What If We Didn't Have to Give up The Company Christmas Dinner This Year?

Dec. 04, 2020

Shackleton presents "Connected Tables", an idea combining technology and creativity so that companies around the world can celebrate their Christmas dinner this year, while supporting the restaurant industry at the same time.

 

How it works:

• You divide people into groups up to 6.
• You make reservations at different restaurants for all the groups formed.
• The 6 members of each group dine at each restaurant.
• At the ends of each table you place two computers.
• Each computer is connected via videoconference with one on another table.
• Thus, an infinite but responsible and safe table is created.

To improve the experience, it is important that:

• All tables have similar proportions and measurements.
• All the tables be laid with identical tablecloths.
• All the restaurants serve the same menu, including the wine.
• All the waiters wear the same uniform.
• During the dinner you can change the tables yours is connected to.

Connected Tables proposes an alternative in order to:

Maintain an important Christmas tradition: company parties

Events of all kinds are held annually at this time of year. There are giant ones, bringing together entire organizations, and smaller ones, for certain departments. They can be sophisticated, traditional, fun, recreational, and more or less formal... but it is practically impossible to find a company that does not get its people together to bid the past year farewell and ring in the new one.

Support the restaurant industry

This corporate tradition has always been key to the survival and sustainability of many restaurateurs, who see their turnover increase between 25% and 50%, depending on their type of establishment.

Observe all the health protection recommendations

In each different place and time the authorities recommend different social distancing measures, such as limitations on group size, mobility restrictions, curfews, etc., which, of course, must be strictly observed.

Juan Silva has stated:

"Creativity has to do with finding new ways of doing things, and technology is a tool that makes it possible for these things to happen. With this idea we have tried to combine both forces for something really important: people being able to meet and have a good time, without running risks, all while helping the restaurant industry, which has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic."

 

To show how it works, the agency applied the idea. On November 24 at 8:00 p.m. (Madrid and Barcelona) / 3:00 p.m. (Santiago de Chile), more than 180 people from the Madrid, Barcelona and Santiago de Chile teams connected from almost 30 different restaurants located in the three cities.

A communications plan was implemented through a summary video and a website, and by sending to clients and friends a bottle of wine specially designed and crafted by the Royal Glass Factory of La Granja. The wine is actually "half a bottle", functioning as a symbol of the initiative, conveying the idea that the other party is at another "connected table" in another restaurant, whether in the city or thousands of kilometres away.