18th birthday party

Reaching the milestone of 18 years in business is an incredible achievement for any company, but considering the turbulence that the digital industry has faced over the last two decades, for us, this was definitely something worth celebrating.  

On Friday 20th October, we hosted our 18th birthday party with all of our friends, family, colleagues, and clients - everyone that has helped and supported us along the way. The party, set at the incredible Oxford University Museum of Natural History, was an opportunity for us to look back at our achievements of the last 18 years, look forward to the future, and celebrate all of our clients and projects.

As with any good 18th party, the evening began with bubbles on entry and our guests were given unrestricted access to explore the incredible museum in all its glory - lit up to a true spectacle with the evening lights. Friends entered through the enormous doors until a sea of familiar faces had gathered in the upper gallery.  

When it was time to move to the Museum’s lecture theater, Chris, as Master of Ceremonies, made sure everything ran smoothly, while Gareth spoke lovingly of the GI family - clients, employees, friends, and family - in his welcome speech. It also served as an opportunity to look at the future and the plans that GI have started to roll out - watch this space for news on this! They both set the tone for Professor Nicholas Rawlins, Vice-President of the Toulouse School of Economics and former Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Development and External Affairs at Oxford University, to take the stage. His witty observations touched not only on GI’s past and future, but on the digital space in general.

After the speeches, we were ushered downstairs for wine and canapés, and for some further exploration of the museum. As incredible as Stan the T-rex, The Oxford Dodo, and the enormous collection of insects were, the most spectacular display of the night might have to be awarded to GI’s very own Jamie in his full leopard print suit. Definitely check out the photos of this if you haven’t already!

The evening spent in the main hall was a delight as we caught up with our clients. For our recent recruits, it was lovely to be able to put names to faces, and for our most seasoned employees, this was a fantastic opportunity to get to know our clients outside of the office.

Chris and Gareth tried to visit every guest and were overwhelmed with stories and memories, something they found truly touching. With over 100 guests, the party was a great success and Global Initiative definitely managed to celebrate its 18th birthday in style. Thanks again to all those who attended, and here’s to another exciting 18 years!