Ignite’s 2017 Highlight Reel

Wow, the older we get (we’re 10 now!) and the more fun we have, the faster time seems to fly by. It seems like just a few months ago that we ushered in 2017, but it’s really almost over. Not for naught, though, because there’s been more than a little to look back on fondly in 2017. In fact, we think it’s safe to say that 2017 might have been one of our best years yet. For everyone out there who would like to relive vicariously all of our fun and festivities, here’s Ignite’s 2017 highlight reel.

Mardi Gras

We brought in beads and banners, pączkis and punch, and had ourselves a Fat Tuesday to remember. While some folks might still be reeling from the indulgences of last year’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations, we at Ignite are always ready for a good (or even decent) reason to treat ourselves to something sweet.

St. Patrick’s Day

It wasn’t long after Mardi Gras that we shed our beads and donned our shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day! We were all as lucky as the Irish to be at Ignite when the green beer began flowing. And while it was certainly a festive day, we all managed to employ moderation (at least until we left the office for the day).

Mystery Trip to Paris

Perhaps the most exhilarating time of any year at Ignite is when the annual Mystery Trip is announced. Just a date at first, but then gradually, clue by clue, we began to crystalize our guesses for where the agency might wind up this year. When we got to the airport, packed for a trip we knew nothing about, anticipation and excitement were at an all-time high. Envelopes containing our destination were handed out and then we braced ourselves for the moment of truth. Three, two, one… Our eyes frantically scanned the pages, too eager to lock on and absorb the text, but there, magnificently, on the front page of our dossier, stood the Eiffel Tower. We were going to Paris!

The flight was long (roughly eight hours), and some of us made better use of the complimentary in flight libations than others. The customs line was seemingly endless, but, sleep-deprived and overcome with excitement, we braved it, for over two hours, and then, finally, we were officially in France. The next 72 hours were a fantastical blur of rosé, cheese, centuries-old architecture, and incomprehensible French, but it was, perhaps, the best 72 hours of our lives. From the depths of the catacombs to the tip-top of the Eiffel tower, we condensed a full, rich, inspiring tour of this world-class city into a single three-day weekend in Paris, and it was simply marvelous.

Ignite’s 10th Anniversary

Just a couple months after returning from France, our agency celebrated its tenth anniversary. Finally hitting double digits was significant enough that we decided we ought to make a big deal about it, so we ate a little cake, shared a few of our favorite memories of the past decade, and published a few white papers highlighting the not-insignificant shifts in the social media landscape between 2007 and 2017. All in all, it was a wonderful milestone to add to an already splendid year, and gave us all the inspiration to push for a second decade even better than the first.

Michigan Office Gets Darts

Nerf darts had been something of a tradition down in our North Carolina office, but for whatever reason, they just hadn’t made it up to our Michigan office. That is, until CEO Jim Tobin (arguably the single biggest proponent of the darts down in NC) paid the folks in MI a visit just a couple months ago. He said, upon leaving, that there’d be a surprise package arriving in the next few days, and, sure enough, our first (but certainly not last) box of dangerously fun darts had arrived. Now, already on box number two, it seems that Jim’s gift of the darts was the gift that keeps on giving, as it’s become the standard afternoon stress reliever in our Michigan office.

Friendsgiving

Another month of business as usual would pass before we had an excuse to doll up the offices (and ourselves), make some delicious food, and share it, as well as all we were thankful for, during our annual agency Friendsgiving. We ate, we drank, we laughed, (but this year we managed to keep it together, so no one cried), and it was an invaluable moment to slow down, acknowledge the things we so often take for granted, and appreciate just how fortunate each of us is to work for Ignite. And did we mention the delicious food?!

Holiday Parties

Before we take some much needed time off, to be with our friends and families between Christmas and New Year’s, we got together for one more agency highlight in 2017. Although it didn’t seem like a full year had passed since our last agency holiday party, there was certainly a year’s worth of wonderful memories, achievements and adventures to show for it. This year’s holiday party was no exception to the overall 2017 trend of awesomeness at Ignite. Preceded, as tradition mandates, by our agency Sneaky Santa gift exchange, the day just continued to rise toward a crescendo of decadent food and much merry making (all of which was wrapped in ugly holiday sweaters, per the theme of this year’s festivities).

To look back on a great year like 2017, we can’t help but wonder how we ever got so lucky as to work at the premier social media agency in the country, and to work with such an amazing bunch of kind and talented people. We can only hope that 2018 is even better, but, to be fair, we’ve set the bar pretty high for ourselves with our 2017. Thanks for coming along on this highlight reel with us of a year in the life of Ignite Social Media!



Ignite Social Media