Postponement of the “togETHer” staff party
Every two years, the ETH Zurich community comes together and takes part in the “together” staff party. Last year's event was shifted to this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, the decision has been taken to postpone the event yet another year. The next edition of “together” is now scheduled to take place in August 2022.
The “together” party is typically a permanent fixture in ETH Zurich's event calendar. Between 3,000 and 4,000 staff members and their families attend the event, which is held every two years. However, the corona crisis changed many things in 2020, and the “together” event scheduled for the summer of 2020 was postponed to 2021. The effects of the pandemic are unfortunately making themselves felt this year, too. Because of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the situation – especially regarding mutations of the virus – it is currently unclear if a large event can be held this summer.
Because of the need to cancel agreements with entertainers and suppliers early on to avoid cancellation fees, the Executive Board has made the decision to call off this year's event as well. The new date for the next edition of “together” is Friday, 26 August 2022. This puts the staff party back in its usual alternating rhythm with external pageScientifica, which is scheduled to take place from 3–5 September 2021.
Plans not made in vain
"It's of course a shame that the staff party has to be called off this year too," says Thomas Meissner, who runs the “together” project in the events department. "Especially since so many of us have been working from home for months now and only seeing our colleagues on screen, “together” would have been a nice opportunity for a big reunion. But the Executive Board made the right decision given the unpredictable nature of the situation."
The work that has already gone into planning “together” was not in vain and will be used as a basis for the 2022 edition of the event. The Staff Commission (PeKo) will still make their guest appearance, which was initially planned as part of their 50-year anniversary.
Mark your calendars
Although “together” is postponed for now, it's not too early for members of the ETH community to mark their calendars with the new date. We look forward to celebrating with you on 26 August 2022!