Text: Kateřina Czempková, Maryla Adamčíková
“Better than Colours!”, this assessment was still running through the entire FINIDR “B” during the event. And we are very happy for that. This year is really special for FINIDR, so we wanted to organize a grand birthday party for our employees and invited guests to celebrate the 30th anniversary of our printing house.
We held our party in the historic premises of the original Prochaska Printing House, now known to all Finidraks as Building “B”, which has recently been partially renovated. Although the preparations went on until the last minutes and there was a lot of nervousness among the organizers, everything was completed on time. We managed to transform the historic production area into a place with, dare we say, a festival spirit for one evening. The centre of the site was a large courtyard with a stage where the main programme took place. Relaxation corners with seating made of wooden pallets, photo-points from books and greenery added to the pleasant atmosphere. The programme arranged in different locations including the renovated first floor, was an attraction for the arrivals and there was also a softshell jacket demonstration for the staff for FINIDR’s 30th anniversary, which was another surprise of the day. There was also seating for visitors, a DJ, and an exhibition of paintings from the Duplex competition.
The evening was hosted by the popular sports presenter Jan Smetana, who gave the birthday party the right energy and wit. The program was opened by the rock band ARES, the stage was dominated by the Five Star Band and the audience danced with their well-known hits. The main attraction, however, was last year’s Golden Nightingale, singer Marek Ztracený, who put on a great show on the outdoor stage. People were exchanging videos with different views of his concert and euphoria among the people during the weekend. Everyone still remembers the moment when he ran under the stage during his performance and sang and greeted people.
The highlight of the night was the wild fire show with the drummers after dark. Visually stunning performance, full of pyrotechnic effects and fire elements accompanied by drums, was a spectacle not only for the staff, but also caught the attention of the firefighters, who supervised safety throughout the event. Afterwards, in the imaginary Hell on the ground floor, there was partying until the early hours of the morning under the baton of DJ Jirka Halák, where bartenders from the Community Coffee House mixed drinks as far as they could.
Each of the attendees could take away a handmade commemorative certificate printed on a historical printing press and traditionally photos from the photo corner. Another new feature was the 360° video corner, where we could shoot a stylish video, download it to our phones and share it directly on social networks.
In addition to the entertainment, participants could enjoy a rich refreshment. Dinner was prepared and served by students from Albrecht High School in Český Těšín. There were lots of goodies from the grill that lit up the whole outdoor area and also the Hell. We could quench our thirst with local beers, prosecco on tap or Aperol spritz, and three bars offered a selection of mixed drinks with original names from the print shop environment and a selection of alcohol.
Huge thanks and congratulations to all the organisers for putting on such a fancy party that will be remembered for a long time to come. The feedback from attendees has been amazing, see for yourself below. I think this is a beautiful reward for the endless weeks of preparation. Thank you.
Zdeněk Ližička, printer
“The atmosphere of the event was amazing, we were enchanted by the premises, where the history of polygraphy and printing could be felt. I was surprised by the great organization of the event, the program was better than at the Feast of the Three Brothers. I didn’t get to taste much of the catering, but everything looked great. It was a really fancy party.”
Vendula Stejskalová, production machinist
“Everything was great from start to finish. Definitely the best was the concert of Marek Ztracený, which I will remember for a long time. I was very pleasantly surprised by the place, we were worried that there would be little space, but the area was big and it was nicely arranged. The food was also excellent and there was plenty of it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go to the video corner, but the videos looked great.”
Šárka Dostálová, cleaning worker
“It was my first time at such a company event, and it was great. I liked Marek Ztracený the most, and I even managed to take a photo with him after the concert. The area was a bit of a maze, but by cleaning there the whole week before the event, I was able to find my way around. I was going home early so I just had dinner and it was delicious.”
Pavla Rumanová, production machinist
“The event was perfect, everyone said it would be nothing much, but I really had a great time and stayed until the end. The biggest experience was probably the dancing in the Hell and the fire show – that was a bit daring when we were in the printery, but it worked. The food was also delicious and there was plenty of it. I commend Mr. Drahos for such an event and thank you.”
Roman Rehulka, warehouse worker
“The best was the Mark Ztracený concert and the disco in the Hell. We spent a lot of time in the bar on the first floor, where they were printing commemorative certificates. My colleagues and I also got a cool video from the video corner. We were expecting less from the party, we didn’t know the venue and couldn’t imagine it, but the atmosphere was really cool. The venue was huge and it took us a while to get our bearings.”
Miroslav Staszko, entry technologist
“Upon entering the premises, I was really surprised how the printery had transformed and I felt like I had come to a small festival. The large stage with live music, the smell of grilled meat and beer added to the atmosphere. All in all, it was nice to meet colleagues in a different way than at work, to have a few words, a good drink and maybe even a little “party”.”
Vladimír Vlk, production dispatcher
“Music was already playing at the entrance to the premises and there was a good atmosphere, which only gradually built up. I would especially like to highlight the ambience, I liked the transformation of the production environment into a place where there was such a spectacular event, I think also the transformation of the first floor and the expedition area, which had to be cleaned and decorated. In addition to that, there were a lot of food stalls set up around the site so there were no queues anywhere. There were a lot of friends to chat with, so I didn’t even catch up with the whole program.”
Kristina Kyjonkova, trader
“I liked everything, there was excellent food and drink, a great programme and beautiful premises. Hats off to the organisers for transforming the premises and putting them in such a state. I think it was a great idea to organize an event there so that all the employees could get to know the premises. Mark Ztracený concert was nice and I enjoyed it even though I am not a fan. It was just a great opportunity to meet people from the business and manufacturing outside of work.”
Rostislav Bajtek, process technician
“I was already surprised upon arrival by the decoration, refreshments and the organization, which managed to take care of each individual especially. All the participants of the celebration for me were pleasantly surprised by the preparation of the outdoor and indoor areas, which were perfected and completed the harmony of the celebration in every detail in FINIDR B. As for the program, it was great and fit right into the sequence of the company’s inception, starting with the drummers, live music, fire show and fundraiser that made me proud to work at this company. On my behalf, a big thank you to everyone involved in the preparation of this event and once again I wish FINIDR and owner Jaroslav Drahoš many more successful years and hopefully we will see you again at a similar celebration (so next year)!”
