What are PowerPoint parties and why are they so popular?

For nearly four decades, PowerPoint software has been an indispensable tool in many offices and classrooms, making it easy to create effective and visually appealing presentations. However, it has also become a form of entertainment. As a result, one of the most curious phenomena gaining popularity is PowerPoint Parties. Do you know them? Below we will explain what they are about.

What are Power Point parties and why are they so popular?

PowerPoint parties are social events where participants prepare and present slides on a variety of topics, from humorous to academic to absurd and creative. To host such parties, you need a TV with HDMI support, slide shows and, of course, the desire to entertain friends or discover hidden hobbies.

The idea of ​​PowerPoint parties is not new, but they have become popular in recent years. One of the figures behind this resurgence is McCall Mirabella, a well-known social media personality with more than 1.3 million followers on TikTok and YouTube. For her 21st birthday last month, Mirabella decided to throw a different party: instead of the usual gifts, she asked her friends to prepare a PowerPoint presentation on any topic they could think of. The only criterion was “the stupider the better.”

What makes these parties unique and fun comes from the creative freedom they offer participants. From humorous presentations on absurd topics to comical revelations of unusual aspects of everyday life and secret hobbies, the possibilities are endless. For example, some of Mirabella’s guests prepared presentations on the attractiveness of 10 animated characters and the stages of drug addiction, and the presenter herself ventured to make predictions about the survival of her friends in The Hunger Games.

These get-togethers offer a fun and unique way to learn about friends’ interests and quirks while also sharing moments of laughter. They also provide an opportunity to explore creativity and ingenuity in an accessible and fun way.

As Mirabella noted, “Watching the people you love enthusiastically assign each other Taylor Swift songs based on their personalities or fictional crimes that could land them in jail is a special party treat.” slideshow oriented.”

How did PowerPoint parties come about?

The PowerPoint party phenomenon began to take off in 2012 when three students from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, organized the Drink, Talk and Learn event. At these early parties, guests were required to give a presentation on a topic of their choice, spawning topics as varied as the moral stance of the character Shadow from Sonic the Hedgehog,

Over time, PowerPoint parties became increasingly popular, attracting enthusiasts from software engineers in Seattle to students in Boston. The speeches covered very specific and often provocative topics, such as the argument for why King Claudius is a true hero Hamlet Shakespeare.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further increased the popularity of these holidays as millions of people sought safe ways to socialize while remaining isolated in their homes. Thus, virtual PowerPoint parties have emerged as a creative and remote alternative to meeting friends and family, providing a dose of entertainment during trying times.

New PowerPoint Party Trends on TikTok

Since PowerPoint parties became popular in 2020, they have gained a huge following on TikTok, racking up over 40 million views along with related hashtags. Users have shown off their creativity by exploring new variations on typical slideshows and have turned to platforms like Reddit to get unique ideas for their own presentations.

A prime example is when the host played a prank on his guests by making them present someone else’s PowerPoint presentation on a topic completely unknown to them.

In Philadelphia, one group took a particularly interesting approach by creating a slideshow designed to help their single friends stand out from other single people at social events. While another man decided to use PowerPoint to reveal his sexual orientation to his family over Christmas, surprising everyone present.

While Microsoft PowerPoint is the most commonly used software for these presentations, other services such as Prezi, Canva and Google Slides have also gained popularity among party planners. Microsoft even provided tips for throwing a top-notch PowerPoint party, encouraging participants to take full advantage of the software’s capabilities.

As PowerPoint parties continue to gain popularity, we’re likely to see more creative variations and developments in the format. They have proven to be more than just slideshows, evolving into a global social phenomenon that combines creativity, entertainment and friendship, providing a unique and fun way to connect with friends and express ideas in an increasingly digital world.