While the best athletes from around the world gathered in Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics, our NoHo office hosted its own spirited version of the Games, bringing our IT, Fiscal, HR, Facilities, Sun Commons and Executive teams together for 6 days of laughter, camaraderie, and friendly competition.
On Monday, July 29th, NoHo staff arrived at the office to find it completely transformed into our very own NoHo Olympic Village. Later that morning, an email was sent out to our staff letting them know the NoHo Summer Office Olympic Games would begin on Friday, August 2nd. Since we had planned events for every day of the week and knowing many of our staff members work hybrid, we asked our staff to form teams of at least 5 members to compete, with at least one member representing their team at every event. Little did we know the games would draw everyone to the office, even on their work from home days!
Throughout the week, teams began to form. Team names were tossed around, team colors, a team anthem! We asked teams to create their own banners/flags and used one of the upstairs cubicles as craft station for their creativity and team spirit. By Thursday, teams were finalized.
Our Office Olympics kicked off with a spectacular Opening Ceremony that brought a sense of excitement and camaraderie to the team. We made speeches to welcome our athletes and declare the games open as the President of the Olympic Committee (Thea) and the Mayor of the NoHo Office (Mayva).
Teams proudly marched down the stairs to their chosen anthem, each decked out in their unique colors and waving custom flags with their creative team names. The vibrant display of team spirit set the stage for a day full of fun and friendly competition.
The competition event of the day was our Mini Golf Challenge, which transformed our office into a playful course with three themed, imaginative holes: Hole #1: IT's Firewall Fortress, Hole #2: Nydia's Office During the Holidays, & Hole #3: Cameron's Merch Closet. Of course, we had to make it difficult for staff—to compete, each team had to create their own putter out of office supplies. This will be a recurring theme throughout the competition.
The competition heated up as staff roamed from office to office, taking aim at trash cans placed at varying heights and using wads of discarded printer paper as “basketballs.” Some baskets were impossible to reach, while others were a breeze. The energy was high, and the aim was true as everyone took their best shots!
The excitement continued with a unique spin on table tennis. Participants crafted their own paddles using office supplies, turning a simple game into a display of innovation and skill. The matchups were fierce, but everyone relished the challenge and camaraderie.
On Day 4, the first floor became a runway for our Javelin Paper Airplane event. With just 90 seconds (about 2 minutes) to build their planes, staff then had three attempts to launch them down a long hallway. The goal: see whose paper plane could soar the farthest. The competition was fierce, with some impressive distances achieved! With a plane that easily could have traveled a distance further than the event’s runway, James Allen proved himself as the MVP for this event.
At the end of the 4th day of competition, we surprised our teams and athletes with a scavenger hunt bonus round! We printed and cut out 15 pictures of actual Olympic torches from over the years and hid them throughout the office and courtyard. These torches were roughly 2 1/2 inches in size, so finding them was no easy feat!
We told teams that they could win 1 star for every 3 torches found, which meant there were 5 points up for grabs! As soon as the email was sent out, doors flew open with athletes enthusiastically searching for the torches. The following morning, the search chaos continued until Matthew Mandegar found the final, elusive torch.
Day 5 tested our mental agility with a Kahoot! quiz that delved into how well staff know their colleagues. We explored personal tidbits and fascinating facts about each other, leading to a fun and insightful bonding experience that highlighted our team's diversity and interests.
Our final day featured the ultimate Office Triathlon, a multi-faceted challenge that included building towers with office supplies, removing staples from a stack of POs, and navigating a maze blindfolded with a teammate's guidance. After a grueling but exhilarating day, the medals were awarded:
Though the Number Queens did not place, their team spirit and enthusiasm truly captured our hearts.
Thank you to everyone who participated and made this Summer NoHo Olympiad a memorable event! We cannot wait to see what the 2026 Winter Games will inspire! Our hope for this can become a full, Penny Lane Centers, inter-office event!
Check out some more photos below!
