First published October 2026

What happens at a VR year end function

"One call, we handle it" is easy to say. Here is the full walkthrough, from the first call to the last headset packed away, so you know what you are booking.

Before the day: one call

You tell us three things: the date, the venue and the headcount. That is the whole intake. We plan the layout with you beforehand so nothing surprises you on the day - where the headsets stand, where the screens face, where the cable runs go. If something in your room will not work, you hear it from us before the day, not during it.

Setup: about the footprint of a mat

Each headset needs about 2.5 m × 1.5 m - the footprint of a large gym mat. Power is any standard 220V socket. Shelter is the one hard requirement: a hall, a marquee or a covered patio. We bring the rest - headsets, screens, extension leads, and an experienced operator with every headset.

The first go: seconds, not a tutorial

Zero learning curve is a design requirement, not a hope. A first-timer is playing within seconds of strapping in, because the operator runs the controls and the game does the explaining. The job of the person in the headset is to laugh, and guests turn out to be good at that from the first minute.

The loop: rounds, not a queue

Rounds run three to seven minutes. Two players at a time is the sweet spot - a shared go beats a solo one, because the two players not in headsets are the audience. One pair steps out, the next steps up. Across a daytime booking, that rotation puts most of the room through at least one go without the party ever stopping for it.

Altophobia is the round people remember. Two players on rooftops opposite each other, thirty stories up. One walks the plank and builds a bridge across; the other crosses, grabs the ticking bomb and gets it back to be defused - all inside 90 seconds. The watching is as loud as the playing.

The part that surprises people is not the technology. It is the room. We have watched strangers high-five and hug after a round - colleagues who have shared nothing but a payroll all year included. Shared experiences amplify the intensity, and the watching half of the room gets most of it too.

The wildcard

Every function needs one round nobody saw coming. Ours is Flee Fly, and we do not explain it on the internet. Ask when you call.

The scoreboard

The digital leaderboard is an optional extra, and for most functions it is the best money in the budget. Scores post live, it turns a room of colleagues into a tournament, and bragging rights are settled by the final round, loudly. Do not be surprised when the most senior person in the room takes it hardest.

Pack-down

When the last round is done, we pack it all out - headsets, screens, leads, the lot. Your part of the day stays the speeches, the bill and the score argument in the car park.

That is the whole shape of it. Still choosing a format? Start with year end function ideas for Johannesburg companies. Venue is the open question? The short version is shelter and one plug.

These guides follow VR into venues and living rooms. Pointing it at a crowd of strangers instead? The guides on vractivation.co.za cover expo and trade show stands.