On Friday, December 13, 2024, the Pixel Dreams Team had its annual Winter Summit. It was the largest one yet. 40+ people gathered at our North York office for a day of team learning, bonding, and fun.
Doors opened early in the morning for anyone joining the team breakfast. The early birds trickled in from 7 am. The sights and sounds of fresh coffee, a colourful breakfast spread, and excited PDTers filled our North York office. Everyone did their round of morning hugs and fueled up before settling into the first Summit session.
The first presenters of the day walked the team through Pixel Dreams’ purpose, values, and culture. After which, there was a quick break to top up on coffee and switch seats before heading into two fireside chats.
We took a “magical chairs” approach to our seating, where we chose a new seat after each break. This allowed us to mingle with multiple seat buddies.
We enjoyed a light lunch before heading out for a hike in the ravine. A post-lunch hike is a Winter Summit tradition. We stretched our legs and freshened our spirits with the crisp winter air and beautiful ravine views. We trekked through scenic peaks and valleys, soaking up the winter sun.
Buzzing from the winter chill, we settled back in for the afternoon sessions. Two more fireside chats, followed by a State of the Nation. Our presenters shared project case studies, notable wins, valuable failures, and inspiring visions.
The core Summit sessions wrapped by 6 pm. Dinner was warming up thanks to the diligent preparation of our planning committee. We rolled up our sleeves and got to setting up dinner. The final spread: three roasts, two salads, two casseroles, two vegetable sides, a pasta, and a mash. We filled our plates and shared a delicious holiday meal.
There was more to come.
The dinner space was swiftly and neatly tidied with another group clean-up. It was time for the I+A Awards..
As is Summit tradition, our MCs took the stage to present the team’s top learners for the year. Categories ranged from the most books read, to the most courses taken, to the perfect attendance for company meetings. This year’s Awards show was the loudest and most vibrant yet. PDT For All!
Following the I+A Awards, we participated in the long-awaited Secret Santa. We reached a record number of 9 (out of 32 participants) correct Secret Santa guesses. It’s a testament to how our team camaraderie reached all-new heights this year.
The clock struck 10:30 pm. There was one more group clean-up to wrap the day. You’ll notice how central group clean-ups are to team gatherings. Cleaning up after a successful mission is one of our company rituals.
Some went around for their round of farewell hugs before leaving the Summit. Some stuck around to hang out, play games, and craft late-night snacks using dinner leftovers.
This year’s Summit was our largest and most vibrant yet. We share a big thank-you to:
- Our event committee for planning and setting up the Summit space
- Our head chef for keeping our bellies filled
- Our presenters for preparing, rehearsing, and sharing their learnings
- Our PDTers for attending, engaging, cleaning, and contributing throughout the Summit
We look forward to our next Summit. What will we learn? What will we teach? Who will attend? Where will it be? Until then, we’ll continue thinking bold, aiming high, pushing onward, and failing fantastically.
