Hello old and new friends. Hello pants with buttons. Hello Red Vine licorice. Hello new habits that formed while working at home over the past two years — and hello to being called out on them on day one of Inviso’s Marketing-palooza.
A few weeks ago, twelve of us came together (in-person!) for three full days — a few even came in from Idaho and California. We worked together in the office, enjoyed lunches and dinners together, held our first shuffleboard contest, and a few brave souls sang a few songs at Karaoke. Over this period of time, our team was able to connect, interact, and work together like the good o’l days.
But wait, there’s more.
We were also treated to a couple of great outings. The first was to see the Van Gough Exhibit. Van Gough has a fascinating story, and it certainly comes through in his art. The VR portion of the exhibit was, let’s just say, highly immersive. It really brings his art and story to life.
The next day we held an Iron Chef cooking contest at Blue Ribbon Cooking. It was 80+ degrees, and we spent the evening in the kitchen. There’s nothing more comfortable than sweating profusely with coworkers.
We broke up into two teams and were judged based on the presentation and taste of the meal we prepared — which also included a specialty drink and dessert. Water chestnuts proved key to some recipes, but what would a cooking competition be without a forgotten ingredient and a last-minute improvisation? This was an incredibly fun and creative way to work together as a team. And might I add, the best team won. It may or may not have been my team…
Lastly, we ended everything with the company barbecue in Sammamish. A lovely way to close out the week, seeing co-workers and their families.
A few things learned:
- The least expected individuals are the most competitive
- Some people are not meant to be in the kitchen
- A great account manager doesn’t always make a great singer
- Continuing to work on building working relationships is key
- Collaboration and brainstorming sessions are the strongest in-person
- VR experience. “VR” should stand for Vomit Ready.
- Inviso Marketing is a tight-knit team of smart, experienced and really fun people
- Winners receive mugs
- Whatever you do, don’t forget the water chestnuts
Our time together was rewarding. You feel more connected, have tighter bonds with the people you work with, and appreciate each person on your team even more. Here’s to Inviso Marketing-palooza 2023!