Founded in 1682, the “City of Brotherly Love” – aka Philadelphia – is no stranger to creative, out-of-the-box thinkers. Ben Franklin, Louisa May Alcott, Dick Clark, President James Buchanan, Andrew Mellon, Patti LaBelle, Edgar Allan Poe, even Kevin Bacon…they all once called this one-time capitol of the U.S. home.
More recently, Philadelphia played host to the entire Interprose team. For four whirlwind days, we sampled some of the best the city has to offer, from listening to the echoes of history at Carpenter’s Hall, to dancing to live music in the park, to taking in the gourmet wonderland that is the Reading Terminal Market. If heaven is an authentic Philly cheesesteak, we found paradise.
However, more than just an opportunity for our far-flung team to reconnect with one another in a fantastic setting, there were other motivations behind Interprose’s big Philadelphia adventure. We kicked off our visit with Ragan Communications’ outstanding “Infographics Bootcamp”, led by Beehive Media’s Bill Shander. Interactive and engaging, the workshop left our team with a better sense of the how, where, when, and why of infographics. But more importantly, Bill challenged us all to think beyond traditional boundaries, to stretch out of our comfort zones, and to tap into the well of creativity that’s inherent in each of us.
Interprose is home to a cast of very creative characters.
The theme of being more creative and shaking up the status quo was one that played out throughout the duration of our stay in Philadelphia. While planning this team meeting we wondered, how can we use the beautiful backdrop of the City of Brotherly Love to push our creativity to the next level? And how could we capture and share those moments of inspiration, allowing both our clients and the world at large to forge a connection with Interprose’s team on a more personal level, getting to know the real people behind the press releases?
Our team “gets” social. It’s part of Interprose’s DNA. Some of us are a bit more…obsessive about it than others, but it’s a medium that we’re all comfortable in. And so, leveraging social media became the natural answer. We carefully crafted an imaginative, interactive event designed to stimulate our team into sharing their Philadelphia experience with the socialverse, offering entrée to each person’s unique personality and worldview. Divvied up into three groups armed with clues (complete with corny poetry) pointing to a set of destinations, the Interprose team set out across Philadelphia for an Amazing Race-style adventure.
And what happened next was, well…amazing.
A group of Interprose’s intrepid explorers documenting their visit to Fireman’s Hall
Each group found their own way across Philadelphia, uncovering hidden treasures, and off-the-beaten-path sights. As they unraveled each clue and destination, our teams stopped to take pictures and videos, and jotted down their thoughts, and then shared them all across Twitter, Facebook, Vine, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Each new tweet, post, photo, and video provided another snapshot into who Interprose is, how we work with one another, and the greater results we can achieve as a whole. And when we finally reunited that night, we found that our own Philadelphia Amazing Race helped us to bond more deeply as a team, trust each other’s judgment while still respecting perspectives that may differ from our own, and work together to creatively tackle any challenges that may present themselves.
When in Philadelphia, do as the natives do.
So, what I hope you take away from Interprose’s travelogue is this: stretch a little. Get creative in your problem solving. Don’t be blinkered because you’re not an expert. Be willing to consider unusual options, to think outside the box, to venture into new spaces, or to make the move onto a different social platform. The rewards – both from a personal and a business standpoint – will be well worth the effort.
Want to see the interactive portion of this travelogue? Head to Interprose’s Facebook page to see our team taking Philadelphia by storm.