Words by : Phoenix Lucio, Graphics by : Manrico Malong – Contributors of Manila Coworking
Fifth day of August, the day before the much awaited pizza party, all of us staff were preoccupied with the same goal in our minds; “the stage will be set for a one of a kind exclusive social gathering”. The non-stop pouring of the rain doesn’t seem like it would end sooner or later but so do we. The tables and seats will be thoroughly cleaned, the floors will be dust-free, and the kitchen will be ready. We will have everything set before we go home.
The clock has hit six in the evening, and it’s now time to go home for everyone. But there is a problem, the heavy rain hasn’t stopped, and it’s been hours. What if the rain continues pouring ‘til the morning? And people decided they will not go just because of the rain. It is making us all worried if all the efforts we put into preparation for the past few days would all go to waste because the party would be postponed due to the non stop rain.
But, the next morning came, and along with it, is good news. The rain stopped last night, and so the party will push through. One by one, we all came to Manila Coworking hours before the party for further preparation. Fast forward again, to minutes before the party, now that the place is completely set, all we have to do left is to wait for the guests… and the boxes of pizza to arrive.
And so the party started! And what a grandiose commencement of the party by the powerful duo of Ralf and Francine (the hosts of the party). Their lively way of speaking, for me, was a great way to kick off the party. And their zestful presence can be felt all over the room. Followed by the delightful brief discussion about Manila Coworking by none other than the Sales & Marketing Manager of Manila Coworking, Ms. Saralee Abesamis.
With all that being said, what’s a good way to continue putting smiles on the faces of all the people that are in the room? We thought it best to conduct a “bring me” game. And we’re right, we did continue making them happy through a simple and rewarding game. As all attention was locked on the hosts because of the game, little did they know, the soon-to-be even bigger life of the party cautiously made its way into the premise. I am talking about the arrival of the boxes of pizza, of course.
But before we could dive in and fill our mouths with different flavors of Pizza, we first had a challenge, another game. Because the past hour has been nothing but fun and excitement, they had it all easy, honestly. So what’s wrong with adding a little challenge? The challenge of the game is whoever shoots a pen inside a cup first, will be the first to have the freedom to eat pizza.
After the mass-munching of the pizzas, it was obvious how much they enjoyed it by looking at the boxes of pizza; not much was left. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s pizza, and there were so many choices to choose from. So, after the mass-munching of the pizzas, it is now time to let the guests roam around the area and explore. By the way, all the invited guests are influencers who agreed to promote Manila Coworking through their social media accounts. Moreover, they also get to enjoy freebies and vouchers from different sponsors who are also here, to promote their products.
And so the influencers had started taking photos and videos which they would use as materials to promote Manila Coworking. As I scanned the room, all I could think of was how beautiful things turned out for all of us. All I see are a bunch of people wearing genuine smiles and laughs.
What is even more exciting, all the sponsors do not belong to one line of industry only. We had D’ Cream Coffee and Tea, 1740 Coffee Genesis, and Padyak Kafe for the Food Industry. Apotheke Science, You Collagen Drink, and JOIE Beaute Ph for the Beauty Industry. LZ Cybersecurity and Technologies corporation for the Technology Industry. Hannaliya Furnitures Inc. for the Furniture Industry. and St. Peter Life Plan for the Insurance Industry.
It was really amazing to see how things turned out to be. There were people, who, while having flavored bread and milk tea provided by D’Cream, were also receiving free consultation about cyberspace from LZ Cybersecurity and Tech corp, and about insurances from St. Peter Life Plan. There were influencers who hadn’t met each other before, talking about collaborations while drinking coffee and lattes prepared by 1740 Coffee Genesis.
But before all of that, we distributed this Bingo card among the influencers, which they need to fulfill first before they can get the amazing products from each of the sponsors. And for other brands like Apotheke Science, what the influencers can obtain from them are different ‘all-natural skin care solutions like toner, clay masks, lipsticks…etc. Or if you were looking to add some changes in your supplement intake, to achieve that youthful glow, you could also try YOU Collagen Drink.
Another beauty service provider that was also present during the event, is JOIE Beaute PH. They were generous enough to give each influencer a voucher worth 500 php. JOIE Beaute Ph is a nail salon who can certainly give you that satisfying nail makeover, and pampering after a long tiring day.
Competition between coffee brands is natural. But during the event, good vibes only between the two coffee brands! Besides 1740 Coffee Genesis, Padyak Kafe was also at the event. Who literally brought more colors to the party by assembling their booth with bikes and neon lights. Both 1740’s and Padyak Kafe’s stalls were side by side with each other. So, imagine the aroma of coffee, and coffee grounds that you would be able to smell when you go near their booths.
Another sponsor present at the party who was also generous enough to give away 500 php worth of vouchers is Hannaliya Furnitures, “the leading wooden furniture shop in Las Pinas, Ph. They may not have brought a sample of their products to the party, but they sent one representative who was able to manage all the inquiries, and make a lot of people interested about their products.
The idea of using a Coworking space as a social gathering seemed perfect for the event. The company and sponsors did not just benefit from the influencers, and vice versa. New connections were also made, and maybe even friendships. Businessmen meeting other businessmen, influencers meeting other influencers, and companies meeting other companies.
Perhaps, the saying “calm before the storm” can still be true even if reversed. Because we literally had a ‘storm before the fun’. The type of fun that is more than just fun. The type of fun we would all cherish for a long time. This exclusive pizza party event, I say, did not just meet, but rather, exceeded everyone’s expectations for how well it turned out. And it’s exactly the type of event I would wish to be involved with, again, in the future.
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