It’s been a rough few months, and many are abandoning their Super Bowl party plans for celebrations that are more intimate. While sticking to those you live with is never a bad plan, things can still be pretty exciting by going with (recent) tradition and taking things virtual.
For those who can't gather in person this year for the Super Bowl, planning a virtual party can still be a ton of fun, and there’s lots of ways to go with this. “You can use smart TVs and meeting apps so everyone is on one screen to celebrate together on one screen,” said hospitality, food & beverage expert, Steve Turk of Turk Hospitality Ventures.
A virtual party can be as big or small as you want it to be, and the same goes for the tech that gets involved. Those who are especially comfortable with technology may even want to take things up a notch. “Take your avatar and go meet your friends in the metaverse. Miller Lite is showing their commercial only in the metaverse. You can always keep it simple with a twitch live stream or facetime,” said Turk.
Once you decide how you are going to watch it, the food, drinks, and music are most important. There’s so many interesting ways to go with this as well. “This year I am creating a fun experience for my friends and family by using the service Goldbelly and Drizly to bring in foods and drinks from the Superbowl team's hometowns,” said Turk. Think Kansas City BBQ, San Francisco crab cakes, Los Angeles tacos, Cincinnati chili. “You can look for beers that are locally brewed as well to pair each with,” said Turk. Make it a fun pairing experience for you and your guests since it will be delivered straight to your door.
Getting started
When planning a virtual Super Bowl party, planning is the key. “Send invites via email or text and ask the attendees to reply with a yes or no and then when they confirm, send each one a different football dish or drink Idea and ask them to write a recipe and shopping list and send to each person attending the party, this way they have the food on hand,” said chef Jason Smith who is currently one of the top celebrity chefs that delivers curated food experiences virtually through HUNGRY’s Virtual Xperience.
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Then on the big game day, ask each person to have whatever dish or drinks they'd like to make. “Start the virtual party one hour beforehand, kinda like a tailgate and each person can talk about their drink or food and then all can enjoy,” said Smith.
The menu
Food is the biggest part of any party, and a virtual Super Bowl celebration is no different. “If all virtual friends are within the same town or state (check your state’s regulations in advance), send a flight of beers from the two playing teams’ home states and host a beer flight tasting paired with the chips/beer snacks,'' suggests event planner Shelli Stelmak, who hosts Zoom events for her clients with the gift box company Party 'nBox. It could be fun to send individual chips and pretzel bags for the tasting to pair with each beer.
Or have some fun with the food and consider a virtual cook off. “Everyone pick a recipe and schedule a time to share your recipe, you can do a poll on social OR have the kids pick - the best looking ‘Ribs’ or meal for Super Bowl,” said Mareya Ibrahim, a lifestyle and nutrition expert, celebrity chef and author of Eat Like You Give A Fork: The Real Dish on Eating to Thrive.
Take your event beyond the screen
If there is one silver lining of the pandemic for events, it’s been the advancement of event technology and the variety of platforms that you can use to host a virtual event. One of these platforms to try is Hopin. “Why not make your event more interactive by incorporating mid-game polls, football quizzes and 1:1 discussions via the live chat functions,” says Heather Odendaal, founder and principal at Bluebird Strategy and Weddings by Bluebird.
Add some incentive to the quizzes by offering raffle prizes. “You can also take it a step further and use the “expo” area to profile and link to some of your favorite recipes, UberEats gift certificates as well as your team's Instagram page or website,” said Odendaal.
Place a wager (just for fun!)
It may also be fun to do a Super Bowl pool. You and your friends can be anywhere to participate in this! “You can get the premade squares off Amazon like this or make your own and reveal on social, text thread, or zoom what the squares reveal - you can do $5 squares and up!” said Ibrahim. Whoever wins each quarter gets a pot of the money!
Craft beer tasting
Just because it’s the Super Bowl, it does not mean that you need to drink average tasting beer. Try kicking it up a notch with a craft beer tasting component to your virtual event. “If you live in the same area, have one friend pick up the beer. Purchase a variety of local craft brews and mix up the packs so that each virtual guest gets one of each beer and facilitate a socially distanced delivery,” said Odendaal. To take the experience one step further, prepare a tasting notes sheet that is emailed out in advance, most craft breweries post tasting notes on their website.
Class up your pre-game with co*cktails
Your virtual Super Bowl party doesn’t all have to be beer and nachos. “Stir things up by starting things off with a virtual co*cktail class to get things started,” said Odendaal. There are a number of companies that will do a live step-by-step mixology class and ship kits in advance, like female-founded Fancy Sips. “You could also host a wine tasting with a virtual sommelier. Chateau Feely, The Vendry or Bluemont Vineyard are all great options,” said Odendaal.
Décor & favors
Setting the mood is always important at every party, and the decorations will be a big part of that. Send all items in the mail via an igloo cooler with the items inside properly wrapped in bubble wrap. “Fill the cooler with Gatorade and party favors in bags that resemble a football, stadium, etc,” said Stelmak.
Keep colors cohesive throughout. Either football and stadium décor or the colors of the opposing teams. “Add disposable napkins, plates, and cups the same color. Create a custom card with instructions on how to enjoy the items, such as “tackle these drinks,” or a “Hail Mary” dessert,” said Stelmak. Provide a floating team logo to place in drinks.
Music
Don’t forget to have some music on during the big game. “Not everyone loves football, but they do love to socialize,” said Turk. Keep it fun for everyone while still keeping the volume of the game up.
Games
Create some themed games to keep your virtual guests entertained. “Divide guests into breakout rooms and have them produce their own Super Bowl commercials, then bring them back together later to show them to the group,” said Stelmak. Have guests vote on the winner.
Stelmak says guests can also create their own Tik Tok or Reel, making parodies of the Super Bowl commercials (friends can tag one another on social media once they go live so they can interact with the videos in real time). Most likely win. Be sure to have prizes for all, like an e-gift card, to send to winners. It’s all about having some (safe!) fun.
