Cherries rocking it in Greece at the CDQ Summer Event

Working remotely on a daily basis is great, but getting together in Greece is even better. End of June, we all met in the beautiful city of Thessaloniki for our annual summer event that stretched even beyond three days for some of the cherries! From cultural workshops and team building activities, to genuine discussions and pure joy of spending quality time together – we soaked up the sun, collaborated and enjoyed team spirit in its on-site version.

At CDQ, we can work from anywhere and enjoy a great flexibility. However, once we landed in Greece for our company-wide summer event, it was a little different. To tangle the excitement of finally seeing each other after quite some time of virtual conversations only, an agenda indeed had to be followed.

 

An opening part of the event belonged to culture workshop, in which we learned and discussed how to foster our collaboration, given the specifics of remote company setup. Long before the event, all employees self-evaluated their working and communication styles, looked into their personality traits, and prepared short notes about themselves, so that we could all have fun discovering more facts and interesting things about each other.

 

 

 

 

What my colleagues should know about me?

Common understanding of our CDQ values is important to keep our company culture strong and focused, as well as fully transparent. With great commitment from our employees, a great session full of new insights and ideas to develop further was concluded by even more personal focus of the next agenda point.

 

 

Speed dating activity was a fun and effective way to learn so much about colleagues in a very short period of time and with lots of laughter in the background. This was also just a perfect energizer before the next point of the agenda: the city tour.

Divided into four groups, CDQ cherries explored the historical wonders of Thessaloniki during a guided tour. The ancient landmarks sparked some great stories from our CEO, Dimitrioz Gizanis, and added more personal touch to our team tour. Colleagues strolled through ancient streets, some opting for extended city explorations, allowing the blending of work and leisure in the best possible way.

 

 

 

 

 

After the tour, a much anticipated dinner for the hungry explorers awaited us in the local restaurant, where the agenda was not in charge any longer, and the genuine quality time went on until late at night. Mediterranean cuisine, great wine and joyous atmosphere put a cherry on top of day one during our summer event.

 

The following day started with regular team meetings, only this time – face to face. It’s amazing to see and experience how the sudden switch of working mode creates a completely different vibe and can spark so many new ideas and impulses for our teams. Not to mention, how great it feels to have a real coffee together during a coffee break.

Working intensively in-house till noon, we then moved on to an outdoor adventure, that turned out to be a test of our collaboration capabilities and team spirit in real cast away situation.

We arrived at the beach, where the cherries had a moment to sit down and relax, but soon the agenda reminded us: it’s time for team building, everybody line up!

 

 

 

The highly anticipated beach day unfolded with a raft-building challenge.

Colleagues from various teams and roles showcased their creativity and teamwork, while some opted for more analytical or leadership working styles. After all, this activity was a “practice makes perfect” addition to the culture workshop from the previous day. Cheered by teammates, the brave sailors set on the self-made-rafts race. Point for the whole CDQ: all rafts made through the competition, and more importantly – all sailors and constructors did too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A day on the beach turned to an evening, and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner right next to the beach and the setting sun.

 

 

 

 

The final day of the summer event focused on team meetings until lunch and informal discussions over coffee.

While the official event spanned three days, some team members extended their stay, bringing along their families. This extended period allowed for more casual interactions and further strengthened the sense of camaraderie among the team.

And that’s exactly how CDQ's workplace culture comes to life. It's a place where enthusiasm meets professionalism, loyalty is expressed with fervor, and employees find not just a workplace but a community that values their contributions.

Or, as our CEO said when opening the event in Greece: CDQ is a cool place to work, ​and we want to stay cool!​

 

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