TIME. SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE!
image via: sfn
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Musings | The WKND Social
So on Saturday the 16th me and my friend Buli attended the much talked about WKND Social. I mean if you are following the Kool Kids of Joburg, you probably know very well about it and you desire to attend just one of the monthly held events. I was meant to go with Oli as well, but literally five minutes after I bought my ticket, she logged in and the tickets were sold out!!! Bummer!
If there is one thing, the tickets sell out very fast. The full day one's that is. So if you would like to go there, as soon as the communication comes out for the next date, do the right thing.
We had fun though, like me and my friend made sure that we had fun. There is fun that can be created by the environment and there is fun that can be had by people who really want a good time. We were the latter. We arrived a little after 12 after struggling to find our way there for a while (we are not familiar with the CBD). We walked in and the organizer's were draped on the sofa busy on their respective gadgets. The pretty girl who had the guest list checked our names and we proceeded to look enthusiastically at the four girls on the sofa. None of them said anything, or came to welcome us and tell us the order of things. Perplexed, we entered deeper into the restaurant (Narina Trogon) and approached the waitresses who then told us what do do and basically what happens there. We found a place to sit with two other lonely looking ladies (like we all looked a little out of place) and started conversations. Photo taking started and the starters were served.
Me and my friend are big mouthed, so we really were engaged in conversation. The place started filling up and as I observed, some people came in unattended and other's got showers of hugs and snap shots to welcome them. I found this peculiar, but reasoned that it was their friends, so I had no place being concerned about not getting a warm welcome. They don't lie when they say bottomless cocktails! Courtesy of Gordon's Dry Gin (bleh! I have one very bad story in my teenage years about this). Our table also filled up pretty fast, and the ladies were very beautiful, I have to admit. The main course (we chose burgers) was served, and later the desserts. All nom-nomi and airy fairy, I felt like I was in a restaurant more than in a social.
Either way, the time was approaching to move to the afterparty. I have to admit, I felt a little anxious about this as I had already made my judgments on how things happen around there. The resident photographer (a pretty girl at that) came to our table once and took a photo of something that was decorative. It made sense now to me why the popular pictures of the social I had seen seemed incomplete. It's always either celebrities or the Kool Kids. Some people make it to the front of the lens, and others don't. We didn't, which is a bit obvious. The party moved upstairs (Puma Social Club), and all went pretty much banana's. I had proper fun. Here was a space where people could be themselves, where no one could feel left out because by this time most people were friendly and drunk, and there was loud music pumping, all the more reason to be merry. Personally, I enjoyed the afterparty more than I enjoyed the day-do.
So to constructively criticize, the organizers should treat everyone who enters the venue in the same respect. Welcome you, smile and tell you what the itinerary (is this even the right word?!) is. They don't have to be your friend after that, but everyone feels welcome and appreciated for putting in the effort to come. Next is to every now and again (even once) go from table to table and make small chats to just see if their attendants are comfortable and having fun. And most importantly, take photo's of everyone. Not just celebrities, your friends and the fashionista's. At the end of the day, the event is about people, unless I missed the memo and it is really about the celebrities and the organizer's friends. Then shame I will sit down and attend the events tamely until I become either a friend, on a Joburg Kool Kid.
I am a brand person, therefore I look critically at how brands handle themselves and what they want to sell to me. I cannot be fooled (anymore). It is not enough to just package the event nicely, its important to build the relationships that will enable the brand to grow, have a lasting effect, and have value. The WKND Social needs a bit of personal brand 101, otherwise it is a brilliant concept and people genuinely (I think) like it.
I am going in for second's, I am a giver of second chances after all. Enjoy some pictures (p.s. I could not take picture's of everyone there, somehow I did not feel comfortable invading people's personal spaces):
If there is one thing, the tickets sell out very fast. The full day one's that is. So if you would like to go there, as soon as the communication comes out for the next date, do the right thing.
We had fun though, like me and my friend made sure that we had fun. There is fun that can be created by the environment and there is fun that can be had by people who really want a good time. We were the latter. We arrived a little after 12 after struggling to find our way there for a while (we are not familiar with the CBD). We walked in and the organizer's were draped on the sofa busy on their respective gadgets. The pretty girl who had the guest list checked our names and we proceeded to look enthusiastically at the four girls on the sofa. None of them said anything, or came to welcome us and tell us the order of things. Perplexed, we entered deeper into the restaurant (Narina Trogon) and approached the waitresses who then told us what do do and basically what happens there. We found a place to sit with two other lonely looking ladies (like we all looked a little out of place) and started conversations. Photo taking started and the starters were served.
Me and my friend are big mouthed, so we really were engaged in conversation. The place started filling up and as I observed, some people came in unattended and other's got showers of hugs and snap shots to welcome them. I found this peculiar, but reasoned that it was their friends, so I had no place being concerned about not getting a warm welcome. They don't lie when they say bottomless cocktails! Courtesy of Gordon's Dry Gin (bleh! I have one very bad story in my teenage years about this). Our table also filled up pretty fast, and the ladies were very beautiful, I have to admit. The main course (we chose burgers) was served, and later the desserts. All nom-nomi and airy fairy, I felt like I was in a restaurant more than in a social.
Either way, the time was approaching to move to the afterparty. I have to admit, I felt a little anxious about this as I had already made my judgments on how things happen around there. The resident photographer (a pretty girl at that) came to our table once and took a photo of something that was decorative. It made sense now to me why the popular pictures of the social I had seen seemed incomplete. It's always either celebrities or the Kool Kids. Some people make it to the front of the lens, and others don't. We didn't, which is a bit obvious. The party moved upstairs (Puma Social Club), and all went pretty much banana's. I had proper fun. Here was a space where people could be themselves, where no one could feel left out because by this time most people were friendly and drunk, and there was loud music pumping, all the more reason to be merry. Personally, I enjoyed the afterparty more than I enjoyed the day-do.
So to constructively criticize, the organizers should treat everyone who enters the venue in the same respect. Welcome you, smile and tell you what the itinerary (is this even the right word?!) is. They don't have to be your friend after that, but everyone feels welcome and appreciated for putting in the effort to come. Next is to every now and again (even once) go from table to table and make small chats to just see if their attendants are comfortable and having fun. And most importantly, take photo's of everyone. Not just celebrities, your friends and the fashionista's. At the end of the day, the event is about people, unless I missed the memo and it is really about the celebrities and the organizer's friends. Then shame I will sit down and attend the events tamely until I become either a friend, on a Joburg Kool Kid.
I am a brand person, therefore I look critically at how brands handle themselves and what they want to sell to me. I cannot be fooled (anymore). It is not enough to just package the event nicely, its important to build the relationships that will enable the brand to grow, have a lasting effect, and have value. The WKND Social needs a bit of personal brand 101, otherwise it is a brilliant concept and people genuinely (I think) like it.
I am going in for second's, I am a giver of second chances after all. Enjoy some pictures (p.s. I could not take picture's of everyone there, somehow I did not feel comfortable invading people's personal spaces):
Friday, March 8, 2013
It's finally here | My Dream Job
Hey guys, I just stole a few minutes from my very busy day to fill you in on what has been happening in my life. There is a lot I could say, but I think I would like to keep it clean and simple.
As some of you know already, I moved employment at the beginning of March. I am now doing the job I have been dreaming of doing for the past two years. Finally! I am a Brand and Marketing Assistant for an international Financial Services Group and its great out here. The environment is one that I have imagined myself working in, the employee engagement is top of class, and they just re-branded, so I arrived at a very exciting time for the company. It's going to be a very happy couple of years until my next growth point.
So with this in mind, I will not get that many opportunities to post until I have my feet firmly on the ground. I spend my time between learning the new job and putting together my Honours research proposal which is due in a week's time. It's a new area too, so trying to adjust to the new transport routes and the environment takes its toll on me.
I am in a happy place right now, life is starting to make more sense (I just need to train myself to wake up on time!!!) and I am growing the hell up.
On a lighter note...SEE YOU THERE!
As some of you know already, I moved employment at the beginning of March. I am now doing the job I have been dreaming of doing for the past two years. Finally! I am a Brand and Marketing Assistant for an international Financial Services Group and its great out here. The environment is one that I have imagined myself working in, the employee engagement is top of class, and they just re-branded, so I arrived at a very exciting time for the company. It's going to be a very happy couple of years until my next growth point.
So with this in mind, I will not get that many opportunities to post until I have my feet firmly on the ground. I spend my time between learning the new job and putting together my Honours research proposal which is due in a week's time. It's a new area too, so trying to adjust to the new transport routes and the environment takes its toll on me.
I am in a happy place right now, life is starting to make more sense (I just need to train myself to wake up on time!!!) and I am growing the hell up.
On a lighter note...SEE YOU THERE!
THE WKNDSOCIAL MARCH EDITION.
GOOD FOOD, GOOD MUSIC and GOOD PEOPLE.
GOOD FOOD, GOOD MUSIC and GOOD PEOPLE.
DATE: 16 MARCH 2013
Venue: Narina Trogon, 81 De Korte Street, Braamfontein
Time: 11:00 to 15:00
THE WKND SOCIAL AFTER PARTY
Powered by an all female DJ line up, everything about THE WKND SOCIAL is tied together by GOOD MUSIC. Join us at The Puma Social Club's current home The Canopy for a sound track inspired by the 90’s.
Venue: Puma Social Club, The Canopy, 81 De Korte Street, Braamfontein
TIME: 15:00 to 20:00
Twitter: @thewkndsocial
Tumblr: thewkndsocial.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THEWKNDSOCIAL
Venue: Narina Trogon, 81 De Korte Street, Braamfontein
Time: 11:00 to 15:00
THE WKND SOCIAL AFTER PARTY
Powered by an all female DJ line up, everything about THE WKND SOCIAL is tied together by GOOD MUSIC. Join us at The Puma Social Club's current home The Canopy for a sound track inspired by the 90’s.
Venue: Puma Social Club, The Canopy, 81 De Korte Street, Braamfontein
TIME: 15:00 to 20:00
Twitter: @thewkndsocial
Tumblr: thewkndsocial.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THEWKNDSOCIAL
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