As Blue Monday approaches, Comet Meetings invites Brussels teams on a round-the-world trip across seven floors, without leaving the city centre or boarding a plane.
Blue Monday: meaningful events to keep motivation alive
Blue Monday falls on 16 January this year. The term refers to the day of the year when employees are said to feel most depressed. Beyond the concept itself, which owes more to a marketing campaign than to scientific study, it has to be said that the start of 2023 feels particularly bleak to many Belgian workers. Most are back behind their screens and are probably already dreaming of their next getaway. There was a time when team building took place in exotic destinations and gave staff the break they needed, but that trend is now shrinking for economic or environmental reasons. It does not mean escape is off the table: walking into a Comet Meetings building is like opening the doors to a round-the-world trip, a place to get away and take in new surroundings while staying in the heart of Brussels and, of course, spending far less.
Comet Meetings specialises in designing inspiring meeting and seminar venues for companies that need to come together for a specific purpose: seminars, executive committees, training. Comet Meetings offers a new meeting and seminar experience, designed to foster the collective intelligence of teams. To create the best possible atmosphere, Comet Meetings worked with Belgian architect Lionel Jadot to design the building as an escape from everyday work. In just 7 flights of stairs, you can travel around the world.
Around the world in 80 minutes
In only a few steps, and 45 calories lighter, you can open the door to the world of "The Hanging Islands in Bali". Before you go in, it is worth remembering how people greet one another there. The Balinese have the "Sembah" greeting, close to the Namaste: the palms of the hands are pressed together against the chest. Instead of Namaste, they say "Om Swastiastu", which means "May peace be with you". Bali is famously a first-choice travel destination. It is synonymous with relaxation and, as the Sembah shows, with peace. It is an ideal setting for networking events with inventive cocktails. Do not forget the palm-tree straws!
On the second floor, you step into the beautiful spectacle of the Japanese Ochaya. Here too, bowing to one another is an absolute priority. The Japanese like to show modesty and humility, and do so in the form of a bow. Depending on the person in front of you, you bow for longer and at a deeper angle, according to the level of respect owed. And you may have to take your shoes off. This space can be perfect for team building meant to create an atmosphere of respect and openness.
A few more steps (or a short lift ride for the less adventurous) and you reach the 3rd floor, on the other side of the world: Australia. Fancy challenging your team to a rugby match followed by a little vegemite and shrimp on the barbie? This floor, called The Outback Village, is perfect for you and your team.
Back to Europe on the 4th floor. Even if our neighbours in the Berliner Ground do not seem so different from us, one constant stands out: respect for time. German meetings start precisely on time and rarely overrun. They are very formal and come with a set agenda that is almost never departed from: every uncertainty on the agenda must be, and will be, cleared up. This floor is perfect when focus and efficiency are required, for decision-making committees or the annual results presentation, for instance.
The journey is not over yet. Remember to open your meetings with a Namaste when you enter The Darjeeling Odyssey floor, as a handshake is not the done thing there. Namaste means "I bow to you", and greeting someone with that word in India is a way of saying "may our minds meet". Perfect for a client meeting, don't you think?
Keep calm and travel on
Mesopotamia, India, Germany, Tenerife, Australia, Japan and Bali: that is a lot of countries in a single building. Comet Meetings proves that you do not have to leave Belgium to see the world, or at least that you can work in idyllic surroundings without boarding a plane. Holding a meeting in a Comet Meetings building is already a trip around the world, while still getting the job done. Truly the best of both worlds.
