Celebration
Celebrating is something we humans love to do! Yes, we celebrate almost everything from birthdays to anniversaries, from new cars to homes, from kids’ good grades to festivals. Our celebrations aren’t limited to our personal lives – did you not also celebrate the bug you fixed, the presentation you aced, the target you accomplished, and the pursuit you won? I did! You probably did, too, with an exclamatory YES!! and a little happy dance.
But have you ever wondered why we humans celebrate? Why do we feel the need to unite with our loved ones and express our joy? We do this because we love feeling good about ourselves and our achievements. Regardless of how big or tiny something is, it is celebrated, more often, at our personal ends and occasionally at our workplace.
Now, let me tell you about a team’s accomplishments over the last three years and let you decide whether they merit a celebration.
Expanding Perficient’s India Brand Presence
A team that changed the corporate landscape of the city, expanded Perficient India’s brand presence by sponsoring and conducting multiple Salesforce and Mulesoft in-person meet-ups at Perficient premises, built global depth in different practices of newer technologies like PowerBI, Snowflake, Azure Databricks, etc., doubled it’s head-count during the challenging COVID years, surpassed all it’s yearly KPIs for the past three years, had the highest number of people resuming work from office and there are many more.
So many reasons to celebrate, don’t you think? When all these milestones are recognized together, a spectacular celebration is necessary. And indeed, there was one, A BIG ONE!!
We, at Perficient, believe that it is the people who make a difference and are the reason for all our victories, and through Perficient People Promise, we CHALLENGE, CHAMPION, and CELEBRATE our PEOPLE. And 830 team members in our Nagpur office give us 830 reasons to celebrate because we believe that each individual brings something unique and contributes to our growth.
While we host numerous festivities and gatherings throughout the year on different occasions but nothing compares to our yearly Annual Party. It is customary in our Nagpur office, and all eagerly anticipate this massive celebration.
It was 2019 when we last witnessed the Annual Gala event and after 3 long years, in March 2023 we experienced that extravaganza again! We were even more ecstatic because our talent has increased by approximately three times of what we were back in 2019.
– Snehal Gundewar, Senior Project Manager.
A Night to Remember
The team, with the support and guidance from Anurag Shivhare, General Manager, GDC Nagpur made humongous efforts to put forth a marvelous show, an evening to remember. The evening was jam-packed with thrilling performances, including four energizing dance acts, a glamorous fashion show, and a star-studded awards segment. From mouthwatering treats to an uber-cool photo booth, we had it all. People who attended the gala said they had never seen such a flamboyant display of creativity, talent, and teamwork before.
This was my first Annual Party and boy I was in for a surprise! The stage, the anchoring, the performances everything was super impressive and nothing less than a Bollywood Awards night.
– Vikas Mulchandani, Project Manager.
The celebration went a notch higher with the presence of Perficient’s Vice President of Field Operations, Kevin Sheen, and Prakash Chembai, Area Vice President for India.
A Celebration of Champions
Our Annual Parties stand out among all the celebrations for various reasons, including their grandeur, vitality, and enthusiasm. But the most significant and distinctive aspect of this gathering is that in addition to the team members, we also have their family members. A Celebration of Champions with their loved ones.
Another highlight is the most awaited, Star and Thank You Awards – which recognize and honors colleagues for their extraordinary work, exemplary performances, and support throughout the year. Getting recognized in front of your family is a touching experience.
One of the most impressive aspects of Perficient is their commitment to the families of their employees. It was a wonderful experience to have my wife with me on stage as I received the award. This recognition is a testament to the nurturing and supportive environment that Perficient provides to its employees. From identifying talent to rewarding hard work, the management team at Perficient is truly exceptional.
– Ashish Chakole, Technical Architect
Star Awards
The sequence of Star Awards was initiated by discussing the saying “A Company is as good as its People” and giving a brief anecdote about the same. Mr. Kevin Sheen, Vice President, Mr. Prakash Chembai, Area Vice President, and Mr. Anurag Shivhare, General Manager presented the awards, and Shweta Rawlani, HCM Manager, facilitated the entire awards ceremony with grace.
The Journey
The evening opened with an emotional remark about the celebration, honoring the journey of the last three years, followed by a song that radiates the mood of celebration performed by all four great anchors -AhmadRaza Kaliwala, Diksha Vazirani, Neha Pasi, and Shubham Khote.
The party was an incredible reminder of why I love working here! As an anchor and participant, I was blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of my colleagues. What stood out to me the most was the sense of camaraderie and teamwork on display throughout the night. It was a great reminder of how supportive and dedicated my Perficient colleagues are, not just in the office but also in enjoying and celebrating one another’s success.
– Diksha Vazirani, Technical Consultant.
After greeting the honored guests, Perficient GDC Nagpur team members, and their families, the series of performances, for which the participants put in days of arduous labor so that they could bring some exciting acts for the audience to enjoy, started.
Performances
In keeping with the Annual Party tradition, the first performance was a melodic one. Yashashri Waghmare and Priyanka Shivhare, two stunning women, performed three songs that put everyone in a festive mood.
Being given the chance to perform at the annual party was a truly remarkable experience for me. Being an avid singer, I was thrilled to be able to share my love for music with my colleagues and showcase my vocal talents on stage.
– Yashashri Waghmare, Associate Technical Consultant
This was followed by a power-packed dance performance by an all-girls group that left the crowd in amazement.
As someone who is passionate about dancing, this event provides an excellent opportunity to showcase my skills. I consider it an honour to work for an organization that values employee engagement and community-building, and this event is undoubtedly an example of how Perficient celebrates its people.
– Sneha Thakare, Technical Consultant
Following in the footsteps of the previous acts, it was our male team member’s turn to entertain the audience. A solo singing performance by AhmadRaza Kaliwala and the subsequent energetic dance performance by an all-boys group just confirmed that their talent is unrivaled.
As a participant of the dance group, I had an incredible experience that I will never forget. On the performance day, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement. However, as soon as we hit the stage, all worries vanished. The audience’s energy was contagious, and we fed off their enthusiasm to deliver a performance that we are all extremely proud of and I know that the memories of this event will stay with me for years to come.
– Ram Shrirao, Associate Technical Consultant
Show-Stopping Events
Bringing a change in the track and doubling the fun, creativity, and talent, it was time for both boys and girls to join hands and showcase the extraordinary talent which amazed the audience. It started with a dance performance set to a mix of upbeat Bollywood songs. Another dance act focused on returning to the office after COVID and the WFH phase. The concept was relatable, and everyone enjoyed the performance.
When it came to the final leg of the celebration, the show-stopping event, as always, was an extravagant display of casino-goers style via a Casino-themed Fashion Show. The elegant outfits, classy props of cards, and briefcases only added to the show’s exuberance. It was definitely a visual treat for the audience.
Fashion show always brings excitement with its unique themes. This, in my opinion, can also be viewed as one of the best team-building exercises where team members bring-in creativity and express themselves freely. During practice sessions, I observed how team members give their all while working towards a common objective, overcoming challenges, helping each other to present a flawless piece on stage; very much similar to how we collaborate and deliver our projects.
– Mayur Gattuwar, Senior Project Manager
Thank You Awards
The celebration concluded with another set of important awards – the Thank You awards given away by Kevin Sheen, Vice President, and our General Manager, Anurag Shivhare. The night was perfectly capped off with Shweta Rawlani, HCM Manager, delivering the thank you note. Nevertheless, the party continued off the stage on the dance floor as the DJ played some incredible party songs.
What a mesmerizing evening it was! Celebrating the achievements of everyone is the ultimate quality of Perficient GDC Nagpur. I must say all the efforts from the participants and the leadership team came to fruition making the event a grand success.
– Tina Guha, Project Manager
That was all about the phenomenal evening that everyone will cherish in the days to come.
Thanks for posting this Neha!
To anyone that may be curious: Yes, that’s a fur coat and gold chains I’m wearing in some of the pictures. I was just trying to be as cool as the Casino performers and borrowed some of their attire….. I didn’t look as cool for sure!
What a wonderful evening