Nerdery, a premier digital product consultancy, announces it will host its first employee “Holiday Party After the Holidays” in the metaverse through company-gifted Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets. Since the pandemic pushed gatherings back further than expected, the party will take place on Feb. 24 within six custom-built metaverse rooms.
With three office locations in Minneapolis, Chicago and Phoenix, and many remote workers located throughout the country, the company is thrilled to have a way to safely connect during the pandemic to celebrate the past year’s successes. As a way to thank them for their dedication during this time, every employee, or Nerd, received an Oculus Quest 2 in December as a holiday gift.
“A big part of what makes Nerdery special is how much our community truly enjoys spending time together,” said Rachel Alm, Vice President of People Operations for Nerdery. “COVID has challenged us to find new ways to connect, and we’re excited that the Oculus gifts create a space for everyone to gather virtually in the metaverse.”
The team has already built custom metaverse environments for two all-team happy hours to trial the capabilities, and many employees have enjoyed gathering in the happy hour spaces. For the holiday party, the team designed six custom rooms in AltspaceVR, a platform for live, virtual events. There also will be a Zoom room attached to ensure the event is accessible to all Nerds.
The custom rooms will feature Easter eggs that, when found, will let party-goers win prizes from an Airbnb travel package to an Oculus accessories bundle or a 3D printer. To bridge the physical-digital divide, all attendees will also receive a Nerd-themed gift box to accompany the virtual party with a glow-in-the-dark t-shirt, cocktail kit, glow-in-the-dark necklaces, candy and pint glasses.
The last in-person holiday party that Nerdery hosted was in February 2020 at the Minneapolis Club.
“While the days of large-scale in-person parties may still be on pause, we’re eager to gather together through virtual reality technology,” said Nerdery CEO Michael Schmidt. “Like many organizations, we were not able to celebrate together last year, so I am excited that we can use new technology to create a fun and innovative event for this year, and connect with our teammates all across the country.“
For the Nerdery team, turning to modern technology to solve real-world challenges is what empowers them every day. For clients, that looks like pivoting the 2020 Google Cloud Next event to a fully virtual experience and streamlining Purina’s more than 70 websites into a single digital experience platform. Whether transforming legacy technology or creating breakthrough new digital products, Nerdery weaves together diverse expertise and unique service offerings to move businesses forward. For the Nerds internally, that means exploring innovative ways to use technology to stay connected.
Nerdery is a premier digital product consultancy. Much more than consultants, we’re allies on your digital journey — a collection of strategists, designers, technologists and proud “Nerds,” who are united around a vision of relentlessly inventing a world that works better for all. Our experience is rooted in technology and engineering, and we design to serve everyone. We work alongside our clients to understand their goals and build digital products that transform business, create enduring customer connections and elevate the human experience.
Media Contact
Hallie Steele
Director of Marketing
Cell: 952-208-6223
Email: hallie.steele@nerdery.com
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