Every September, the Ecomatters team takes a short break from the daily routine to spend some quality time together outside the office. This annual outing is all about connecting on a more personal level and getting to know each other beyond projects, meetings, and deadlines. Over the years, we’ve stayed in all sorts of unique places, from a castle in Belgium to a farm on Texel, a boat in Rotterdam, and a country house in Leeuwarden. This year, our adventure took us to Volendam, a picturesque setting that brought a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere to our days together.
In this article, our newest Sustainability Consultant Gudo Wisselo takes us through each day of the event and shares his personal experience and insights from his first trip away with the team.
Day 1
At the end of the workday, we headed to the Hotel Old Dutch in Volendam. As the name suggests, traditional Dutch dishes were served — including, of course, classic Volendam fish dishes. The dinner was a cheerful start to the trip. After the meal, we went for an evening walk along the Markermeer to get some fresh air and unwind.
Day 2
The day began with a good breakfast at the hotel, after which we all made our way to the quarterly meeting. We looked back at the past year and shared our outlook for the year ahead. After that, we moved on to presentations about our personal strengths, based on the Gallup StrengthsFinder.
The day continued with a Volendam tradition, a group photo in traditional Volendammer costume of course! This made for a hilarious sight. We then took the ferry to Marken, where a guide gave us a tour of the island’s history. With a few free hours left we walked to see the Paard van Marken (a picturesque lighthouse), which turned into a bit of a race against the clock (and the wind), but we made it back just in time for the last ferry back to Volendam. The pictures could easily be printed on postcards. It was then time for dinner at a local tapas restaurant. A special thanks go to our colleagues Maria, Maria and Jennifer for organising such delicious food spots!
Day 3
On the third day, we visited DOPS in Alkmaar, a start-up working on Direct Carbon Immobilization (DCI™) — a technology that converts waste and biomass into products like syngas and sequestered carbon. We received an in-depth presentation about the technology, the background of DOPS, and a tour of the pilot plant. Ecomatters also gave a presentation about our own work. After the visit, we continued to Uitgeest for lunch before heading home.
Gudo’s experience
I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from the yearly event or what it would be like to spend three full days with all my colleagues. But the time flew by, and I really enjoyed it. I had conversations with colleagues I hadn’t spoken to much before. It was a great way to get to know my coworkers from a different perspective. What I liked most was the mix of humour and more serious conversations.
I also found the StrengthsFinder presentations very valuable, because they gave me a quick impression of everyone’s strengths, but more importantly, how they view and interpret them themselves. It was my first time doing this, and I may have taken it a bit more seriously than others. Besides being entertaining, it was a great way to get to know each other better, as everyone brought their own perspective to the table. Several colleagues also connected their strengths to their private lives, which led to interesting and sometimes funny insights. Even though I was born and raised in the Netherlands, I had never been to Volendam or Marken, so it was fun to finally visit these places.
The visit to DOPS was also very interesting and educational. The combination of clear explanations, solid evidence, and above all, the passion and drive of the people involved really strengthened my understand of and appreciation for the technology. It also provided insight into the broader functioning of our society and how people are trying to tackle the challenges they face.
I look back on the event with a good feeling and noticed that, after the weekend, I returned to work feeling more connected to the team, mainly because of the new conversations I had with colleagues. That’s exactly the purpose of the event, so: mission accomplished!
Interested in joing the Ecomatters team? Check out our careers page.
