Pop! Events co-owner Dawne Eisenberg was interviewed by Ismaila Alfa on CBC Radio Metro Morning on Monday, November 30. Listen:
The next morning she spoke on CBC Radio One London. And on Friday, December 4, she spoke on CBC Ontario Morning.
“The need for connection is greater than ever”
2020 pandemic precautions and restrictions on in-person gatherings have led to a decimation of the events industry, and a changing of an institution: the company Christmas party. With no Holiday gatherings- or gatherings of any kind- event venues, vendors and corporate event planning firms have been laying off staff by the thousands, slashing operations budgets or going out of business entirely.
One female entrepreneur, however, is rejuvenating the office holiday party for unprecedented times. And just in time.
Dawne Eisenberg, co-owner of Pop! Events Group (est. 2005), renowned for facilitating exceptional live corporate holiday events for companies both big and small, experienced a severe shock when Covid hit. Her successful company was tanking.
“Things started to go downhill very fast,” said Dawne Eisenberg, Co-Owner and CEO of Pop! Events Group. “We saw this coming as early as February when customers were afraid to commit to contracts. And then the worst happened… clients cancelling all events, large deposits having to be returned, and (our) business in debt with no new bookings in sight.”
Not one to panic, Eisenberg encouraged her staff to rise to the occasion and use their creativity to create new processes, solutions, and revenue streams. They developed an entire new division of their business based around virtual holiday events, building several on-site Zoom studios and designing engaging activities that leverage their existing offerings and assets transforming the age old in-person events to newly envisioned and engaging virtual holiday experiences.
“We have always been successful because of our ability to innovate based on current trends.” says Eisenberg “once the virus hit, we saw a huge opportunity and problem we could solve: Employees, previously having immediate contact with one another, were sequestered to their homes and forced to work remotely. They needed human contact, relief from the covid blahs, to laugh with one another and enjoy the vibe of a holiday celebration. The need for connection is greater than ever”.
With offerings ranging from Zoom with Santa; Virtual Mixology and Tasting Experiences; Online Art Parties and Virtual Team Building Games such as Family Feud, they’ve covered all of the bases. Programs can be totally virtual, or kits can be sent home to add a tactile element.
“It took a lot of time and energy to get everything up and running but now the requests are pouring in and we are busier than ever!” says Eisenberg “we not only have previous clients converting to virtual but an onslaught on new business internationally, from working directly with corporations and HR, to helping other event companies generate revenue by using our services to satisfy their client needs”
Pop! Events Group was founded in Toronto by two young women in 2005. In 15 years their passion and fierce creativity has pushed them to grow a small event company into a multimillion dollar enterprise. Contact: Dawne Eisenberg, dawne@popevents.ca, Office: 416-665-3594 ext. 105. Mobile: 416-727-6648
See also Photos: Tis the season for a (drive-through) holiday party!