It all began with an idea

About three years ago, just for fun, we at HR Campus decided to organise an Open Air Festival. Just because we felt like it. With all the trimmings: cool bands, sleeping in tents, mud and whatever else it takes. As a company, we're great at executing HR projects. But an Open Air Festival? Not quite in the same league. But with the help of a pig franchising entrepreneur and a crazy technology freak, we were in good shape.

We had to possess our souls in patience for a bit longer than we wished because the last two years were the way they were. And then the preparation week turned out to be more chaotic than we would have liked. After 3 (!) storms in succession during set-up, we more or less had the whole concept wrapped up. And when the Festival opened, we had a fair bit more of the mud factor than we wanted. Which came as a surprise, in this summer at least.

Absolutely unforgettable

The preparations were a load of work, a load of stress and a load of fun. And all the effort was forgotten when the entire company, families and all, sang along to "Charlotta" with the band Hecht against the backdrop of a kitschy sunset. With a rainbow on the horizon into the bargain. That was the one moment we had been working towards for so long, when everything came together. A moment with no before and no after.

The Open Air Festival was an absolute highlight, an unforgettable occasion for many: a bit like Christmas, a wedding and a "Tote Hosen" punk rock concert rolled into one.

The big question "why?"

Of course, you may wonder why companies would stage weddings aka open air festivals. The answer could no doubt be backed up with all kinds of rational arguments. However, I'd be far more inclined to ask: "Why not?" Why would I work in a company where an office party doesn't feel like a family party? Why would I work with colleagues that I wouldn't want to marry? Or why shouldn't I at least work with colleagues that I enjoy spending time with? And why would I work at a place where you can't get really noisy once in a while?

Who knows: maybe the job profile for HR professionals of the future will include a sentence along the lines of: "Great at running medium-sized open air festivals". Recently emerging job titles like "Head of People and Culture" aren't a million miles away from that, at least.