Unite celebrates in Leipzig – workshops, party and the power of ‘we’

Once a year, Unitees from all over the world come together for a big celebration. This year’s Summer Party Week took place in mid-September and doubled as a great opportunity to honour our new headquarters in the heart of Leipzig.

At the start of the week, remote-based Unitees from Europe, Argentina, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and other countries travelled to Leipzig. A total of 40 nations got to meet and check out the new building on Grimmaischer Steinweg. After a week of workshops and team meetings, the summer party kicked off on Friday at the Schladitzer Bucht in Leipzig.

Nine employees from DE&I resource group holding signs for a photobooth — Unitees from 40 nations attended our Summer Party in Leipzig.

Networking Fair: meet and mingle

We hosted an internal Networking Fair on the morning of the summer party. It was a great way for attendees to meet and mingle with other Unitees and introduce their teams and projects. The fair featured dozens of team stalls, each offering delicious treats and decorations. The Translation Management Team went all out – their stall had signs with the word ‘Hello’ written on it in 14 languages, representing Unite’s 14 European markets. Looking back at a jam-packed week with events and team dinners, Giulia Petaccia from Bologna says: “I’m surprised at how many teams are here, and I’m excited to meet everyone! It’s a great way for me to learn more about my colleagues and the work they do.”

It’s fantastic to see more than 40 nations from all over the world come together for a week of workshops, networking events, game nights, football tournaments, fairs, and multicultural lunches. And to top it all off with a fabulous summer party – what more could you ask for?

Peter Ledermann, Executive Board member at Unite

A few stalls down, the UK Team handed out local snacks and little Union Jacks. Tarnya Jinman, who even brought her daughter with her to Leipzig, was thrilled: “The 2022 Networking Fair was a lot smaller. It’s impressive to see how many people came here this year. Everyone’s put so much effort into their team stalls. I love the atmosphere and conversations I’ve had with other Unitees.”

Celebrating the new headquarters in Leipzig

The highlight of the week was, of course, the Unite summer party with its onstage entertainment and lots of sunshine. The event took place by a lake, giving the 500+ Unitees sunny holiday vibes. A few Unitees talked about the headquarters’ construction process and the ups and downs that came with it. We moved to the new office building in the summer of 2023. It’s since become our home and a haven that unites our employees. A place that encourages new conversations and connections. The new building provides workspace for a total of 500 Unitees. This year’s summer party was a great opportunity to look back on this exciting phase.

Five people on stage with a Leipzig street view in background — This year’s summer party was a great opportunity to look back on how the new headquarters came to life.

Party highlights

As guests arrived one by one, a DJ was playing some party bangers. Tinh Dang Cao from IT made the 18-hour trip from Hanoi to be there: “I loved it! Having an outdoor party by the lake was a great opportunity to meet so many people. We’d only ever seen each other in our video calls. During Summer Party Week, I got to meet everyone in real life!”

In front of a beautiful sunset backdrop, it was finally time to get some dinner from the buffet. Maria Lou Schumann from the Organisation, Learning & Culture Team said: “My favourite moment was the Aperol sundowner on the beach with some of my lovely colleagues.”

A band playing on stage. People dancing in front of the stage at night — Front woman Katharina and her band got the crowd fired up.

More and more people got on their feet as the band was giving it their all. Our colleague Katharina Motsch from Accounting and her band showed our Unitees a good time well into the night. Here’s what a band member told Peter Ledermann of the Unite Executive Board: “Usually, we have to wake up tired employees at company events. But with Unite, it was the other way around. You all kept us going!”

The on-site photo booth made for another fun party highlight. At the end of the night, all partygoers made it back to their homes, hotels or on-site holiday cottages. Everyone agrees that the Unite 2023 summer party was a massive success. With newfound energy and a strengthened sense of belonging, our Unitees are now ready for Q4.

Thank you for the awesome pictures, Tom Gatz and Nils Günther-Alavanja.

Pictures from the Unite Summer Party 2023

Two smiling women at the summer party in golden hour light

Three people chatting and smiling with a blurred crowd of people in the background

Smiling people on stage receiving orange daisies as a thank you

Friendly portrait of two smiling women with their name tags

Four young men with name tags and holding drinks

Close portrait of a man and woman smiling

Two men from Vietnam celebrating at nighttime

Portrait of two young trainees with their name tags

Portrait of a woman with sunglasses and a man smiling in the golden hour light

Portrait of a man and a woman with her name tag smiling in the indoor venue Blurred background with more people

Portrait of two men, one with his name tag, sitting on the beach

Shot from the beach showing sand, people sitting in beach chairs, beach umbrellas and blue, orange and pink balloons and a stage in the background

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Three people in an online meeting with their laptops

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