Patty and Cindy came up with the idea for 'Bring your family week' during a brainstorming session. Patty runs the Experience Centre in VodafoneZiggo's Central Office. "I saw that there was plenty of space in the summer months for organising another activity." Cindy also noticed an opportunity and thought about perhaps involving the children of colleagues more. “We had plenty of materials for school children. It was a great starting point for our own kids."
They took the plunge and in no time a plan was in place. Cindy explains “This was for children, but also for friends and family. In four days, we wanted to host four different groups, each with its own programme." The plan quickly became a reality. The very first 'Bring your family week' kicked off on 14 August with the help of more than 50 colleagues from all over the country." Here is an overview.
Day 1: Guests over 25 years old
We kicked off with friends and family. Proud (grand)parents, curious neighbours, interested friends and ambitious nephews - all were eager to experience this day. And rightly so, as a real treat awaited them. Together with their VodafoneZiggo colleagues, they first enjoyed a tasty lunch in the restaurant. The programme then included a tour of the building, a presentation on VodafoneZiggo and a challenging quiz.
The highlight of the afternoon was five workshops led by experts from VodafoneZiggo. One on Smart Building, the smart architecture technique used for our Central Office. One about Vodafone Foundation's team setting up mobile networks in disaster zones. One on the opportunities and dangers of ChatGPT and AI. One on using the internet safely. And one about the disabled people who put their skills to good use at VodafoneZiggo.
Day 2: children aged 7 to 13
We welcomed 60 children and their parents to the Experience Centre, the perfect place to get to know all about VodafoneZiggo. This was followed by a tour of the entire building. Cindy heard many children saying “So this is where you work”. And a few even added “And now I'm jealous!” The gaming-area was popular and a few enjoyed screaming in the soundproof booth. “It works, you can (hardly) hear anything."
The really cool stuff, however, was yet to start; the Gold Seeker game, in which you form teams and learn what's inside your smartphone. Smart technology, but also precious metals! Demonstrating that a mobile phone should never just be thrown away. Afterwards, everyone was able to programme a game which they could then play themselves. An accessible way for young people to access tech and, who knows, maybe that will create future talents!
Day 3: children aged 2 to 6 years
Little children very often ask where mum and dad are going when they wave them off to work. Not surprisingly, they were bowled over by this entertaining morning at the Experience Centre. They were able to draw, play and go to the theatre performance of Pim and Pom, two cute cats who made the children sing, dance and jump around to their heart’s content.
Two colleagues, all the way from Leeuwarden, were on hand to provide beautiful face-painting designs. And talk about dedication... Cindy had been training for months to make figures out of balloons. She was a huge success and conjured up all sorts of creations, surrounded by amazed children. From palm trees, flowers and dogs, to Pokemons, ladybirds and - the absolute favourite - monkeys.
Day 4: young people aged 14 to 25
From young teenagers to ambitious graduates - today we opened our doors to youngsters from the families of our colleagues. And what exactly can VodafoneZiggo do to captivate them? The answer came from Didi Oudhof, Sponsorship & Partnerships Manager at VodafoneZiggo, and Rutger Buijs, Account Manager at Ajax. Together, they demonstrated the importance of Ziggo's sponsorship of Ajax for both parties. They also explained how this has developed. Ziggo, for instance, started this collaboration to improve brand recognition, but now everything is about adding value for customers. Rutger explains that Ajax also uses sponsorships for international exposure. "How do we make a Spanish Barcelona fan become a fan of Ajax as well?"
The youngsters received a goody bag with an Ajax ball and scarf, and then took part in a quiz. Scarf on, scarf off! The winner, who was also an NAC fan, won a gorgeous Ajax shirt with captain Bergwijn's name on the back. This was followed by a tour of the entire building. “It’s so open and spacious, where do people actually work?" It was clear to all that the tour was hugely engaging, especially among graduate students, who might have been looking for a great company in which to start their career. We heard "I could have looked around a lot longer" more than once.
Successful experiment
"The 'Bring your family week' was an experiment" explains Patty. "An idea that we quickly got behind. We are delighted with the result. It was great to see the proud parents and how delighted they were when they saw their children enjoying themselves. The other guests had a great time too. The many positive reactions were just the icing on the cake. Many of the children were already asking when they could come again!"
