Twenty seventeen has been a pretty epic and exciting year for all of us. Everything seems to have gotten a lot bigger and better!
I always like to end the year with a fun blog with plenty of pictures to reflect back on all of the very cool things that we got up to. We've managed to pack in so much stuff, so I've narrowed it to a few favourites that went down an absolute treat!
WXGFIVE
Also trending as #WXGFive, which managed to make the 11th highest ranking hashtag on twitter in the UK!
It was nice to see a fresh take on the WXG format this year. A fantastic new venue and a diverse mix of speakers, allowing to broaden the talk range making it feel like there was something for everyone. It was also very pink, I liked that!
I hear WXGSIX is going to be even more epic!
KYANFEST
We're now into our third year of 'KyanFest', and when I say everything seems to have gotten bigger and better, I truly mean it.
We've gone from a twenty something group of people in a field with nothing but picnic mats, deck chairs, flipping a few burgers and making good conversation to a super-duper giant tee-pee tent, themed tiki bar, glitter station, pimp your prosecco, tattoo parlour, donut wall, beer burrow, lawn games, beer pong, music, badminton, camping, catering, awards, prizes plus a whole lotta booze!
We got so lucky with the weather, as during the day it rained and it poured, and I mean chucking it down but somehow, miraculously, the clouds cleared up, the sky was bluer than blue and the the sun came out just at the right time. It was the perfect setting for our summer party and the pictures speak for themselves.
Who knows, maybe one day Kyan won't just be making awesome websites, we'll be hosting Guildford's biggest headlining festival!
Oktoberfest
Now, I'm not really a beer drinker but that didn't stop me from having probably one of the best nights ever! If you missed it, you missed out.
Take one packed out tent, two VIP tables, a seriously good band and steins on the re-fill and what have you got? A bloody good night, that's what! It was hands down probably one of the biggest team social highlights of the year, I mean come on, what could possibly top a Kyan human pyramid?
The night didn't end there, we made our way to Komo to throw some shapes on the dance floor (and the tables) but was disappointed to find out Karaoke was a no-go. Have I mentioned that Karaoke has become somewhat of an end of the night ritual? You should hear us, Ed Sheeran watch out!
We already can't wait for next year's event!
Halloween Spooktackular!
Myself and my 'team social' partner in crime, Amy, really wanted to go town this Halloween, so we marked the occasion with some frightful delights and decorations!
We worked together to create a fun on-theme quiz which included a 'make a monster' round, where teams were given a famous face to re-create using only play-doh and crafts! As well as making monsters, we carved munchkins, guessed 'how many sweets' were in the jar and played race of the Frankensteins and of course, consumed a lot of the sweet stuff!
Xmas party
We brought the fun and thrills to Kyan Towers, and it was an absolute cracker! Everybody was assigned a team for the day, and each team rotated between a variety of activities, which were kept a secret until the day of the party.
Activity number 1: Treasure hunt
Pirates, 'Crabcakes McGee' and 'Rusty Squidlips' sent teams off on an adventure to find the lost treasure of Guildfordia!
Activity number 2: Screen printing
We're a pretty creative bunch so naturally, this went down quite a treat. Screen printing was an opportunity for people to get imaginative and a little messy!
Activity number 3: Cocktail masterclass
A couple of cocktail gurus came in to show us how to shake it up at our very own bar. We even got to make up our very own Kyan cocktail, created just for us!
We finished off a very fun and memorable day with a meal at the local Italian, followed by more cocktails, Karaoke (probably completely out of tune) and danced the night away!
Can we top it for 2018? I'm not so sure…
As this year draws to a close, I'm excited to see what the New Year brings for Kyan. It really feels like we have something very special within our Kyan community and I believe that it's our unique culture and team of fun and friendly people that makes the working days worth waking up for 😄
