AV integrators looking for a new revenue stream this holiday season should turn their eyes toward the North Pole, where Santa Claus is dealing with the same struggles when it comes to staying connected that we’ve all dealt with in our offices and children’s classrooms since this spring.
Thanks to collaboration platforms, though, those visits with Santa Claus don’t have to be completely scrapped this year, even if they won’t be happening quite as often at the local mall or shopping center.
A recent Mental Floss article highlighted the ways Santa and his helpers are making sure kids’ wishes still come true this Christmas, even though they might not get to sit on his lap and hand him their lists.
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Kringle is one of many Santas offering virtual meet-and-greets this holiday season. For $48 to $58, families can sign up to have a personal streaming session with Santa Claus from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
Prerecorded messages from Father Christmas himself are also available for $28.
“We’re having an international reach,” says Mr. Kringle. “A lot of people are reaching out to us from Canada. We heard of an inquiry from India today. People are looking to engage with Mr. Kringle, and given this technology, it can happen any time and any place.”
Even Santas who have experience connecting with kids virtually anticipate a very different holiday season in 2020. The Cameo Santa has been a professional Santa for decades and on Cameo for the last three years.
“In my 26 years of being a professional Santa, probably the most parties I have had in one day was five,” the Cameo Santa says. “Being the Cameo Santa has given me the opportunity to touch many more lives and spread way more Christmas spirit than I ever could’ve dreamed was possible.”
In addition to recording personalized Cameos for $65, he’s also available for Zoom meetings.
Santas are employing some creative strategies this year in an effort to keep everyone healthy. At the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn., kids are forbidden from sitting on Santa’s lap, and they can only interact with him from a distance.
At Aalborg Zoo in Denmark, Santa is ensconced in a snow globe.
Still, a virtual meeting is the safest option for families hoping to see Santa this year, and beyond the health aspect, it comes with some surprising benefits.
We’ve yet to see an AV integrator establish a presence in Antarctica, despite my repeated calls for those who tout themselves as “global” to set up an outpost there. Maybe the North Pole will have to suffice—and the supply of candy canes is seemingly endless.
