In May, we gathered for our annual rooftop Magenta Party, to celebrate our 13th birthday! Together, we overlooked the central London skyline and were joined by colleagues, clients and friends in the industry for a wonderful evening. It was filled with delicious small bowls, beautifully themed cocktails and, of course, networking.
Or, should we say, not-working? Communication and creativity coach Heather Ward and associate for public speaking training Dannie-Lu Carr joined us at a pre-party session titled “The Lost Art of Conversation”, helping us to bond over unconventional questions and speak more freely about our interests and what connects us.
The Lost Art of Conversation
For Heather and Dannie-Lu’s session, we gathered at 5pm. Armed with a pair of percussionist’s claves, a kazoo, and miniature question packs, the pair prompted everyone with various questions. For the first “mini session,” we had a few minutes to introduce ourselves to new people, at first just saying words in sight (the Shard, sky, and plants were frequent mentions!).
Then, we gathered into groups of varying sizes and used the questions to learn a little more about each other – our worst habits, what we’d do with unlimited money, what advice we’d give our younger selves, and so on.
As the party-goers concurred, the session was a surprisingly profound way to get to know your colleagues, clients and friends, new and old, to learn about how they see themselves and their hopes for the future.
Networking
After we wrapped up with Heather and Dannie-Lu, the cocktails, food and cake came out. Everyone received a token for a fruity cocktail, having either MaGINta with signature pink gin, a Progressive Punch or mocktail. As the drinks flowed, everyone caught up as they ate from a selection of small bowls.
Luckily, the clear skies let us enjoy the open air together. Eventually, we cut our thirteenth birthday cake and enjoyed the beautiful live music of Fiddlin’ About into the late evening. It was a brilliant night to remember, happy 13th birthday to us!
Here’s what our team had to say about the party…
Greg Bortkiewicz, senior consultant: The ‘not-working session’ at the start was great fun – even by the end of the night we were still using some of the questions to spark conversations. And the weather stayed dry which is the main thing for a rooftop party!
Cerys Evans, executive: I’m new to Magenta, so it was a wonderful opportunity to meet clients face-to-face for the first time. The not-working session worked better than any networking event I’ve been at. By the end of the night, I was having deep and meaningful conversations with people I’d never met… and it was effortless!
Cathy Hayward, Magenta founder: While having prepared questions for networking might sound awkward, it was brilliant fun and ensured we talked about memorable things rather than just repeating the same conversation about the weather. It made for deeper and more meaningful interactions – and gave us something to talk about afterwards!
Eve Dickie, executive: This was my first Magenta party, and I found the not-working session to be a great way to break the ice with so many new people. I especially enjoyed the question, “What advice would you give your younger self?”, hearing experienced people answer gave me a lot of great insight!
Sabrina Stubbs, senior consultant: I didn’t expect the networking session to be so much fun. I left with many travel and book recommendations, as well as some wise words of wisdom. The Deck is such a great venue and the band was brilliant!
Want to join us on London rooftops in the future? Reach out to learn more about our progressive work and the communication services we offer.
