“Friday night at the movies” sounds like a John Mellencamp lyric, an American pastime fallen by the wayside.

Yet, ASI recently turned back the clock to February and provided employees and their families with an evening of normalcy. We didn’t all pack into a theater, though. My brothers and I drove to the office parking lot and watched E.T. on a couple of screens from the comfort of my 2003 Chevy Cavalier. We prayed the battery wouldn’t die and laughed as ASI Chairman Norman Cohn roared like the MGM lion in a hilarious movie trailer made by ASI’s creative department. While Elliot left Reese’s Pieces for our favorite alien, we munched on free popcorn, hot dogs and Sno-Caps.

It was a great time and truly illustrated ASI’s ingenuity. Even though we haven’t been in the office for almost five months, the top brass has emphasized the importance of maintaining company culture. Every summer there’s a day dedicated to a fun activity – last year was a whiffle ball tournament with catered barbecue, a beer truck, carnival games and a giant screen on the front lawn to watch the Phillies. Of course, COVID-19 has prevented any large, sweaty, boozy gatherings (even the Mummers), but that didn’t stop ASI from developing a safe alternative.

ASI Drive-In was organized by Stephanie Schaeffer, corporate vice president at ASI, her executive assistant Jasmine Ridgeway and Jim Maratea, director of facilities. They had cars parked in every other space to ensure social distancing. Food vendors wore masks and all snacks were pre-packaged. It wasn’t the same as slapping Vin Driscoll on the back after he threw a curveball, but it was still nice to roll down the window and see some familiar faces.

Only way I’m coming back to the office...

ASI Drive-In! @GotHotDogs pic.twitter.com/kVxh8Sw2cr

— John Corrigan (@Notready4Radio) August 1, 2020

Companies need to be thinking creatively to engage employees during the pandemic. Weekly Zoom meetings aren’t enough. You must transfer that sense of camaraderie that was in the office to this virtual world that we’re all inhabiting now. Expand the conversation from strictly work-related matters to what’s going on in your employees’ lives, how their families are doing, any trips they’re planning, what recipes they’ve learned, what Netflix recommendations they have, etc.

Last call has passed for virtual happy hours. As restrictions loosen throughout the country, it’s time to take advantage of our renewed freedom. Plan a family-friendly event to give your employees’ children something to look forward to and to get them out of the house. According to the Mayo Clinic, outdoor activities are recommended because you’re less likely to breathe in enough of the respiratory droplets containing the virus that causes COVID-19 to become infected.

Depending on the size of your company, you can split the activity into multiple days to keep a small crowd. Schedule some socially distant competition like golf, kayaking, softball, kickball or whiffle ball. If people are trepidatious about meeting in person, think outside the box for virtual events. Set up an at-home cook-off, Chopped-style, where you pick four ingredients and are judged based on presentation and creativity. Play party games over Zoom like Jeopardy! or Quiplash. Let your imagination run wild – the goal is to entertain your employees, keep them connected and thank them for their hard work during such an unstable time.

Organizing an activity is going to take time and money, and understandably a drive-in movie night isn’t a priority in anyone’s budget right now. But if you can afford it, it’s worth the investment in your company’s future. Your employees will appreciate the gesture and you can leverage it into a recruiting tool. Share photos and videos on your website and social media, so your customers and followers can see the fun atmosphere that you foster.

My brothers now consider working for ASI to be a dream job. Sure, they were easily swayed by chocolate and hot dogs, but they’re not wrong.