At Fizzbox, a website that allows people to book Christmas parties at 134 restaurants and other venues across the UK, marketing manager Tom Bourlet says festive bookings are now growing rapidly.
He says they are up four-fold since last month, with Glasgow leading the way.
Summer is also a key time for retail firms eyeing their Christmas sales. Prior to coronavirus many retail companies would attend Christmas showcase trade shows that run from June to September, with July usually the busiest month.
They could show off their wares, and network with retail journalists and social media influences, all in one place. But last year the vast majority of such events moved online, and in 2021 this has continued for many companies.
Prezzybox is an online gift retailer, and Christmas is the most important date in the calendar for the business. This means that summertime festive showcase events are crucial, says Alexandra Spencer from the company’s PR department.
“Before the pandemic, all our events were in-person and we’re really looking forward to being able to do that again, but the virtual events we’ve attended so far have been great,” she says.
“Sometimes it’s easier to build relationships in-person, but like the rest of the world, we’ve just had to cope with doing it online.”
Whilst networking might not come as naturally over video conferencing, virtual Christmas showcases have their advantages according to Ms Spencer.
“We’re not based in London so it requires a lot logistically to get down there and set everything up, whereas with virtual events it’s just a case of popping on Zoom and cracking-on.”
But what do the journalists themselves think of new virtual Christmas showcases, and how do they compare to in-person events?
Anna-Lisa De’Ath is editor in chief of magazines, “Your Home – Christmas Made Easy” and “HomeStyle Christmas”, says the online events are not the same.
“[Prior to coronavirus] I’d normally go to 30 or 40 [physical] events, and sometimes you’ll have 13 events in one day; it’s chaos trying to rush around London. The events are really important though, to see what trends are coming through, and what’s going to be big at Christmas.
