Unity was at the core of this year’s company Boot Camp. Operating with a hybrid working model, TOPOSOPHY has an international team of both in-house and remote staff, many of whom had only met each other from behind a screen. The Boot Camp was the perfect opportunity to bridge that gap and give a warm welcome to the toposophers who flew in specially for the gathering. This was a truly special occasion as it allowed colleagues who had been connecting through screens and emails to finally meet face-to-face, sharing smiles, stories, and experiences. It set the stage for the priceless experiences that awaited us during the Boot Camp.

The TOPOSOPHY office in Athens served as the perfect backdrop for the three-day event. This was more than simply a venue: it’s a hub for fostering innovation, sparking inspiration, and enabling exploration on a daily basis. Our brand-new office, dotted with touches of Common Ground artwork and equipped with collaborative spaces, was designed with everything needed to evoke productivity and smooth workflows. Being in Athens, a city steeped in history and culture, undoubtedly added an extra layer of inspiration to the Boot Camp.

The aim of our Boot Camp was to harness the collective potential and expertise of our team to chart our course moving forward as an international placemaking agency. This was achieved through presentations, huddles, break-out sessions, and much more. During our ‘legacy lounge’ session, we journeyed through 13 years of TOPOSOPHY to reminisce about key highlights from the company’s inception up until now, led by the CEO of TOPOSOPHY, Manolis Psarros. The Boot Camp was an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of both our veteran team members and newcomers, honour outstanding work with awards, and conduct our annual performance reviews to get an accurate snapshot of the past year at TOPOSOPHY.

Throughout the Boot Camp, our project managers took the floor and shared their annual presentations with the whole team in order to know where we stand as a company and the direction we’re headed in. Brand designer Ilia Lalagkou shared her vision for TOPOSOPHY’s new brand identity, Content Strategist, Tatevik Kyurkchyan helped navigate the ever-evolving content landscape, and our Head of Insights, Peter Jordan, helped us map the latest trends in placemaking. Finally, we regrouped into break-out sessions during which our Marketing & Events and Strategy & Research teams each summed up their successes and challenges of the past year, led by Semina Sarantopoulou and Chris Armstrong. 

Our visit to the historic Arsakeio Megaron building, soon to be reborn as Athens' first Food Hall, marked the perfect conclusion to our Boot Camp. It provided a tangible glimpse into TOPOSOPHY's promising future as we envisioned how the blueprint would soon come to life.

While our team was fully dedicated to the rigorous work and collaborative sessions during the Boot Camp, we also recognised the importance of a balanced and enjoyable atmosphere both within and outside the workspace. Beyond the brainstorming and strategic planning sessions, we made sure there was time for team members to unwind, connect, and spend time together. Whether it was an impromptu discussion in our break room, a round of table football and tennis, or relaxed conversations around the dinner table, these moments were essential in strengthening our connections with one another.