For the third time in a row, a New Year’s After Work Party was organised by the BENEO party committee mid-January for our colleagues in Belgium. The weather gods were not kind to us, as colleagues had to make their way through snow and icy roads to get to one of our favourite locations in Tienen: the Slagershof. But once there, only good vibes and smiley faces!
Following tradition, we started off with a walking dinner and some drinks to prepare ourselves for what was about to come: entertainment with live music by BENEO colleagues, followed by a party with the resident DJ of Slagershof.
The first performing band was last year’s new sensation: the Foo Fibres. Founded last year, the Foo Fibres are a dynamic cover band, compromised of BENEO colleagues only. Unfortunately, one of the band members, Pieter Caspers (Sales) could not make it, so Jo Ruysen (Corporate Communication) took over the vocal lead & guitar, accompanied by Robbe De Man (Sales) on the bass guitar. This charismatic and skilful duo, dressed in matching shirts for the occasion, captivated the audience with their great performance of different well-known songs in English and Dutch. And, charismatic as they both are, they even managed to convince three non-musical talents from the Marketing department (Charlotte, Anka & myself) to act as backing vocals/dancers for the Friends theme song “I’ll be there for you”, bringing an extra touch of “entertainment” to the stage. A big thanks to the supportive crowd for their enthusiasm! 😉
Then it was time for NINA, an amazing Anouk Tribute Band, consisting of 5 experienced rockers: a singer, a drummer, a guitarist, a keyboard player, and our colleague Jan Van den Akker (Procurement Manager) on the bass guitar. They delivered a powerful performance, covering the biggest hits and some less known gems of Anouk, the iconic Dutch rock singer. The band impressively recreated Anouk’s sound and energy of both rock anthems and soulful ballads, leaving the audience in awe.
The professional musical setting seamlessly transitioned to a lively party space as the evening unfolded. In my opinion, the organizers struck a perfect balance between creating a relaxed atmosphere for networking and infusing the night with the energy needed for a party! Thanks to everyone who made this possible!
Would you like to see more impressions? Then watch our video.