Team Building Weekend

Each year we gather our team from all offices to celebrate the past year and set our goals for the future. It is the one time we have annually, to deliver the same message to our entire team in the one place.

It is also a great opportunity to get to know new team members from other offices and reunite with old friends. We share ideas, learn from each other and have some fun together.

After the exciting announcement that we were merging with a Brisbane based company, the rest of the i2C team couldn’t have been more excited to get onto Moreton Island and meet the new Brisbane team in person. 

With the Tangalooma Island Resort playing hosts to us this year – the ‘wow factor’ of this year’s location couldn’t have been more evident than when everyone stepped off the ferry and onto the sand for the first time.

This year’s Team Building weekend had two main purposes; Firstly, to celebrate the 20 years since i2C was founded by Brian Jende and Anthony Merlin. We looked back on all the things that make i2C special while looking forward to where we’re going! Secondly, the weekend was a chance to formally welcome our new i2C Brisbane office to the i2C family. We put a face to the names and had a chance to learn about where they’ve come from and the skills the Queensland team bring with them, along with a combined outlook on how the new i2C national team moves forward together. 

After a successful tradition of inviting members of our Alliance network along, we took the opportunity to invite Jonathan Seebacher and Richard Dorkin from Ryder along to this year’s event. The global insight they brought to discussions, along with an update that they presented on all things Ryder and the Alliance was valuable for the whole team to hear.

Workshops and Guest Speakers

During this year’s team building, we held four separate sessions on Culture, i2C’s Brand Guidelines, Sustainable Design and a Project Design Session. Everyone had a chance to rotate through these sessions over the weekend. While these workshops introduced the Brisbane team to some fundamental and unique aspects of who we are, they are also designed to reset our focus and challenge our current approach to design.

Finding speakers that will be of interest to the whole team can be a challenge. Throw in some typical humid summer Queensland weather in a marquee with limited air conditioning, and it’s a particularly tough gig. Chris Isles, Executive Director of Planning, Place Design Group and Ryan Anderson, Managing Director of DMA Partners took it all in their stride, setting the scene for a compelling session. Chris had the team engaged from the onset as he spoke passionately about the modernisation and changing landscapes of present cities and the trends likely to shake things up in the future. Ryan followed with an interesting presentation about DMA Partners and shared their insights on reinvigorating the retail sector. Afterwards, they fielded many questions from the team, reaffirming the level of their interest. 

2019’s Team Building Awards and Winners

One of the many memorable moments of this year’s Team Building weekend was, as always, the Saturday awards night. Being able to celebrate the achievements of this incredible team is vitally important. However, seeing the growth in importance that is put on these awards each year is fantastic. In the lead up to the weekend, everyone is given the opportunity to vote for who they believe is worthy of this year’s title.

Each year the award winners are given the opportunity to tour parts of Australia on an inspirational design tour with Managing Directors Brian Jende, Anthony Merlin and General Manager Scott Palmer. Before announcing the 2019 winners, we were treated to a presentation from the 2018 titlists, sharing their insights, learnings and adventures from their tour. This sets the scene for what the next group can expect as they embark on their curated tour.

Top Row: Golden Yoghurt (Queen of Culture): Jade Riordan-Liebel, Evolution Award: Justin Strass and Meg O’Meara

Middle Row: Flashes of Brilliance: Hoss Zamani, Excellence Award: Dino Delotavo and Katie Rankine

Bottom Row: Rising Star Award: Melissa Pringle and Josh Russo-BatterhamAdmin Hero: Emma O’Reilly

The weekend spent at the Tangalooma Island Resort provided the team with a great opportunity to get to know everyone better, but it also gave us the chance to move forward as a united team. Having the team engage on a social level, cements bonds and escalates our level of camaraderie which in turn propels us all forward into the year as One i2C.