This article was written by the community manager of Jyväskylä, Sandra Suomäki.
Crazy Town Jyväskylä’s Christmas party was celebrated a week ago in a mix of excitement and terror. The Christmas party is the highlight of the year for our community, as it is undeniably a unique opportunity when we gather together in such large numbers. This year, over 80 members were present!
As a community manager, one of my big dreams has been to get our own CT band to play at the party; surely, there must be musical talent within such a large community. The dream actually came true when, during one community lunch, conversations turned to the musical skills of different people in the group. Ha – it turned out to be the best idea in the world. We gathered 2 singers, 2 guitarists, a drummer, a bassist – and a cellist. The band was named Crazy Killers, which fit perfectly with our horror-themed party. The band practiced all fall and delivered us an amazing set.
As I looked around and saw so many skeletons, clowns, and other peculiar characters, I felt so happy. One of our wonderful members Anna Sorko, Bondauttaja, wrote a perfect description of the added value of community in our community in her LinkedIn post:
“That’s exactly why a community that embraces diversity is so valuable. The fact that we are diverse, coming from different backgrounds and ways of operating, makes the community alive and learning. Diversity is not a threat but a resource that brings different perspectives, creativity, and versatility to everything we do together – whether it’s in civilian life or at a horror-themed party.” – Anna Sorko.
Of course, we community managers are the support and the ones organizing opportunities, but ultimately, it all depends on the people themselves. It is particularly wonderful to notice that by creating a safe space, something so crazy and fun can be achieved.
In previous years, we have had various program items ranging from trivia to bingo. A few years ago, for the trivia, we asked for fun facts about oneself or the company during the registration process. The trivia was so amusing that I wanted more facts again – and I got them! I created a program segment where the group’s task was to create a presentation using all the facts I provided. They had 20 minutes to prepare, and the presentation could last a maximum of 5 minutes.
There were a total of six presentations and groups, and oh boy, the storytelling, improvisation, silliness, and fact integration were something else. At first, I was nervous that the task would be too absurd, awkward, or strange, but no – it was the best! Some of the facts included: “I have saunaed with Tarja Halonen,” “During a remote meeting, a fire broke out in a colleague’s house,” “The whole team almost became homeless in Spain on the second day,” “When I was a child, I had to be sawed off the table.”…
In addition to this hilarious task, during the evening, I got to lead a traditional task bingo, which included tasks related to getting to know each other and just observing. Task bingo is an easy way to engage the group without a separate binding program item.
Another tradition of the Jyväskylä community at the Christmas party is the ping pong tournament, which of course is practiced all year round. Just kidding, anyone can join even if they have never played before. This time, after an exciting tournament, the victory went to Crazy Town’s own consultants, Mikko and Pavel, congratulations! Also in this case, the community’s encouragement and following the games with a large group creates a significant sense of belonging. After the tournament, the dance feet started to itch so much that we danced together for almost 4 hours to the best dance bangers.
Thank you, thank you, thank you community. These (also) Christmas parties were so fun, different, community-oriented and gave us strength to get through the gray November. Thanks to all participants – see you again next year!
