The celebrations might be over, but the memories will last forever. With close to 60,000 people coming together to celebrate on 7 October and beyond, we are so excited to welcome InterNations to the double digit-club, and to see what the next decade brings. But first, let’s take a look at some of the highlights from a handful of InterNations communities who took part in the festivities.
The Ambassador Team in Buenos Aires brought their community together at a sophisticated high-end venue in the city, hosting a fancy party to celebrate the anniversary. Complete with a buffet, champagne on arrival, cocktails throughout the night, and, of course, a delectable birthday cake, the night was one to remember.
The Ambassador Team used this opportunity to not only celebrate ten years of InterNations, but also to honour the wonderful and diverse circle of friends that is InterNations Buenos Aires. The night was such a blast that the Ambassadors are already making plans for next year’s birthday bash.
In Casablanca, over 200 people came along to celebrate this momentous milestone, enjoying drinks by the pool and hitting the dance floor. The Ambassador Team organized free tapas and beverages, a special photo booth, and two DJs to pump up the party. With a singing contest also squeezed in as part of the festivities, the Casablanca celebration was a delight for all of the senses, even drawing members who travelled from their neighbouring community, Rabat, to take part.
The Johannesburg Community toasted to InterNations and danced the night away in a private lounge at a trendy, rock ‘n’ roll-themed venue. Special InterNations balloons decorated the party, and spirits were high amongst the one hundred guests, as they chatted, partied, and rocked out on the dancefloor.
The Nairobi Ambassadors took their celebrations sky-high, hosting a rooftop party at one of the city’s most popular hotels. A red carpet was rolled out, and a photographer snapped pictures of guests with their flag from their home country. With 62 different flags in total, the Nairobi event celebrated the diversity of their members, and the rich and vibrant InterNations family that they are all a part of. Fitting the 10th anniversary theme, the Ambassador Team organized a business card raffle, where ten lucky members each won a bottle of wine.
With Italy renowned for style and good taste, we were not surprised to see the Ambassador Team in Rome secure a royal palace to host their exclusive black tie celebration. Complete with a buffet dinner, as well as an open bar of wine and prosecco, guests were in top form to bust out their elegant moves on the classy dance floor.
From a castle to a cafeteria, our most northern community in Norway, Trondheim, did something quite different to mark InterNations 10th anniversary. The Ambassador Team brought the Trondheim community together over a potluck in a local canteen, celebrating diversity by inviting guests to bring a dish from their home country. As one of our smaller communities, the close group of international friends toasted over a banquet of tantalizing finger foods, snacks, and sweets; a delightful celebration for the tastebuds!
Who said you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? The Vancouver Ambassador Team ensured that there was plenty of cake to go around, lighting up several cakes and leading the crowd as they all sang Happy Birthday together! Once speeches were made and the birthday candles were blown out, guests worked off their cake calories on the dance floor.
We want to thank everyone who made the first ten years of InterNations so memorable, and here’s to many more years of crossing borders, bridging cultures, and connecting global minds!
Why don’t you take a look at the photo album of your community’s anniversary event and add your own pictures to the mix? Some members also showed us how they celebrated in our #InterNationsTurns10 Instagram Contest. Be sure to take a look!
Lisa Stelling works in the Community Management team here at InterNations. After growing up in faraway Australia, Lisa has come to Munich to be with her German boyfriend and immerse herself in the land of Dirndls, Lederhosen, and Bier!
Be it summer or winter, we love to see our members build new friendships and foster existing ones. Since 30 July is the International Day of Friendship, this is the perfect opportunity to take a look at the many ways our events and activities bring expats and global minds together.
We have already started cracking out the bunting and the birthday cake for InterNations tenth anniversary this September and October. Let’s take a look at some of the best upcoming celebrations from our communities that we can look forward to this Autumn.
In her Tokyo Changemakers Group, Ayako likes to combine hiking activities, beach clean-ups, and movie nights with raising money for a good cause. Expats and global minds have the opportunity to escape the bustling city and give something back to their community.
Since Caroline joined the Rio de Janeiro Changemakers, there has been a flurry of social activities in the community, with locals and expats coming together to make a difference in the lives of local children. Caroline describes her experience and gives advice for anyone wishing to get involved.