CLARK FREEPORT— As LGUs in Metro Manila and other GCQ areas move to ban Christmas parties and large gatherings this holiday season, one company aims to carry on its tradition of memorable year-end celebrations virtually.
Technology-driven outsourcing company Cloudstaff has made a reputation over the last five years for its massive year-end parties for its thousands of employees.
In 2019, the company rented out the Philippine Arena and brought over 9,000 guests which included employees, friends and family and featured headlining performer Arnel Pineda, supported by popular indie acts Ben&Ben and December Avenue. In the previous year, the company threw an enormous carnival with fairground attractions and games at Astro Park in Pampanga and featured Bamboo as the event’s main performer.
“We always try to make our year-end parties at Cloudstaff as memorable of an experience for not just our employees but to their friends and family as well. It’s part of our efforts to instill a culture that celebrates the achievements of its staff and the company as a whole, and despite the pandemic Cloudstaff has continued its streak of year-on-year growth,” said Cloudstaff CEO and founder, Lloyd Ernst.
Cloudstaff continues this tradition through its Virtual Christmas Party happening on December 12, 2020 from 8 am to 12 pm Philippine Standard Time.
The event will be hosted by Filipino radio jock and television personality Sam YG and will feature performances by OPM rock mainstays Mayonnaise and Rocksteddy. Corporate speaker and tour drummer for acts like Cher and P!nk, Mark Schulman, will also be delivering a motivational speech for the staff titled: Hacking Your Inner Rock Star.
To make the event more interactive, organizers will provide guests with a live virtual photo booth. A series of games and raffle draws will be held throughout the event for Cloudstaff employees for a chance to win gadgets and cash prizes.
Ernst commented: “At Cloudstaff, we want everyone in the team to feel valued as a part of a larger family. This virtual celebration is only one part of our continuous effort to build our inclusive corporate culture that values employee retention and growth. We are proud of our achievement of maintaining a 98.1 percent staff retention rate which remains the benchmark in the outsourcing industry.”
He added that the company is investing over PHP 1 million in infrastructure to continue to host virtual events for the company. Recently, Cloudstaff has set up “Studio 6,” a fully-equipped in-house production studio with a set, professional-level cameras, studio lighting, and editing and streaming equipment. The company has also increased the size of its events team in an effort to improve their virtual events capabilities.
“We have seen considerable success in engaging our employees and reaching out to potential new team members with these virtual productions. I think this early success demonstrates a future in using digital-first events as a tool for retention,” Ernst noted.
The Cloudstaff Virtual Christmas Party is open to the public and so far already has more than 8000 confirmed attendees which includes more than 4700 non-Cloudstaff employees. Individuals interested in participating in the festivities may register through this link.
