Beyond the screen: Inside Crescendo's annual Philippines team building event

For a globally distributed company like Crescendo, where daily collaboration happens across screens and time zones, the annual team-building event in the Philippines is a vital tradition. It’s a rare opportunity to swap video calls for face-to-face connections.

This year, the event was a first for Creative Director Luke Thompson, who traveled from New Zealand to meet many of his colleagues in person for the first time. His initial impression wasn't one of being a stranger in a new land, but of coming home. After waking up his first morning at the hotel, he joined the global leadership team, sharing a meal in the dining room.

"It was just a feeling of being, 'Oh, here's the family,'" Luke recalled. "Just feeling like we're all together now, finally."

Strategy, storms, and adaptation

The event’s mission is threefold: to foster camaraderie, celebrate one another, and to hold critical, high-level strategy sessions. In a series of "small room meetings," company leaders Bernard and Raph met with key team members to discuss the vision for the future. They talked through key initiatives, from the company's brand direction to strategies for "taking new ground," in conversations Luke described as an "exciting part" of the week.

While the strategic planning was a success, the team-building portion faced a challenge. With three typhoons converging on the region, the original plan for a multi-day resort retreat was quickly washed out. Displaying its core value of adaptability, the team pivoted to group shopping excursions, intimate dinners, gift-giving, and storytelling. The days rolled into nights, celebrating with music, meals, shared laughs, and many, many photos. The high-energy main event took place at a Formula One racing simulator venue, where teammates raced each other and themselves, vying for the pole position. Great fun was had by all, not to mention an unlimited supply of delicious food and beverages.

The power of the personal story

While the friendly competition of F1 racing was a highlight, Luke noted that the real magic happened during the unscripted moments over shared meals. The unplanned dinners became the perfect setting for team members to truly get to know one another.

"The real highlight was hearing the stories that came out while at those dinner tables," he said. "Hearing where people come from." The experience was a powerful reminder that behind every role is a rich, personal story. This feeling was amplified by the famous Filipino hospitality, which Luke described as incredibly warm and generous. When asked what stood out in his mind about the overall experience, he answered, "I was never hungry or thirsty. I never asked for anything. Food and drinks were just handed to me."

A lasting impact

Ultimately, the week was about more than just a temporary break from remote work. It was a powerful reinforcement of the company's core values. For Luke, the biggest takeaway was a renewed focus on Crescendo’s people-first ethos and the importance of empowerment.

The trip crystallized a key principle for the year ahead: initiative is everything.

"Don't wait for someone to tell you what to do. Be the person who makes the change," Luke explained. "We have to be leading through others... Start lifting people up, and then we can do it all together." It’s this energy and shared purpose, forged in person, that will fuel the global team for the other 51 weeks of the year.