and comes with dual-screen support to get different perspectives all at once. This is where AVer’s VB370A, a 4K dual-lens video conferencing bar, comes in handy. Zoom Rooms-embedded and powered by Android, it’s ideal for mid-to-large spaces and doesn’t miss a beat with its Zoom Rooms Speaker Focus feature that shifts the camera to focus on whoever is speaking. When the games get lively, be sure to have the gear to cover it!
  • Gift Opening Drama: Another way to enjoy gift-giving is to send out presents and then get together in your preferred online meeting space to watch each other tear through the wrapping paper. Variations could include a gift auction or some form of rolling the dice to determine whether you switch, steal, or unwrap a gift. Priceless moments are to be had when you get to see your colleagues’ expressions on such occasions. That’s why a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, such as AVer’s VC520 Pro3, is a must-have. With up to 36X zoom, a Smart Composition AI feature for quick, high-quality close-ups, and daisy-chain speakerphone support for extended audio coverage, this is the camera that’s in on the fun every step of the way.
  • __Video Conference Mingling: __You don’t need to wait for a holiday to take part in an office party, but the festive season certainly brings a heightened sense of celebratory mood. Inviting distant coworkers to join office gatherings is perfect for team building. You may not get any actual work done, but the increase in morale and deepening of relationships are sure to inspire long-term improvements in productivity. To make these hybrid get-togethers feel more personal, look no further than AVer’s CAM550 and FONE700 ceiling speakerphone combo. This pairing is a powerhouse for visual and voice tracking. 4K dual lens PTZ functionality automatically detects newcomers to the meeting and reframes the scene, while a Smart Gallery feature presents clear views of every participant on the remote side. And with a ceiling-mounted speakerphone, high-quality audio pickup is easy, no matter where in the space your coworkers are mingling.

If you can’t physically be present with your coworkers, classmates, or loved ones during the holidays, the next best thing is interacting with them via video call. And when you have access to AVer innovations, you’ll get to create or partake in distant festivities with some of the highest-quality camera and audio solutions available. Happy holidays!