Yes, we hosted a digital party for Verizon!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Boomer Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.

Well, we did it! The Chief Blonde from Still Blonde After all These Years and I pulled off our first digital party! It was the first time either of us ventured into a digital party, and we certainly learned a lot – especially me.

As part of the Verizon Boomer Voices program, we were given devices and products to test, review and blog about. We also share new Verizon programs through social media. Additionally, we were asked to host a party to share what we have learned with our colleagues and friends. Since we are writing about technology and how it can make life a bit easier, the Chief Blonde and I thought, “Why not try to have a digital party?” And that is what we did!

What We Did To Prepare:

The Chief Blonde is more social media savvy than I, so she gave me a crash course in RaffleCopter (which we used for the giveaways) and how manage several open Twitter screens at the same time. We were both familiar in using online meeting rooms, so there wasn’t a huge learning curve there.

After inviting Michigan bloggers to the party – via Facebook – we sent out a PowerPoint presentation,  which was used as a teaser, to gauge what products our guests were interested in, and to get the party RSVPs. Additionally, we took photos and downloaded images to use throughout the party. Using RaffleCopter, we were able to draw the prizes for the guests, plus we fielded some questions about the products before the party began, which was a huge help in explaining each device. We had notes on the three devices each of us presented, and opening/closing words. We created Tweet templates ahead of time, and edited them with the names of the prize winners as the party progressed, so we could posts Tweets while the party was in session.

The Party

I admit, I wasn’t nervous until the party began! As soon as guests began to electronically arrive, the butterflies began to take flight in my stomach. Then, I felt like I was on stage and would “mess up my lines!” All in attendance could see us through a webcam! But once I relaxed in front of the camera, I enjoyed chatting with the group. The Chief Blonde and I took turns presenting the devices, and whoever was not in front of the camera monitored the “chat” for questions and comments. The guests were so gracious and added so much to our experience. Everyone who attended received a nice goody bag filled with fun items from Verizon. And there were several winners of some great products, like the FitBit One, FitBit Flex, Tagg Pet Tracker, Sure Response, Belkin Digital WebCam and more.

swag1  prize collage

A whole lot of work went into this digital party, probably as much as with a traditional party – but we didn’t have to clean the bathrooms before the guests arrived! It took many hours to tweak and practice to make sure we had no technical issues, but the pay off was big! We both learned so much, and believe our guests did as well. It was wonderful to connect with so many talented bloggers.

After the Party:

packing day

My dining room table mirrored a warehouse as I was busy packing up the goody bags and prizes for our guests. After shipping all the boxes and reviewing the entire process, I have to say that the Chief Blonde and I had a wonderful time learning together. We made a great team, and had we not been invited to be part of the Verizon Boomer Voices program, we would not have had the opportunity to work together – and become friends in the process.

Have you taken a leap and ventured into unchartered technological waters? How was your experience? Feel free to share in the comments below.