At Allseated, We Are Grateful For…

 

Cambridge Dictionary recently announced “perseverance” as its Word of the Year 2021. Searches spiked back in February when NASA’s Perseverance Rover made its final descent to Mars on February 18.

But the word also captures a more powerful sentiment we’ve all felt during the pandemic: a will to never give up despite what we’ve faced. 

During this season of thanks and gratitude, we at Allseated decided to take a few minutes to reflect on what we’re grateful for.

New Beginnings and New Experiences

This year has been a year of new beginnings and new experiences for several Allseated team members. Jamie Lee Quickert, EXVO Project Lead, says she is most grateful for joining the Allseated family. (Welcome, Jamie!)

Speaking of family, Aaron Smith, Sales Operations, says he is grateful for a safe birth experience and a healthy baby.

Allseated’s Customer Success Manager Natalie Helmick said she is most grateful for “the continued growth, strength, and health of my family, including welcoming a new baby into our family this year, my niece. We have also welcomed extra additions to our family, including significant partners and close friends.”

As the world has been opening up again, Lauren Holley, Project Facilitator Manager, has found joy in the opportunity to travel again and experience new destinations. 

Olivia De Sonne Ammaccapane, UX Research Lead at Allseated, has been reminded of what a gift it is to meet new people and grow in new experiences.

Personal and Professional Growth

Challenging times often bring growth opportunities – whether personally or professionally. 

Meredith Vogel, Allseated’s Director of Marketing, shared she is most grateful for the Allseated family. “We have grown so much yet kept the close-knit culture and family vibe.”

Dekel Vered, HR Manager, added, “I’m grateful for the way we at Allseated overcame the struggle of the last year in the event industry and in general. We have grown tremendously and have an amazing group of people that makes Allseated the successful company that it is.”

Technology

While we may all be feeling screen fatigue these days, another area of gratitude has been the technology that has brought us closer together even while we’ve had to be apart. 

Amanda Henderson, Marketing Manager, says she is thankful for technology because “working from home doesn’t feel lonely – it still feels connected now more than ever.” 

Helmick added, “technology provides us the ability to connect, communicate, and show love to family and close friends that we may not be able to be around physically.” 

Beyond connection and communication, Smith is excited for what’s next in tech. “I’m grateful to be able to witness what seems to be the virtual reality renaissance that is pushing us towards the metaverse and new demands for cryptocurrency.”

Virtual Events

Many have said there has been more change in the meeting and event industry in the last 18 months than in the previous ten years. One of the reasons Holley is grateful for the growth of virtual events is because we’ve had “the ability to still host and attend events, even though they weren’t in person. Although it is a different experience, I am happy to continue to connect virtually effectively.”

Jessi Gordy, Customer Success Manager, said, “virtual events have allowed our clients to connect and collaborate, and be a part of the same experience together from all parts of the world.”

And as the world continues to move in the direction of all things virtual, Graphic Designer Alexandra Zimmermann said she is grateful for virtual events and the ability to watch the progress as “Web 3.0 unfolds, and ideation come into existence.”

Vered added why she’s grateful for technology and virtual events. “No matter where you are in the world, you can join an event and feel as if you are physically there.”

For Helmick, another reason to be grateful for virtual events is “the connection I can make with those who I may not ever have the chance to connect with, even if attending in-person events.”

The Metaverse

The Facebook Company made headlines recently when they introduced Meta, a new company brand focused on bringing together their apps and technologies into more immersive experiences. 

But for our Allseated team, which has been working on the metaverse long before Zuckerberg promoted it, we are looking forward to what the metaverse means for the events industry. “I’m grateful for the fact that I’m part of a company that has been working for several years on inventing and successfully launching a metaverse virtual environment,” said Vered.

According to Smith, “the metaverse represents a tremendous potential to create more opportunity, more resources, and more economy for everyone – and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a part of shaping it.”

De Sonne Ammaccapane explains she is grateful for the creation of virtual interior design. “The opportunity for creativity is limitless, and we can create new environments all the time.”

Global Connections

Despite working from home and remote offices, several Allseated team members indicated they are grateful for the ability to make global connections.

“I get to meet so many incredible people and learn about different cultures in a way that would never be possible otherwise,” said Vogel. 

Holley echoed the sentiment. “I get to collaborate with people from different countries and cultures!”

De Sonne Ammaccapane said she’s grateful for “the countless opportunities to learn something new, either a cool language quirk or a new methodology of problem-solving.”

Quickert and Gordy also added they are grateful for being exposed to the amount of diversity and creativity and the opportunity to continue to work collaboratively with other people from all around the world.

The Future

As the year draws to an end, all of us at Allseated are excited for what’s next. “Watching Allseated innovate, evolve, and grow over the years has been nothing short of amazing – I’m so proud to be a part of it,” said Vogel. 

“Every day, we are working on something new and exciting, and since we are a small company, we are all directly involved in those innovation efforts,” said De Sonne Ammaccapane.

Gordy summed it up best. “I know I am getting to be a part of something great that will continue to impact the event and hospitality industry globally.”

As author Annette Bridges said, “Gratitude, help us to see what is there instead of what isn’t.”

We’d love to hear what you’re most grateful for. Share with us on social!