Wise
Written by Ian Ng, Founder
The Quiet Art of Reward: Making Seven Feel Like Seventy
Event Blueprint
- Client: Wise Singapore
- Guest Count: 7 Esteemed Colleagues
- Purpose: Monday Night Team Engagement
- Date: September 2024
- Location: Wise’ Main Office Atrium, PLQ
- The Wine: Our Exclusively Imported Yarra Valley Wines
The Opening Scene
We believe that connection is not measured in guest count, but in the depth of shared laughter. For Wise, this meant transforming a routine Monday evening into a warm celebration of their small team’s dedication.
For Yuan, a dedicated team lead at Wise, the start of a new quarter required more than just new Key Performance Indicators. It needed a new spirit. He sought to gift his small team a moment that was thoughtful, personal, and profoundly theirs. Finding us through a feature on Tatler Singapore, his brief was a graceful invitation: an after-hours on-site session, held within a modest budget, yet entirely removed from the predictable formality of a typical team dinner.
The Core Challenge
The challenge was not one of complexity, but of commitment. Could a small team, on a modest budget, secure an experience that truly felt premium? Could we, with just seven days’ notice, deliver the same level of assured quality we are known for? The fear was that the session would feel like a compromise, failing to be the relaxed, memorable moment of genuine connection Yuan desired for his people.
The Unspoken Need
The deep, Unspoken Need was to signal value and sanctuary. Yuan sought a safe space for his team to step away from the daily rigors and reconnect as people, not just colleagues. He needed the evening to foster an environment where trust felt implicit, allowing for the kind of relaxed conversation that carries through into future projects—the kind of trust that unlocks fresh ideas and deeper loyalty.
Our Curated Response
For Simplicity Wines, the size of the room is irrelevant; the quality of the experience is sacred. Despite having another commitment earlier that same day, we coordinated the logistics with quiet precision, ensuring the Wise session received our complete, undivided attention.
We did not cut corners. The curation, the founder-led narrative, and the meticulous care were exactly the same as for a room of fifty guests. We believe firmly that the size of the investment never dictates the quality of the care.
As our founder muses:
“The most thoughtful hospitality is often unseen. We carry the burden of the logistics so that our clients—especially those with smaller, more intimate needs—can simply arrive, relax, and enjoy the sunset glow of their own conversation.”
The Evening Unfolds
Held right in the heart of their own office on a Monday, the session unfolded with an intimate, warm glow. The atmosphere was immediately and profoundly genuine. The team, fully relaxed, brought their own thoughtful selection of cheeses, and we embraced the opportunity. Improvising right there, we turned the tasting into a collaborative, spontaneous moment of discovery, pairing the wines with their food. It became an act of shared co-creation. The gentle clink of glasses gave way to laughter that grew louder, and work talk dissolved into conversations that truly mattered.
The Lasting Impression
The results were measured not in spreadsheets, but in the quiet, profound shift in team dynamic. Yuan and his team left with the kind of energy that breathes new life into a collaborative effort.
A team member captured the evening perfectly, sharing:
“Professional, knowledgeable, and funny. Ian made the session really easy to follow and to understand. Thanks a lot, I’ve become 1% wiser and more interesting.”
Even more meaningful was the quiet ripple effect: the new sense of safety sparked ideas and conversations, leading a teammate to suggest new activities directly to Yuan—a clear sign that the evening had successfully fostered a precious environment of shared trust.
A Philosophy Shared
This event stands as a tender reminder of one of our most treasured beliefs: Every team, no matter how small or how lean their budget, deserves moments that feel significant. We are in the business of connection, and sometimes, the most resonant and meaningful memories are made not in grand ballrooms, but in the close, assuring comfort of the smallest, warmest rooms.
Your Next Chapter
If you are a team leader, a founder, or a visionary in a startup who believes that your people are your greatest asset, you do not have to wait until you are “big enough” to reward them. We are ready to meet you where you are—in your office, after hours, with your people. Let us help you craft a moment of quiet, confident reward that reinforces loyalty and kindles the kind of connection that truly lasts. Let’s Connect to design your next favourite memory.
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