Festivus 2014

As the year comes to a close, PAYETTE took some time to celebrate with Festivus 2014. This party has become an annual tradition that the firm really looks forward to; the different teams get very creative decorating and building mini set designs for their area of the studio, in addition to enjoying each other’s company as we head into the holidays.

We had four themes for this year’s festivities:
1.    Spring Break
2.    Caddyshack
3.    College
4.    Canada

Funnily enough, our teams get very competitive and all teams are sworn to secrecy, so it was a surprise to see that a couple of teams were thinking alike this year, though each group put their own spin on the theme.

The Spring Break corner featured an abundance of beach towels, karaoke and classic MTV footage on loop. To get into Admiral Bill’s, which opened in the old Club Lido space, you had to show a proper ID. If you were without identification, you could acquire an ID that would identify you as a tree or a lamp, among others.

The next group found inspiration in the movie Caddyshack, as well as the aisles provided by our desk set-up and constructed a mini golf course. The first hole was modeled after our winning design for the Fifth XiangYa Hospital, and another featured a life-sized bear flanked by a couple of sand traps. A small, singing and dancing robotic gopher was there to encourage, and golfers were encouraged to snack on Doritos and Cheese Balls.

The College group sported togas throughout the night, to easily identify themselves. Their area was decorated with university banners, featuring the alma maters of the team members. They also designed a vintage-looking yearbook spread that served as the backdrop of their area.

Our firm’s Canadian employees happened to all be on the same team this year, so they had the idea to poke fun at the stereotypes associated with their home country. All Canada team members were encouraged to wear denim from head to toe. Tim Horton’s donuts were provided, and guests were encouraged to pin the tail on the beaver. Canadian cartoons and short films were on loop in the background, framed in by a string of lights that also spelled out “Eh” next to the footage.

Beyond a holiday celebration, Festivus allows us to celebrate our creativity. Take a moment to look at our photo gallery — see if you can spot each theme in the photos!