NEWSFLASH

As I told many of you, last weekend was our 10th Anniversary Family Fun Day Celebration with the British Chamber of Commerce. The event was really successful I thought, especially considering all of the variables that were against us. I wrote my first press release about it, and hopefully I will get published! Livia said she would try to distribute it to some of the English speaking periodicals around Bratislava.

To view photos from the day...CLICK HERE.

Here is my synopsis from the day:

Celebrating in style…

On Saturday, October 4th the adventurous and the brave faced the unfavourable weather conditions and travelled to the Whitewater Centre in Čunovo for the British Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia’s 10th Anniversary Celebration. The event was appropriately dubbed “Family Fun Day”, and made good on its title despite the elements.

Lívia Eperjesiová, the BCC SR Executive Director, and her Events Action Group had been working for months to decide the perfect venue for this momentous occasion. Many options presented themselves, but it seemed the best way to incorporate a majority of the members and their families was to organize something that would occur during the day and in an open space. The BCC SR turned to Action Land, an outdoor activities company, to provide an array of enticing activities and Hotel Divoká voda to supply a location. The event was made possible by generous financial contributions from (in alphabetical order) Allen & Overy Bratislava, B2 Consulting, BAE Systems, ČSOB, HSBC and Lugera & Maklér. There were also In Kind Sponsors who provided various services and gift arrangements, ACCOR Services Slovakia, Avon Cosmetics, Hippokrates Private Health Centre, ILt spol, s.r.o., Mokarabia, Park Inn (Hotel Danube), SkyEurope Airlines, VITAL and Whisky Bar 44.

As the setup crew rolled in, they were somewhat sceptical due to the looming clouds and slight drizzle, but as they worked the skies cleared and the empty field behind the hotel began to look more like the imagined competition pitch where the UK Regional Competitions would be held. Arguably one of the most noted part of the celebration (and most certainly the most unique), the four different categories were designed to highlight various cultural aspects of living in the United Kingdom. For England there was a “Tug of War” contest, Wales hosted Archery, Scotland “Tossing the Caber”, and of course a Guinness drinking contest to represent Northern Ireland. Women, men and children alike gathered to participate (as appropriate) in each of the categories while amassing points according to their performance. These points were crucial in the end, because first prize was two round-trip air tickets from SkyEurope Airlines. After much entertainment and friendly rivalry, Mr. Daniel Bachna and Ms. Marta Novotná tied for the coveted winners position, and had a “shoot off” at the archery station. Mr. Bachna came out victorious, but Ms. Novotná was not left for want as she received vouchers from ACCOR Services Slovakia and a gift bag from VITAL.

Other activities included white water rafting, off-roading go-karts, and an inflatable Velcro “fly wall” for children (and some youthful adults). Attendees were also able to test-drive the latest Jaguar and Land Rover models thanks to T.O.P. Auto Slovakia. The catering was undoubtedly a crowd pleaser with multiple courses including savoury gulaš, a full roast pig carved tableside and a 1.5 x 0.5 metre cake. In addition to the catering, the most popular stations were those run by Mr. Stiubhard Kerr-Liddell of Whisky Bar 44 and Mr. Ivan Lacko of ILt, who provided some of their wares for tasting.

Overall the event was well planned and successful, especially considering the challenges posed by Mother Nature. All who attended raved about their experience. In short, it was a an exemplary salute to ten years of promoting UK-Slovak relations, and the BCC SR team is looking forward to the next ten.