At 8.30 AM sharp, the full Verve team — employees, interns and regular freelancers — gather at Rotterdam Central Station. A well-filled breakfast tote bag is handed out, and some people warm their hands on a fresh cup of coffee. It’s the kick-off for our annual team trip, and the illustrated logo printed on the bags gives away this year’s destination: Paris.
Ever since we’ve hired our first employee, team trips have been an important part of our company culture and team building. By bringing the team together in a different setting — outside our studio in The Hague — new bonds are formed and new ideas are sparked. As the team grows bigger and we work on projects for ambitious clients, it’s important we can trust and build upon each other. A team trip gives us valuable time to get to know each other outside of work projects and to have fun. Paris, the city of art, culture and great gastronomy, seemed like the perfect playground to explore our shared values in a two-day team trip. And it being only a 2,5-hour train ride away, made it a superb destination.
Rindor Golverdingen, Creative Director
"By celebrating our shared interests, we pay homage to the fabric our team is made of."
Celebrating a shared passion for arts and culture
Before we’ve set out this year’s destination, we’ve put some thought in what connects us as a team first. Being a creative team of designers, developers and marketers, we have a shared passion for arts and culture. So, the first thing we do after being welcomed by the sunny 17° weather and setting foot on the city of croissants and le petit café, is embarking on a cultural trip towards the Louvre. By celebrating our shared interests, we pay homage to the fabric our team is made of.
Slowly walking through different galleries — the next one being even more beautiful than the former one — we get inspired by the artists and sculptors that we build upon in this digital era. But, it’s not only the foundations of art we’re interested in: we’re also curious to learn from the avant-garde. Therefore, on the second day of our team trip, we pay a visit to the modern art museum Palais de Tokyo. We discuss the — sometimes incomprehensible –artworks and sculptures and take snapshots of each other as we walk through the contemporary masterpieces, getting to know each other’s interests and fascinations a little better.
Fostering real connection over wine and French cuisine
All that inspiration makes us thirsty — if you want to see every piece of art in the Louvre you’d have to walk 14,5 km straight — so luckily, we made time in our planning for culinary outings too. At our studio, we have a communal lunch together every workday, to create time to connect in our sometimes busy work schedules. In Paris, we took it one step further: an authentic French wine tasting and a two-course French lunch. Tasting and comparing notes a little louder after each wine, we discovered different flavours and each other’s preferences. Ask us about the difference between a Sancerre and a Chablis, and we’ll answer confidently.
Exploring team bonds by going on a walk with a mission
In our client projects, our designers, marketers and developers build on each other’s expertise to achieve the best results. So, to explore our team bond in a whole new way, we ended our team trip by going on a mission through the historic parts of Paris. By foot or by one of the app-unlocked green scooters, five randomized teams went on a quest to find the best croissants, wine, souvenirs, baguettes, and cheeses. The outcome? Bags full of crispy pastry, and an authentic glimpse of the city.
We leave Paris with ancient and modern-day art inspiration, newly made connections and memories, refined culinary taste and a renewed appreciation for each other’s talents. And — let’s be honest — a small Eiffel Tower to put on our bed stands.
Photo's: Dear Everest
