When the December holiday season rolls around, Rogers Communication Inc. staff usually work as efficiently as elves to transform the Rogers Centre into a carnival.
They arrange for midway rides to sit in the Toronto ballpark and hire face painters and entertainers to thank more than 8,000 employees and their families for a year of hard work.
While the ballpark will sit empty this year, the elves havenB次元官网网址檛 hung up their hats. Instead, theyB次元官网网址檙e offering personalized Santa phone calls and staging an online variety show with appearances from the jolly man at the North Pole, Inuit throat singers Piqsiq and a slew of celebrities theyB次元官网网址檙e keeping under wraps until the big day.
The reimagined holiday party comes as COVID-19 has forced companies to rethink their usual December festivities.
In pandemic hot spots that means bringing the razzle dazzle to virtual gatherings, while others in locations with fewer cases of the virus are opting to host parties but strictly enforce social distancing and masks.
Many will send tokens of appreciation to workers or offer time off or cash, but some will forgo any kind of celebration to tighten spending and acknowledge a tough year.
Rogers hatched its new plan almost as soon as the pandemic started to cause shutdowns in March, said director of corporate events Emma Shaw.
B次元官网网址淲ith this year being so tumultuousB次元官网网址aving something that provides a bit of normalcy and consistencyB次元官网网址e thought was a win-win for everyone,B次元官网网址� she said.
Royal Bank of Canada is using a similar playbook. It is hosting 150 virtual galas for each stream of the business and a company-wide, family-friendly video experience B次元官网网址� a departure from leaving holiday events to divisions and branches to plan themselves.
The hour-long, pre-recorded presentation will include celebrities B次元官网网址� the bank didnB次元官网网址檛 want to spoil the surprise and name any of the musicians, chefs or dancers it has planned B次元官网网址� and be capped with a message from chief executive Dave McKay.
B次元官网网址淣ot recognizing our people was not on the table,B次元官网网址� said Curtis Hitsman, RBCB次元官网网址檚 senior director of recognition programs.
B次元官网网址淚f there was a year to recognize the efforts of employees, this is it.B次元官网网址�
But some companies still feel the holiday spirit can safety be celebrated without a screen.
Flying Apron Inn and Cookery in Summerville, N.S. received three bookings for corporate holiday parties by mid-November.
B次元官网网址淭here is a dental office doing a private cooking class in our space. They are with each other all day anyway, so they are not going to do something virtually,B次元官网网址� said co-owner Melissa Velden.
B次元官网网址淲ith this other group, this will be the third year that they have come to us for their Christmas party and this is actually the most people they are ever going to have.B次元官网网址�
Indoor dining is still allowed in several regions of Atlantic Canada, but Velden will limit the number of guests, scrap buffets and require masks when not eating.
SheB次元官网网址檚 heard of other businesses shipping local food baskets to staff, footing the bill for each worker to treat their family to dinner out or cancelling holiday festivities altogether.
B次元官网网址淧eople are so tired of Zoom meetings that they donB次元官网网址檛 want to have a virtual Christmas party and they would rather have something in-person later,B次元官网网址� Velden said.
Some, like OpenText Corp. and TC Energy Corp. are cancelling altogether. The Waterloo, Ont.-based tech company and Calgary oil and gas firm said they would each donate at least $1 million to local charities in lieu of holding parties.
Manulife Financial Corp. announced it will give all 35,000 staff money to commit acts of kindness like helping neighbours in need or donating to good causes.
Others are relying on at-home offerings B次元官网网址� meal kits, wine tastings and wine club memberships B次元官网网址� from Stephen BecktaB次元官网网址檚 Ottawa fine dining restaurants.
For $100 a person, Beckta will deliver charcuterie and at least four wines to the homes of employees, clients or donors. Over video later, a sommelier will walk them through what they are sipping and noshing on.
Beckta can tailor the packages to meet specific tastes or higher budgets, like he did recently for a client wanting to focus on B.C.
B次元官网网址淲e are doing a lot of these,B次元官网网址� he said, noting companies like the arrangement because they can give something tactile and donB次元官网网址檛 just have to settle for another video call.
Cineplex Inc., CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest movie theatre operator, knows that sentiment well.
The company recently began offering auditorium rentals for as low as $125 for 20 guests that can easily distance in a big theatre.
Cineplex received more than 2,500 inquiries in the two days after it launched and many came from law, real estate, grocery and automotive businesses thinking about holiday gatherings, said spokesperson Sarah Van Lange in an email.
But not every business is seeing a boom.
Carla Smith of VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Rolla Skate Club can usually count on a flurry of bookings, but COVID-19 restrictions put a chill on holiday reservations this year.
B次元官网网址淥ur capacity in our huge space is limited to 15 people including staff, making the viability of even trying to offer a private event very limited,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淭he juice isnB次元官网网址檛 worth the squeeze for us this year.B次元官网网址�
Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press
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