Did the end of 2019 rush by in a flurry of amazing events and back to back travel for anyone else? No? Just us? We had our annual All Hands event in September, followed by Dreamforce ‘19 in November, followed by the Salesforce New York World Tour in December — this last half of the year also saw many other trips, visits, and events sprinkled throughout. To say we were busy would be an understatement. On top of all this, we grew our number of full-time employees by 40% in 2019, which alone is no small feat! All the events were a great way to wrap up a tremendous year for CodeScience.
But, in all the fantastic mayhem of closing out 2019, we did not have time to throw a Holiday Party…at least not the way we like to throw a party. So, we decided to push it off until January of 2020 and, we would try our best to make it worth the wait!
So Many Parties, So Little Time
Because CodeScience is a remote company, and we have people scattered all across the United States, we typically have separate parties for the Bay Area, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and the Southeast. With four parties, people can choose the one that is easiest for them to get to.
We decided to schedule the Southeast party to follow our Quarterly Town Hall meeting and our New-CodeScientist Orientation, all of which take place in our Chattanooga headquarters. This way, all of our Leadership Team would already be in town, and what better way is there to welcome eleven new CodeScientists than inviting them to a great party?
But, How to Make a Party Great?
Well, in case you didn’t know, 2020 came with its own theme, and CodeScience always appreciates a good theme. So, we decided to embrace it and welcome the return of the Roaring Twenties old Hollywood style!
As it happens, The Read House Hotel in Chattanooga was the perfect backdrop for this event! This hotel saw its heyday in the 1920s and recently underwent a massive renovation to restore all of its original glory. Oh, and did I mention the hotel is haunted? Could anything possibly make this night better?
Maybe a Murder Mystery Dinner Could
We reached out to our friends at The Murder Mystery Co, and four of their best actors agreed to travel in to complement our evening with The Best Laid Plans.
What a night! It started with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and mingling to get acquainted with each other as well as the actors.
And, there was a lot to get acquainted with.
The actors worked hard to set the stage for what was to come by introducing themselves to guests, interacting with each other, and dropping a few subtle hints to those listening.
From there, the night moved right into dinner, and the murder mystery unfolded! Each table worked together as a team to hunt (or bribe) for clues and solve the whodunnit!
The actors continued to work the room as the plot unfolded.
It turns out that some of our very own CodeScientists became suspects!! It became hard to distinguish between the actors and us!
Not only that, but one of our new CodeScientists became part of the plot…though his role may have been…short-lived.
And, one of our very own was GUILTY!
Overall, this was a beautiful, fun, and whimsical night that was filled with twists, turns, and got each of us out of our comfort zones just a little.
We took a swan dive into the entertainment and bonded in a new way that only murder and intrigue could do. The beautiful Read House Hotel could not have been a more perfect venue and the staff willing to cater to all of our quirky adventures for the evening. Of course, none of these wonderful photos would have been captured without the fabulous Dan Henry. He is the de facto CodeScience photographer, and if you are in the Chattanooga area you should absolutely consider him for your photography needs.
CodeScience is the leader for innovation on the Salesforce AppExchange. We help our clients bring innovations and solutions to the ecosystem — all while having fun along the way. We’re hiring! If you want to become part of our team, apply today!
