New VIBES office opening party & team event
22 May 2024
It is now official! After hosting the official opening party, we can now say that VIBES has moved to a new office!
In the last years, the team has been growing and after 7 years at YES!Delft, it was time to find a new spot that would suit all our needs! Last December, we moved to our new office, in the city center of Delft. After months of working, building and decorating, we can finally call the building at Burgwal 8A the “VIBES Office”.
On April 25th, we gathered colleagues, family and old friends to celebrate this milestone. The day after, we continued celebrating, holding the annual VIBES Team event. Keep reading if you want to know the entire story.
Looking for a new office
When founded, VIBES was selected as one of the startups to join the startup incubator at YES!Delft. After 7 years there and slowly expanding from a tiny office to three offices and a meeting room, it was time to find something that was only ours. Since VIBES was born and moved the first steps in Delft, we did not want to go too far from it. But we also wanted a place easy to reach for colleagues and customers, and maybe with some nice places around for our lunches and the Friday drinks. After much research and visits, we found exactly what we were looking for, right in the city center of Delft, at Burgwal 8A.
“…exactly what we were looking for.” (I)
“…exactly what we were looking for.” (II)
Luckily, we had two great architects and designers who could see the potential of this old building and imagine what VIBES needed and was looking for.
After some months of destruction, measurements and construction, November 29th was officially the first day we could work in the new office! It just had one floor available, two desks, no WiFi, and a moving box as a lunch table. After some weeks, the move was finalized, all construction was finished, the new furniture was assembled, and decorations were added. And it was at that point that we all felt we were in the new VIBES office!
The open space at the second floor
Entrance and reception
Office opening party – the preparation
Of course, as with every big step for VIBES, we could not call it our new office until we could celebrate this great achievement with our families and friends. For this reason, on April 25th, we organized the official office opening party and invited friends, old colleagues, family members and, of course, the Munich team.
The day started with preparing the office for the big event: attaching our logo to the wall, cleaning the floor, inflating balloons, and even preparing the snacks for the evening. After all the work, we all deserved a typical Dutch lunch. (Yes, sandwiches!).
The entire team having lunch in the new office kitchen
The Delft Church tower climb
After lunch, it was time for a challenge: climbing the bell tower of the New Church of Delft. After 376 small and narrow steps, we made it to the top. From up there, the view was breathtaking! We could see the entire city of Delft from a different perspective. With a small effort, we could spot the neighboring towns of Rotterdam, The Hague, and even our new office!
The view from the New Church tower
City of Delft and the VIBES new office
When we were all with our feet again on the ground, it was time for the yearly VIBES group photo! We can now update the old one, adding all new faces!
Group photo!
THE PARTY!
After getting back, it was time to kick-start the party! The doorbell was ringing, and family members and friends started arriving. Everyone got an office tour, snacks, pizza and a glass of champagne or beer.
And, of course, we had to celebrate such a milestone the VIBES’ way: making an impact!
The official opening, making an impact!
Day 2 – the Team Event!
It’s day 2, and it’s time to kick off our yearly team event. We had no clue what was going to happen (kudos to our office manager, Hanneke). We were just told to “bring comfy and warm clothes.”
The team event started with a workshop. We moved to a nearby square, divided the team into 4 groups, and the game was on. Each group had to build an egg-throwing machine with some material we were given. All machines had to look and work the same, and eggs should be thrown at the same distance. To make things even more complex, we could not freely communicate. Every 3 minutes, there was a meeting, where one person from each team would join and for 1 minute could discuss and take decisions, 5 times in total.
The egg-throwing machines
The shooting moment
What did we learn from it? Of course that great minds (ehm,… VIBES’ minds) think alike. Jokes aside, we learned that clear communication is essential and efficiency and good planning are key when time is limited.
Anyway, we did a good job. All the machines looked somewhat similar; everyone had the chance to express his ideas, and in the final discussion, we could all learn something.
The boat tour
After the workshop, we took our bags and moved to the new location. We were not sure about the next activity since after a five-minute walk, we ended up on the side of a canal. Well, everything became clear as soon as a boat parked next to us, welcoming us on board. We had a nice boat tour into the Dutch countryside and also lunch on the boat!
The boat tour with lunch
The Dutch countryside
The treasure hunt with kick bikes
With the boat tour, we did not return to the office, but to the following location, De Tuinderij! Here, we started the next activity, a treasure hunt with electric kick bikes! We all got a helmet, a kick bike, and a bag with envelopes, and we had to pick a coat (of very questionable style). We then followed our guide on a countryside tour, stopping now and then to solve a quiz.
The team dressed up, ready to go!
At the end of the tour we returned to De Tuinderij for the final quiz, to award the winning team,…
… and for a fantastic barbecue!
High level of concentration of the VIBES management during the barbecue
We then got ice cream and played some more games, and it was time to say goodbye. What a fun and amazing team event!