InterNations Global Awards: Ambassador Winners

Ambassadors often work in teams to secure venues, negotiate great deals for members, and provide personal touches throughout the evening. They spend their free evenings planning innovative event themes or searching for spaces that can accommodate large groups in some of the most popular cities in the world. While you’re enjoying the view, the venue, and the good company, our volunteers are juggling many tasks in order to make your experience comfortable, fun, and unforgettable.

Our vibrant offline life is made possible by this dedicated group of volunteers who are committed to cultivating and growing each local community. The InterNations Global Awards were created in 2017 to honor our Ambassadors and Consuls worldwide for their outstanding achievements in event and activity planning and implementation in their respective communities. The Global Awards recognize the efforts of our most outstanding volunteers who were selected based on the skills and attributes we look for when recruiting for these roles.

InterNations turned ten in 2017, and the following ten categories were chosen to commemorate this special year. Now, we can finally announce the winners of each category.

2017’s Global Awards Ambassador Categories

• Newcomers’ Ambassador of the Year
• Best Venues
• Innovation Awards
• Teamwork Circle of Excellence
• Community of One
• Best Host
• Breakout Ambassador
• Members’ Choice Award
• Communication Awards
• Looking Ahead Honors

In December, InterNations HQ in Munich nominated the top candidates out of over 950 Ambassadors and 5,000 Consuls, hosting a wide variety of activities and events in our 390 communities around the world. We narrowed the field to about five nominees per category before the 2017 Global Awards Jury deliberated in order to determine the winner and the honorable mention for each category. Click on the links above to see the “best of the best” of 2017’s Ambassadors and read an interview with the winners of each category. For an overview of our equally impressive Consuls, refer to our article on the winners of the Consul categories.

Congratulations to the 2017 winners and honorable mentions, as well as to all of our hard-working Ambassadors who make the InterNations experience come to life!

Presented to an Ambassador or team who consistently presents comes up with highly innovative ideas, providing unique themes and/or locations to the members.

2017 Winners: Daniane Ikenami and Brand Christ in Rio de Janeiro

2017 Honorable Mention: Tuğçe Akcay in Ankara

Why They Won

When making their selection, the Global Awards Jury considered Ambassadors who think “outside the box” when designing and implementing InterNations Official Events. The strongest nominees for this award focused on unique locations around the city or organized theme events that continually surprise our members. Some even incorporated contests, prizes, or other interactive elements into the evening’s schedule as an additional element.

The winning team hails from Rio de Janeiro, and one of our Jury Members says it best:

“Each event is a new highlight in the history of unique events in Rio. Dani and Brand always look for new venues in various parts of the city. For each of their events they create a theme like a Swedish midsummer party at one of the top restaurants in Rio, a Valentine’s Event at a romantic rooftop bar overlooking the ocean, a James Bond Night, a Comedy Night, or a pool party in one of the favelas. They always look out for sponsors to give prizes for a lucky draw and cleverly reinvest the profits into live bands (or other show acts), welcome drinks, or appetizers. Dani and Brand always aim to make each event a wonderful experience for the members in Rio!”

What is an example of one of your most innovative events?

Dani: One of the most innovative events we organized was last year at Sambadrome where attendees could watch a technical rehearsal. It was a unique opportunity for our members to sample a taste of the grandeur of Rio Carnival from a skybox. Our members also had the chance to dance with samba dancers wearing typical costumes. It was really a special event.

Brand: I think the Sheraton 007 Edition was the most innovative one I can recall. First, because it took opportunity of the place’s name (Dry Martini Bar, 007’s favorite drink). Second, placing a contest within the theme for the best Bond and Bond Girl, made it feel like a costume party without being one and keeping with the classy style of the high-profile venue.

How do you overcome the challenges in searching for innovative locations and event themes?

Brand: Searching for innovative venues, prizes, and themes I consider the hardest part. But every time I’d look for a new event plan I ask myself: “If I were an attendee, what would I like to see next?” Because no matter how cool an event is, people grow tired of it. You can organize a five-star hotel pool party on the rooftop, people will love it for sure. Once. If you keep repeating it people will not show up anymore. You must always be creative in seeking new ideas. A simple event, built upon a new idea, is more appealing than any fancy one that has been around for some time.

Dani: I always try to stay tuned for updates, like what is going on in Rio and new places that have opened. Making good connections, encouraging members to give feedback and listening to their suggestions are also great sources to come up with different ideas.

Rio de Janeiro is a community with entrance fees for events — how do you re-invest the revenue into unique future events?

Dani: I re-invest the revenue by hiring a helper, DJ, or photographer, and by buying more prizes for the raffles or some ornaments for decoration. Also, I finance my expenses to visit different venues like hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Brand: Managing the budget is something I enjoy doing, since doing it efficiently enables you to enhance the event quality. Adding attractions to an event usually has a cost. This can be a DJ, sound equipment, a photographer — options are many, but they demand money. So, reinvesting the budget carefully gives you a higher chance of organizing better events. For example, you can agree on a higher welcome drink cost as the venue is trendy, you can hire a better DJ, or even book a cool unique spot!

Congratulations to Brand and Dani, 2017’s winners for the Innovation Awards, as well as our honorable mention, Tuğçe Akcay in Ankara, for impressing all of us with your incredibly unique events and themes!

About the Winners:

Daniane Ikenami and Brand Christ from Brazil have been hosting InterNations Official Events in Rio de Janeiro as Ambassadors since January 2016. Brand is also Consul of the House Parties and Meetups Group in Rio.

For the community that acts as “one”. Ambassadors and Consuls support one another and work together to reach common community goals.

2017 Winners: Vanessa Kuhlmann and Sandeep Sardesai in Dortmund, Farzaneh Shams, Hans Bruzja, and Priyanka Vieira in Essen, Antje Schulke and Ricardo Pérez de Tudela in Bochum

2017 Honorable Mention: Reina Wanling, Chulanga Perera, Nils Valentin, and Lilo Yu in Tokyo

Why They Won

When determining our top nominees for 2017’s Community of One Award, the Global Awards Jury sourced communities where both Consuls and Ambassadors worked together for the common goal of enriching and developing the community. While Ambassadors host the monthly events for the entire community, Consuls host more specific activities for our Albatross Members. Ambassadors and Consuls are not required to work together as their interests are slightly different, and that is what makes this particular category so exceptional!

For our nominees, we chose Consuls and Ambassador who coordinate dates in the calendar, establish contact through informal gatherings, and who make a conscious effort to support one another by attending community-wide activities and events. We also nominated those who host special joint-community events and activities and make an effort to stay connected across their region.

This year’s collective winner was the Dortmund, Bochum, and Essen communities (also known as the Ruhrgebiet communities), located in close proximity to one another in Germany.

One of our Jury Members describes their win by stating that “the Community of One Award is presented to a team that acts as “one”, where Ambassadors and Consuls support one another and coordinate their event and activity dates. The Dortmund. Essen, and Bochum Communities were nominated because they even go beyond that and have a unique way of collaborating! It’s simply amazing how they have built relationships with each other, how perfectly the communication works, and how well they work together with each other and the communities’ Consuls,  and how they visit one another’s events so regularly. Not only do the three Ruhrgebiet communities organize great events each month, but they also invest lots of energy into joint events for special occasions (like a Christmas concert or the InterNations 10th Anniversary Event). Their team work is really impressive! On top of that, they’re maintaining a clear agenda of events each month (Essen first, Bochum second, Dortmund third). If there are any swaps needed, they all speak to each other first, and their contact at HQ doesn’t even have to worry that there could be overlaps. Last but not least, some of these Ambassadors are Consuls at the same time and try to integrate Consuls as much as possible. Vanessa, for instance, knows all their names and keeps informing me about who’s leaving and who’s active.”

Another member of the Jury added further insights:

“Antje (Bochum Consul) and Vanessa (Dortmund Consul) were nominated for their efforts to invigorate the Bochum and Dortmund communities. InterNations HQ wanted to recognize their role as both Ambassadors and Consuls, in leading their own Groups, alongside organizing events, and fostering a sense of community. The result of taking on extra responsibilities has been a flourishing of the Groups, in conjunction with the official events. Both Antje and Vanessa help HQ to understand the needs of their communities, and how we can work together to ensure that InterNations is the first port of call for newcomers to the Ruhrgebiet.”

Ambassadors, how do you integrate the Consuls into your events?

In the Ruhrgebiet Communities, Consuls are integrated in the events in a very natural way. Without having to ask, they help to find interesting venues and support in setting them up. During the events, Consuls will help by signing members in, distributing name tags and answering questions attendees may have. Especially with bigger crowds, the Consuls stay alert to ensure no one stands alone. They will either tell the Ambassadors or simply strike up a conversation with a member and introduce them to others. Former Ambassadors have the same spirit and continue to enjoy being part of organizing events and supporting the team.

What we find unique about Essen, Dortmund, and Bochum is that Consuls and Ambassadors are always willing to help each other, even if they aren’t hosting the event. There is definitely a sense of one single big Ruhrgebiet community rather than three separate ones.

How do you communicate to members the differences between activities and official events?

In our official events we briefly explain to new members that our regular events take place on a monthly basis and usually attract a larger attendance, giving them the opportunity to meet different people and receive information and tips on different aspects of life and work in the city. We also indicate that it is a good first introduction to what InterNations is all about. In addition, we let them know that there are activities run by different sub-groups, focusing on aspects such as urban hikes, dancing, sampling different cuisines, sports, city tour, art, etc. Via these groups they can follow their interests and spend time in smaller circles with people who have common interests. In case members want to know more about these activities, we introduce them to Consuls if they are at our events or simply refer them to the groups on the InterNations homepage.

Do you have any advice for other Ambassadors and Consuls hoping to improve overall communication and collaboration within their community?

The biggest advice the Ruhrgebiet communities can give is communication — honest, respectful, and lots of it. People should know what the goal of the community is: creating memorable face-to-face experience at our official monthly events and offering exciting activities in smaller groups throughout the weeks in between. Also, brainstorming together with Co-Ambassadors and Consuls on what it takes to get there. It’s all about teamwork and collaboration without having to double-check on every step of the way.

Independence and expressing one’s own values while hosting events and activities you absolutely enjoy sharing with other members is also important.

Additionally, enforcing online interaction by asking for advice for improving overall collaboration within the community should include communication with members, whether it is actively asking group members which activities they would like to see in the future, which is their favorite venue for future events, requesting honest feedback for past venues and activities, offering help to new members or encouraging to co-host activities to learn more about the spirit of teamwork.

In the past few years we have managed to host our “Ruhrgebiet Events” once a year with Bochum, Dortmund, and Essen uniting and coming together as a unit. Without communication and collaboration we would not succeed!

Congratulations to the Bochum, Dortmund, and Essen InterNations Communities, as well as 2017’s honorable mention, Reina Wanling, Chulanga Perera, Nils Valentin, and Lilo Yu in Tokyo, for exuding an unprecedented collaborative and supportive spirit with the fellow Ambassadors and Consuls in your communities!

About the Ruhrgebiet community winners:

Dortmund: Vanessa Kuhlmann, from the UK and Germany, and Sandeep Sardesai, from India, host the monthly official event in Dortmund. They have been a team since 2015, and, so far, they have organized over 25 events together. They are very dedicated to their community. Vanessa is also a Consul of the Cinema Group, the Daytime Activities Group and the Coaching and Networking Group in Dortmund.

Bochum: Antje Schulkem from Germany, and Ricardo Pérez de Tudela, from Spain, host the monthly official event in Bochum. They have been a team since July 2017 and have organized 10 events together in total. Both are committed to seeing the Bochum Community grow. Antje is also a Consul for the Bochum Bermuda Nights Group and the Bochum Movies & Games Group.

Essen: Farzaneh Shams from Iran,  Hans Bruzja from Albania, and Priyanka Vieira from India host the monthly official event in Essen. Priyanka joined the team in November 2017, while Farzaneh and Hans have been working together since November 2016. They are focused on building up the InterNations Essen Community.

For the Ambassador who consistently chooses superb venues, going above and beyond for top-class locations.

2017 Winner: Lorenzo Panunzio in Rome, Italy

2017 Honorable Mention: Lara Pavanelli in Austin, Texas

Why He Won

The title says it all — we looked for Ambassadors who source the top venues in their communities! When determining 2017’s choice for Best Venues, the Global Awards Jury considered great negotiators who consistently achieve elegant results and book exclusive locations. We reviewed venues in many cities and looked towards trends of excellence in quality, location, and overall popularity.

This year’s winner comes from Italy, and one of our jury members tells us why he won:

“Lorenzo works extremely hard to secure the top venues in Rome. Most are four and five-star locations and it can be very difficult to negotiate a space due to their exclusivity. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s hosted events in places like the Luxury Eliseo Theatre with exclusive access and at the Castel Sant’Angelo. Lorenzo even managed to organize the 10th Anniversary in a real palace, the Palazzo Ferraioli, which was built in 183 AD and housed ancient Roman nobility! He is committed to spicing up his locations with a mix of gorgeous 5-star locations and more down-to-earth relaxed events, and the combination never lacks in quality.”

Can you give us an example of a “highlight event” or an event you were really proud of during your time as an Ambassador?

Lorenzo: In these five years, the greatest satisfaction I’ve received came from our 10th Anniversary in October. In this case, the challenge was double as it was a completely new concept: not only did I have to correctly forecast the right number of attendees and their tastes, but I also had to budget for everything (food, beverage, layout, security) and on top of this, also guarantee payments with a potentially high risk of loss. But, in my opinion, high commitment means high success! At this event, we moved from simply promoting an event to real event planning, something that is very different and much harder to understand.

What is important to look for when choosing your locations?

Lorenzo: Every community has different tastes which are a consequence of the city where the community is based. To make a comparison between Rome and London for example, we see that London is more of a clubbing community than Rome. The majority of professional expatriates in Rome work in international organizations, which means that Rome needs a bit more of an elegant and trendy environment. Food is also a must here while in other, more international communities like Munich, London, and Brussels food is usually not required.

Congratulations to Lorenzo, 2017’s winner for the Best Venues, as well as our honorable mention, Laura Pavanelli in Austin, for impressing all of us with incredible negotiation skills and an eye for picking the top venues in your community!

About the Winner:

Lorenzo Panunzio is originally from Bari, Italy, and has been an Ambassador for the Rome Community since 2013. He hosts two official events in Rome each month. He has managed corporate events and leads many business development projects within the hospitality sector, including one for the Italian Chamber of Commerce. He also collaborates with the UN and various embassies.

This award is presented to an amazing Newcomers’ Ambassador team who emulates the ideal event format for newcomers.

2017 Winners: Sally Ibrahim and Ashraf Salman in Kuwait City

2017 Honorable Mention: Laura Staubli-Li in Shanghai

Why They Won

The InterNations Newcomers’ Events are often the first introduction to the InterNations Community for our members so they are a very important type of event.. They are available to large communities which enjoy a nearly constant influx of new members. InterNations Newcomers’ Events are smaller and more intimate than our official events so that our newest members have the opportunity for a no-pressure glimpse into what being a member is all about.

For this award, the Jury considered Newcomers’ Ambassadors who present the best first impression of their community: They incorporate an interactive event schedule, often with casual games and icebreakers to get the crowd talking. They also have prepared a speech to introduce themselves and welcome Consuls to take the floor and share their own activities.

This year’s winning team was the Kuwait City Newcomers’ Ambassadors, and one of our jury members explains why:

“Sally and Ashraf became Ambassadors in February 2016 and they have been helping new members to feel welcome ever since. Their great work ethic and amazing team spirit make the Newcomers’ Events in Kuwait City feel special every time. Even though they always follow a specific format, Sally and Ashraf manage to bring new venues and unexpected offers to our newest members. Not only are they doing a great job at being Newcomers’ Ambassadors, but they are also responsible for hosting one official event every month. This definitely shows their passion and commitment to InterNations and we couldn’t be prouder to have them representing us in the Kuwait City Community.”

What motivated you both to become Newcomers’ Ambassadors?

Kuwait City Newcomers’ Ambassador Team: In our daily lives we both enjoy traveling to different countries. Once you arrive, there are many experiences to encounter such as the new culture and new surroundings or places, as well as different people. We feel like we want to learn from the people who encouraged us to become Newcomers’ Ambassadors to help guide members and help them adjusted to their new surroundings.

What do you do at your events to make the newest members of the InterNations Kuwait City Community feel welcome?

Kuwait City Newcomers’ Ambassador Team: All members that attend the Newcomers’ Events are welcomed not as if they were new but like we had met them a long time ago. As they arrive at the venue, we introduce them to the other members and say which country they are from. We encourage them to mix and mingle with each other, asking questions about how long they have been in the country, where they work, what their interests are, and much more. We try to get the members from the same home country to sit together so that they feel more comfortable sharing similar experiences. We always try to make sure that nobody stands alone and that there are continuous conversations among the newcomers of the group.

How do you make your monthly Newcomers’ welcome speech memorable?

Kuwait City Newcomers’ Ambassador Team: Once most of the registered members have arrived, we introduce ourselves and our community. Throughout the evening, there are discussions about the different groups available to join and how to make more friends. We mention the advantages of upgrading to Albatross Membership, checking the calendar, and how to filter activities according to their interests. To encourage future attendance, we mention the upcoming activities and events. As they leave, we pass out a brochure with the many locations and phone numbers of important places in Kuwait City for their reference. There is a raffle draw presented by the venue which make the night and gathering more memorable, too.

Congratulations to Sally and Ashraf for being 2017’s Newcomers’ Ambassadors of the Year, as well as our honorable mention in Shanghai, Newcomers’ Ambassador Laura Staubli-Li. Thank you for providing InterNations’ newest members with the warmest welcome and the best first impression of your community!

About the winners: 

Sally Ibrahim moved from Toronto, Canada to Kuwait City in 2004. She has been an Ambassador for the Kuwait City Community since February 2016. She is also currently a Consul in three groups: the Café Lovers Group, Ladies Group, and the Movie Nights Group.

Originally from Palestine, Ashraf Salman moved to Kuwait City in 2006 in order to establish his own business in Logistics and Supply Chain management. He has been an Ambassador since February 2016 and is currently a Consul for nine groups: Sports and Adventure, Arts and Culture, Dinner and More, Smoke and Recreation, Party Zone and More, Camping and BBQ Enthusiasts, Professional Networking, Chocolate Temptations, and Dance and Fitness.

Awarded to a new Ambassador who has performed extremely well in 2017, diving straight into the role and taking it on with genuine enthusiasm and drive.

2017 Winner: Sinta Stepani in São Paulo

2017 Honorable Mention: Jared Spindel and Jonathan Hugo in Phuket

Why She Won

In 2017, we welcomed many new Ambassadors to their respective communities. This year was filled with motivation and lots of success, so this was a particularly difficult category for our jury to determine this year’s Breakout Ambassador. We looked for individuals who are newer to the role, but show great initiative and potential as a leader in their community.

One Jury Member makes the case for Sinta’s win:

“Sinta has been an InterNations Consul for many years and joined the Ambassador team back in February 2017. From the very beginning, she has shown great motivation in developing the São Paulo Community further. She successfully introduced monthly expat events, an event format that helps expats to connect and share similar experiences and challenges in a networking setting. She has also been very involved in the 10th Anniversary Event, contributing to it with great ideas, raffle prizes and a great team spirit. Sinta loves bringing members together and creating a unique experience for them. Her great passion for InterNations has also been shown in taking on the role as Community Team Group Consul. She is a people’s person from the heart and is always aiming to create a wonderful time to remember.”

What motivated you to apply for and take on the role of Ambassador this past year?

Sinta: First of all, I would like to say thank you very much to Mariana Ribeiro — Ambassador of the São Paulo Community — she was the one who introduced the expat events to me. I believe that she saw what I could do with this community, that I could help. We have a great community, with lots of nice people, and she trusted me to help expats integrate into the new country so they can feel at home. I also would like to say thank you very much to Miriam Koschel, what a lovely manager we have here in Latin America. She is helping with all her enthusiasm and ideas, and the way she has treated me since the very first time we talked — she does it all with her heart. I’m so honored to work with her!

When I came to Brazil, there was no way for me to meet new people and create contacts easily and I saw that it was possible to do so with the help of InterNations. I want people to feel happy and at ease. I want them to be comfortable being together, enjoying the company, the place, the food. I have fun and joy being with the InterNations folks and I think that people can feel this. I want them to feel the same.

What do you think was the key to your success in your first year?

Sinta: I did it with all of my heart, and I did it patiently. Being an Ambassador means to serve and not to be served, and if you want people to treat you well, you must do it first, be a good host, be an ice breaker. When I’m responsible for something, I’m 100% committed.

You are great at connecting people, at bringing them together and making them feel part of the group. Could you tell us how you do this? What’s your secret?

Sinta: No secret at all, I think all of the Ambassadors should know how to bring expats together and making them feel part of the group. I always welcome newcomers and try to help them get acquainted with the other members. I scope out the timid type and bring her/him to the other attendees to make that person feel more welcome. Usually I invite other Consuls to introduce themselves and speak about their groups. A caring attitude is very important — we have to give attention to the newcomers. Attending an event for the first time is just like getting a first impression. We are responsible to make them have a very good impression and memory of InterNations.

Congratulations to Sinta, 2017’s Breakout Ambassador, as well as our honorable mentions, Jared Spindel and Jonathan Hugo in Phuket, for taking over into the role and making a difference in their community right from the first moment!

About the winner:

Sinta Stepani, from Indonesia, hosts the monthly expat events in São Paulo. She has been in the role since February 2017. She also helps with the official events whenever necessary and attends the Newcomers’ Event regularly. She is also a Consul of the São Paulo Asian Cuisine Group and the Community Team Group Consul.

Given to an Ambassador/team who regularly and effectively communicates with the local members, has an online presence, and promotes reliable and transparent communication together with InterNations HQ.

2017 Winners: Sanjeeb Samanta, Dobrina Ustun, Sophie Clement, and Armando Moreno in Dallas

2017 Honorable Mention: Marco Bruno and Marlie van Doorn in Gold Coast

Why They Won

InterNations Ambassadors are natural communicators — this quality is a huge asset when negotiating great deals with venues and keeping the community vibrant and engaged. For this category, the Global Awards Jury considered teams who went above and beyond in the communication realm.

We looked for Ambassadors and teams who maintain an active presence among the community and assist members with queries, concerns, and general questions on the platform. Nominees also were particularly adept at maintaining an online presence, both on and off our platform. Ambassadors and teams promote InterNations on their own social media channels with links for prospective members to easily sign up and start attending events, and even have secured interviews with various local media outlets.

Finally, those nominated have a great relationship with their managers at HQ. As InterNations HQ aims to continually improve the volunteer and member experience, we rely heavily on Ambassadors’ input and their local expertise in the community. Nominees in this category were particularly helpful and open to implementing projects and completing surveys designed to improve the community, and provide HQ with a insights into their local community.

One of 2017’s jury members makes the case for the Dallas team’s win:

“The Dallas team makes sure to be available to and supportive of members at all times, for example by making sure they reply to all of their messages, both in the public areas of the InterNations website and in private messages. They pretty much always have pictures posted after their events, where you can see them all smiling and welcoming the guests. Members of this team gave several interviews to the media and are always happy to give feedback and reach out to help neighboring communities and fellow Ambassadors.”

In your opinion, what specific communication skills have helped you in your role as Ambassadors for the Dallas Community?

Dallas Team: For starters, we look at our membership/community as our extended family. We, the Ambassadors, work as a team, not individuals. We do things together and maintain a very strong bond and line of communication between each other. This has been the Ambassador culture in Dallas over the years. All four Ambassadors attend all events. Of course, there are times when someone cannot make it but that is not often.

We innately spend a lot of time on establishing familiarity with our members. We accomplish this in a few ways.

1. We stand at the entrance of our events and greet each person attending the event. We shake their hand and welcome them. When someone is new, we ask them if they want us to introduce them to folks or if they want to go about meeting folks by themselves. This way they have a choice. We normally have at least two Ambassadors at the entrance greeting attendees. This way folks get to know us and we get to know them.
2. When members have a need, they reach out to one of us. By having seen or talked to us at events, there is already a sense of familiarity and comfort that has been established.
3. We the individual Ambassadors, have our own circle of friends and network with InterNations, and together this network is quite large. If there is a need to do or communicate something, we’re able to communicate it via our networks.
4. We are each active in different groups and also have a strong relationship with the Consuls of all the groups in Dallas. This way, when there is a need to reach out to the larger InterNations community, we’re able to effectively do so between our networks and that of the different groups.
5. Lastly, but very importantly, we are responsive to our members’ questions/concerns. While we may not always give them the response they are looking for, we do follow-up and this helps establish a certain level of respect and comfort for the members. We became friends with some of the members and participate in events outside of InterNations with them (birthday parties, summer parties…) which created a special bond.

You really excel at promoting your community. Do you have any tips for other communities looking to improve in this area?

Dallas Team: Own it! Start from the position that this group is yours. Don’t think “they” (= InterNations HQ) but think “we” (= local community that I am responsible for). This perspective/mindset is very significant in driving a lot of your actions and behaviors. Feel empowered! Don’t feel like you have to keep asking for permission! Pay attention to what your members reasonably want and it will help you growing the community. Keep in mind, what the different groups, etc. are doing. Where someone is doing well, take time to compliment them! Where someone needs help, take time to encourage them! Once this becomes your environment, then promoting InterNations doesn’t feel like a task but just a natural thing.

Congratulations to our Dallas Team, Sanjeeb, Dobrina, Sophie, and Armando, 2017’s winners for the Communication Awards, as well as our honorable mentions, Marco Bruno and Marlie van Doorn in the Gold Coast, for taking the lead on communication in all aspects of your role!

About the Winners: 

Sanjeeb Samanta, originally from Malaysia, lived in Asia and Europe before settling in the USA. He is active in the Dallas/Fort-Worth community as a member and Chair Elect of the Human Rights Initiative (HRI) board, President of Dallas Squash and alum of UT Dallas. Aside from his role as InterNations Ambassador, he is also a Co-Consul of the Dallas Changemakers and Dallas Watching Soccer Groups.

Dobrina Ustun is from Bulgaria and the managing attorney of a company that provides immigration services to companies and individuals. She has been an InterNations Ambassador since 2014.

Sophie Clement is from Dijon, France and has lived in Barcelona and New Jersey before arriving in her current destination eleven years ago. She is involved in the Rotary Club as a member and has been active on the Dallas Ambassador team since 2016, focusing on the monthly Newcomers’ Events.

Armando Moreno was born in Lima, Peru, and at age 15 moved with his family to the USA. Now in Dallas since 2014, he enjoys the town and the InterNations experience, celebrating his one-year Ambassador-anniversary this month.

Awarded to the team who makes a special effort to coordinate their event schedule in advance and plan ahead for potentially challenging months or seasons.

2017 Winners: Jaime D. Medina and Catalina Calin in Shanghai

2017 Honorable Mention: Marcela Alfaro and Ibsen Avila in Panama City

Why They Won

When searching for the recipients to win 2017’s Looking Ahead Honors, the Global Awards Jury selected our most organized individuals and teams. These teams do whatever it takes to ensure that all events take place throughout the year, no matter what! If a team cannot host an event (due to personal schedule conflicts, holidays, or otherwise), they outsource the work to a strong team of temporary hosts and volunteers to keep the events up and running.

Most impressively, our nominees plan and outline their event schedule for many months. The nominees take certain months into special consideration where it might be a challenge to find a good date, and keep an eye on public holidays, local special events, and their own vacation plans, to avoid any disruptions in the event schedule. Our nominees also plan ahead for seasonal dips where participation can vary, such as the “summer dip” months and December where many expats leave for holiday to visit loved ones.

This was a tough category, but one of 2017’s jury members makes the case for the Shanghai team’s win:

“Jaime and Catalina plan extremely far in advance: at the end of October 2017 they had already entered all of the dates for their 2018 events into our shared event planning table They also make sure to have their upcoming events published at least a month in advance, so that the other Ambassadors and the Consuls can plan their events and activities around them. Even during China’s Golden Week, a very busy time in Shanghai, they make sure to host both their monthly events by planning carefully in advance.”

How much in advance do you plan your events and what tool do you use to keep track of them?

Shanghai Team: We pre-select venues every six months based on the news about upcoming hotels and bars, and we start talking to them around three months in advance of the event date. For brand new venues we are really strict and keep a backup plan all the time just in case the conditions/quality doesn’t match our expectations. For long-term venue clients, we have fast track procedures to simplify the process. All this information is synced via iCloud and Dropbox so each of us can add venues, photos, contacts, and be totally updated on the status of each venue and negotiation. The master calendar is handled together with InterNations HQ and internally we have additional tools to track details on the same period of the previous years (number of attendees, weather conditions, etc.). Based on all this we can tell our 200th event as Ambassadors will occur at the end of May this year.

What steps do you take to maintain two monthly events despite holidays, summer vacations, and other scheduling conflicts that come up?

Shanghai Team: Summer vacations? What is that? Haha! Between November and December, we prepare a detailed schedule for the upcoming year, fixing the dates for the first six months. Later, around March, we fix the calendar for the second part of the year. All this is decided based on the public holiday schedule and our personal holidays that we usually take in December and January. We take full advantage of the months with more than four weeks to arrange the events and avoid scheduling them during a public holiday or a long weekend.

Do you ask for help (backup hosts or other volunteers) to keep the events going even when you are unavailable?

Shanghai Team: We have a reception team (3–4 volunteers and a photographer) who are fully trained to run the events even if we can’t attend on time, (but that has never been required). Usually we manage to adjust our work and personal schedules to be on time at the events. If anyone of us is busy, traveling, or sick, the team takes over extra tasks to balance this.

Congratulations to Jaime and Catalina, 2017’s winners for the Looking Ahead Honors, as well as our honorable mentions, Marcela Alfaro and Ibsen Avila in Panama City, for leading communities where InterNations members can trust that the “show will go on”, no matter what.

About the Winners:

Jaime and Catalina are a married couple! They joined our Ambassador team in 2010 in Beijing and moved their event-planning-and-hosting powerhouse to Shanghai in 2016. Jaime Medina hails originally from Bogota, Colombia, and has resided in China since 2008. He is an architect, interior designer and mojito expert. Catalina Calin is a fashion designer from Romania. She has been in China since 2009 and is the owner of a school that welcomes any person interested in makeup, fashion, and style.

For the Ambassador who is the ideal host, and truly embodies the spirit of “Nobody Stands Alone”.

2017 Winner: Akinyi Adongo (“Grace”) in Nairobi

2017 Honorable Mention: Sony Jethnani, Mark Blackwell, and Mariko Yoshihara in Jakarta

Why She Won

One of the biggest qualities we look for when choosing Ambassadors is their ability to be a great host to our members. This category was a tough one, since our Ambassadors already are stars at welcoming members. When making the selection for this year’s best host, the Global Awards Jury considered Ambassadors who take it to the next level.

The strongest nominees for this award continually make an effort to be extremely present during their events, both at the entrance and while mingling throughout the night. They take an active role in responding to member questions in person, online, and on the event walls, while also sending updates to the guestlist before events. Furthermore, the electronic check-in process is as smooth as possible with easy-to-find InterNations signs and name tags, no matter how many members show up.

As detailed by one of 2017’s Jury Members:

“If you come to Grace’s events you will never stand alone! Instead, you will get the feeling that Grace has been your best friend for many years. She is very communicative, bubbly and she can always find the best approach to every member. She knows so many people in Nairobi. InterNations members are always looking forward to having lots of fun at her events. She creates an unforgettable experience for the members, making them feel at home abroad and sharing her positive vibe with them. She always has creative ideas on how to make her events special and engaging for everybody, organizing raffles with valuable prizes, introducing new members to the community or taking fun pictures of the members with their country flags. If you know Grace you definitely can’t help but love her!”

Why do you think we chose you as 2017’s Best Host?

Grace: I think it is because it is evident that I really enjoy hosting InterNations events! I love meeting new people and with InterNations I have had the pleasure of fulfilling this hobby.

You really embody the InterNations motto “Nobody Stands Alone”. Do you have any advice for other Ambassadors hoping to strengthen their presence at events?

Grace: Well, for starters welcome as many guests personally as you can. Some of the shyest guests come alone for their first events, and if they feel welcome, they will definitely come again. If you can, pair the shy newcomers with enthusiastic regular members so that they are able to meet new people even when you go back to welcoming other guests.

How has using the Guest List Manager app and the branded event materials (or any other means) helped you to create a memorable entrance at events?

Grace: The best part about the branded materials is that it really helps us stand out. Other international networking events like the Chamber of Commerce events only give out the name tag, while at the entrance of our paid events, we have branded name tags, wristbands, branded tokens, etc. and these make us special in all of Nairobi.

The Guest List Manager is especially useful because sometimes it helps you remember the names of guests who are then extremely happy to be welcomed by their first names. It is something small but I have noticed that it makes a difference. The guest list has also helped us greatly reduce the amount of time guests have to wait before entering the venue.

Congratulations to Grace, 2017’s winner for Best Host, as well as our honorable mentions in Jakarta, Sony Jethnani, Mark Blackwell, and Mariko Yoshihara, for embodying the spirit of this role — being the best host for our members!

About the Winner:

Akinyi (Grace) Adongo was born and raised in Kenya. She has been the Ambassador of the Nairobi Community since 2011, and hosts two monthly events for her community. She is also actively involved in the real estate market in Nairobi.

For a team that consistently receives high event ratings from our new feedback feature as well as lots of positive feedback and comments from our members.

2017 Winners: Liam Crow, Zsofia Vincze, Samira Mojaver, Samineh Mojaver, Adrienn Óbert, and Erika Reich, as well as Newcomers’ Ambassadors Davide Di Fazio and Zita Teimel in Budapest

2017 Honorable Mention: Ahmed Ramadan and Berni Williams in Cairo

Why They Won

The Members’ Choice Award reflects the Ambassadors’ strong connection to our members and how they meet a wide variety of unique expectations and needs based on their particular community. In order to determine this year’s Members’ Choice, we scoured the new feedback feature where members can rate and provide comments after each event. We chose communities with consistently high ratings and who also receive positive responses throughout our platform. We researched photos for smiling faces, excellent setups on event nights, and members who are outspokenly happy about their experience.

This year’s winner was our Budapest team, which consists of an InterNations Official Events Team and a Newcomers’ Team (organizing events specifically for our very newest members).

One of our jury members describes their win best:

“In the rapidly growing Budapest Community, teamwork really makes the dream work! With three events per month, three teams, and two Ambassadors per team, the Budapest team offers unique events, high ratings, great communication, excellent team work, and fabulous photos. And since June 2016, Davide and Zita joined the team as our Newcomers’ Ambassadors, welcoming our newest members and making them feel at home abroad, while also supporting their fellow Ambassadors at the official events.”

In your opinion, what do members seem to appreciate most about your team and your events?

Adrienn: The most important thing that our members appreciate is that we really try to pay attention to them. I personally like to talk to them, notice their name, job or nationality, and listen to them as well. I try to be active in the community’s life: answer the messages and questions, help them in different situations, etc. and I try to participate in the InterNations Newcomers’ and Official Events. I also try to attend some group events, because it is easier to meet and get to know our members when there is not such a big crowd. Another reason why members like us are our events: we try varying the different venues, we regularly come up with some creative themes, and we make our programs a little more diverse and exciting.

What do you do at your events to make the newest members of the InterNations Budapest Community feel welcome?

Davide and Zita (Newcomers’ Ambassadors): We try to create a friendly atmosphere by greeting our attendees at the entrance and having a quick chat with them asking where they come from and how their first impression of Budapest was. Later on, before letting the members mingle with each other, we present InterNations and the Budapest community and ask the members to say a few words about themselves to break the ice and get to know the rest of the group. The venue we choose and their staff also plays an important role : their smile and hospitality helps the newcomers to feel welcome.

What is some of the best feedback you’ve received from our newest members in Budapest?

Davide and Zita (Newcomers’ Ambassadors): We have received positive feedback about our welcoming attitude and the help we offer in providing information about the community and information about the city. But our most valued feedback is to see the attendees coming back to the Newcomers’ Event on several occasions, and also to see them active and attending InterNations events.

What is some of the best feedback you’ve received from more established members?

Adrienn: The best feedback is when I receive a “thanks for organizing” message the next day, or when people come to me before they leave just to be thankful. That’s the best sign of recognition, I guess.

Erika: We get it personally, sometimes they come to us and show how grateful they are and what a good job we did. It feels good!

Samira: I always listen to feedback and try to use it for my future events and it helped me a lot. Members have also thanked me many times because of my efforts to make events more interesting with new ideas like adding fashion shows or raffle prizes or special themes. Basically, I enjoy organizing events a lot and it shows, and I’m very happy to be a part of the InterNations Budapest Community.

Congratulations to our Budapest Team for being 2017’s winners for the Members’ Choice Awards, as well as our honorable mentions in Cairo, Ahmed Ramadan and Berni Williams. The greatest compliment you can get is appreciative and happy members!

About the Winners:

Sister duo, Samira Mojaver and Samineh Mojaver (Iran), organize the first of three official events per month. Memorable events include their annual luxurious billionaires’ party and hot summer Cuban event.

Adrienn Óbert and Erika Reich (Hungary) organize the second monthly event and are the queens of the theme parties, hosting various dress-up events including a masquerade ball, Halloween party, and red event.

Our longest serving Ambassadors in Budapest, Liam Crow (USA) and Zsofia Vincze (Romania), host the final official event of the month, which are always a grand affair.

Davide Di Fazio (Italy) and Zita Teimel (Hungary) are Budapest’s dedicated Newcomers’ Ambassadors, making our newest members feel welcome. At their monthly events, newcomers have the opportunity to get to know more about InterNations and to meet other like-minded newbies.

A special shout out goes to resident event photographer Wolfgang Frenz, Consul of the Budapest Photography Group, for documenting these special nights in the Hungarian capital.

Awarded to an Ambassador team that exhibits outstanding teamwork and collaboration.

2017 Winners: Elsa Kamberi, Shiv Anand, and Marco Iachello in Eindhoven

2017 Honorable Mention: Randall Birnberg and Marcus Coats in Aachen

Why They Won

The majority of InterNations Official Events are led by a team of Ambassadors, not just one individual. Some of our teams work together on all events, and others host events on a rotating schedule. In 2017, we searched our 390 communities for teams who are committed to collaboration — either organizing events as a single unit or very fluidly as individuals within the greater team.

The teams who were nominated work together and inspire one another to support the InterNations mission and their local community. These teams combined individual skills to strengthen their unit while working towards a common goal. They make key decisions as a single unit, collaborate and brainstorm on new ideas, and make sure every voice on the team is heard.

This year’s winner was our Eindhoven Ambassador team, and one of our Jury members explains why:

“This team was put together only eight months ago and within this time, they have gotten stronger and stronger with each event. Not only do they work excellently together, coordinating seamlessly with one another and HQ, they also all bring an area of expertise to the events that they organize. Elsa, being the most long-term Ambassador, provides the team with years of community knowledge, Shiv is the entrepreneur of the team and provides excellent negotiating skills, while Marco is bursting with creativity — he recently inspired the team to organize a charity event in December. Elsa, Shiv and Marco are amazing individuals and together organize truly great events. They have excellent attention to detail — so you really get a sense for their passion!”

In your opinion, what it the key ingredient for being a good team player?

Marco: Share a common goal and be willing to support each other when needed.

Shiv: T E A M — Together Everyone Achieves More. From my experience of leading teams and divisions in my past roles as team leader, client manager, business development manager, and as an Ambassador, I can confidently say that good team players are the backbone of any team and organization. When others fail, these are the people who venture on with strong resolve and persistence, committed to getting the job done. In fact, good team players sport all kinds of personalities. You just need to be an active participant and do more than your responsibilities. Put the team’s objectives above your own and take the initiative to get things done without waiting to be asked. In return, you will build positive perception, gain more visibility, and develop influential connections to become a leader.

Do you have a piece of advice for other teams who organize and host events together each month?

Elsa: Depend on each other and cooperate with each other in order to accomplish the same goals and apply individual skills and creativity of the members which benefit to the overall team productivity. Provide transparent feedback to each other and act united based on received feedback to improve, which subsequently leads to the satisfaction of the targeted group.

Marco: Organizing events takes time, so it is essential to share tasks within the team. Ask yourself the following questions before organizing an event: Who is your target audience? What would they love? How can you surprise them?

Congratulations to the Eindhoven team for being 2017’s Teamwork Circle of Excellence, as well as our honorable mention, Randall Birnberg and Marcus Coats in Aachen. We applaud your collaborative spirit and look to you as shining examples of what it means to be a team!

About the Winners: 

Shiv Anand is originally from India but has spent time living in Singapore, Sydney, the UK, and now the Netherlands. He became an InterNations Eindhoven Ambassador in July 2017 where he organizes monthly events with his fellow Co-Ambassadors, and from time to time attends events in neighboring cities.

Elsa Kamberi is from Albania and has been an Ambassador since July 2012. So far, she has organized a total of 66 official events. She likes meeting people from different cultures and the idea of bringing them together each month.

Marco Iachello was born in Syracuse, Italy and works as a Design Engineer in Eindhoven. He is passionate about organizing social events, so much that he is also responsible for organizing team building events, corporate outings, and farewell dinners for his company in addition to the monthly events he hosts as an InterNations Eindhoven Ambassador.