Kamichella 2022

Kamichella 2022

Do workplace get-togethers get any better than this?

I’m sure you’ve heard of the expression “work hard, play hard”. But I don’t think any of us truly knew what that meant until we experienced the first-ever Kamichella. 

“What’s Kamichella?”, I hear you ask.
Let me explain; it’s part team-bonding-work-do, part Kiwi-summer-festival complete with an open bar, lawn games, food trucks, live performances, and decoration stations, all situated on a private beachside estate.
Oh, and attendance is free.

Click through to see more photos!

By now you’re probably thinking, “What, when, where, why, and how do I get an invite to the next Kamichella?”
Let’s take it from the top. 

Kamichella was the brainchild of our unstoppable Culture and Operations team. We were approaching our 9th birthday, had just hit over 30 million users, and of course, we needed to wrap up this huge year in a way only Kami could. You can’t hit these kinds of milestones without a bit (read: a lot) of elbow grease, so the only way to acknowledge just how hard everyone had worked was to hold the most epic Christmas/birthday/milestone party the company had ever seen. (And this is after being flown to Queenstown for our Hack-a-thon!)

 

“One way to say thank you to the team for the nine years of beautiful memories, was an extrordinary day to celebrate the team and the milestones we have achieved so far.”

– Alliv Samson , COO and Co-founder

 
Watch the video:

And so, on January 19, Kamichella was born. 

Walking off the bus onto The McCallum Residence felt like we’d just been transported to, well, Coachella – but NZ’s own beachside version. We were greeted by what can only be described as a whirlwind of colour, sparkles, balloons, flowers, good tunes, and delicious smells. Everything was custom Kami-fied, from the dazzling entrance archway to the sandy shoreline itself.

Once we had all picked our jaws up off the ground, we were ushered in towards the Bubble Bar (a bar dedicated to serving glasses of bubbles while also blowing them) to pick up some champagne before we were let loose into the grounds.

Set-up was on point, and the entertainment, endless. 

Being a family-friendly event, there were plenty of wholesome activities to keep us party-goers in high spirits. There was a henna station, glitter parlor, and lawn games running all day long.

Speaking of spirits; a second bar was parked right in the middle of all the action, serving cocktails, mocktails, and water; keeping everyone feeling fresh and hydrated in between trips to the dancefloor.

Down at the dancefloor, the tunes had something for everyone. Starting off with some ‘chill beats to sip to’ with a DJ/saxophonist combo. Gradually transitioning into everyone’s favourite party anthems thanks to DJ Arii Jade and her violinist backup.

The weather put on just as much of a show, with the sun shining all day long. Of course, this meant ample chill-out zones were in place.

With so much to see and do, you’d almost be forgiven for forgetting the glorious selection of food trucks sitting at the entrance. Almost. 
Luckily, there was no escaping the mouth-watering scents as they drifted with a promise to satisfy no matter your dietary requirement.

As day turned to dusk, we thought we had seen it all. Silly, unsuspecting us. Of course, our Kami culture crew had one more fiery surprise in store before it was back to the dancefloor!

As much as this event boasted all the sights, sounds, and good times of any world-class summer festival, there’s one thing Kamichella had above the rest – our Kami-ly, and the ever-gracious founders who actually said, “Yeah, sure thing” to hosting such a spectacle. 

Kamichella went down as one for the history books; hopefully, we’ll see you there next year!

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