Z43 Jubilees – “Let the Good Times Roar!
Z43 celebrates the 20th anniversary of IT’IS and the 25th jubilee of SPEAG
On Friday, 29 November 2019, Z43 hosted their annual party in “roaring twenties” style to celebrate a very special occasion: the 20th anniversary of IT’IS and the 25th jubilee of SPEAG!
The event was held at Halle 622 in Zurich-Oerlikon, where employees, customers, partners, and friends from the past and present came together from around the world to mark Z43's accomplishments and share this momentous occasion.
The theme of the party was an exploration of the 1920s ‒ a time of technological breakthroughs, glamour, and decadence ‒ juxtaposed against the disruptive and pervasive technologies today at the dawn of 2020 that could lead to new upheavals and radically change how we live together.
After an Apéro of delectable tidbits served "flying" style in the foyer area, the more than 300 guests were welcomed in the main hall by host Niels Kuster, who presented a brief overview of the past one hundred years told through major political and global events, with a focus on unprecedented technological developments and highlighting Z43's achievements and important product releases along the way.
The main hall of the venue was set for Casino-style dining with tastefully decorated tables with roulette and blackjack tables in between, and the ceiling was hung with chandeliers to enhance the period atmosphere. Guests gathered between the many scrumptious dinner courses to try their luck, creating an exciting casino atmosphere. Bets were placed with shiny gold and silver SPEAG and IT’IS chips specially made for the event, and the gambling was for a good cause as all winning chips were collected at the end of the evening to be donated to Doctors without Borders.
Entertainment was provided throughout the evening by seven different groups of Z43 employees, who had been working together since August in top-secret sessions to create their individually funny, edgy, and genius acts that made for a very special experience for all of the guests. Some of the acts were executed strictly in the foyer, some in the main hall, others had components presented in both areas or moved from the hall to the foyer. The names and concepts of the acts were wickedly clever: "Flying Circus" and "Drive-by-Shooting" by the "Mafia" Production Team; "Endless Beginners" by the Service Center Team; "SPEAGeasy Bar" by the Sales / Admin Team; "SPARCling Future" by the o2S2PARC Team; "The Wolf of Zeugi Street" by the Software R&D Team; "Grand Parade" by the Sales Agents Team; and "Big Dada" by the Hardware R&D Team.
At the end of the evening, around midnight, the guests had the opportunity to "vote" by means of an applause-o-meter for their favorite act. The Production Team was named the winner of the night, with the prize being an extra week of vacation in 2020 for each member of the team.
As in previous years, the dinner was presented by Franzoli Catering, who created delicious, identically plated meat or fish and vegan courses that were served to the guests, who could then determine which versions they had and trade with neighbors as desired.
The famous sound of Pepe Lienhard and his Big Band created a very special and relaxed atmosphere for dining and dancing throughout the evening. Then, after midnight, the magic continued as the hardiest partiers danced the night away to the music of the Tin Soldiers with a surprise act performed by partner company Comerge AG.
Our guests called the party "a blast!" and the acts spectacular, humorous, and super crazy. We will publish some of these later this year — so stay tuned!
And above all, a very special thank you to the organizing team for all their hard work in creating this great night!
