My Life Today: The Summer Gathering of a Nano Multinational Company
AdaCore 2017 Summer Gathering
I was back in New York City last Wednesday evening, after spending three days at the "Summer Gathering" of the company I work for, AdaCore.
This Summer Gathering has occurred every year at the end of August, for the last 20 years, alternatively on the East Coast of the USA and In Europe, most of the time in France.
This year, the Summer Gathering was in the US, in an hotel on the Long Island Sound, Glen Cove Mansion.
![01-glen_cove_mansion.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmRN6U5xPoDRkvHwv3tDdoie5wzqcGQZosqFo3UDGybMHt/01-glen_cove_mansion.png)
Glen Cove Mansion
As I said before, AdaCore is a "nano multinational" company. People working for AdaCore have citizenships from many nations (USA, France, Germany, UK, Canada, Australia, Spain, Russia, Bulgaria, Peru, Romania, ...) and live in many countries.
For example, we have a contingent of Russians, that live in Russia and in France, that we sometimes call jokingly our "Russian Mafia".
![02-russian_mafia.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbmJ1dmC5djAHPTS8TcPp3okfb6zXkWaAh5kWSiGRkiYM/02-russian_mafia.png)
Fedor and his father Sergey, from our Russian Mafia
Many engineers working for AdaCore, including myself, work remotely, either in their country of birth or where they emigrated. For example, we are two French guys in British Columbia, Canada, and there is another French in Madrid, Spain, and a German in Seoul, South Korea.
In France, the main office is in Paris, and there are people working in three other cities: Toulouse, Grenoble and Vannes.
In the US, the two main offices are in New York City and Boston, and there are people working in several different sates: Washington, California, Texas, Florida, DC.
Even if we communicate extensively and we congregate several times during the year in New York City, there is a need to have the whole company together once a year at the Summer Gathering.
So, this year, we took buses from the company office in New York on Sunday afternoon and came back to New York City on Wednesday evening.
During the 3 days of the Summer Gathering, we had full company presentations in the morning, most of them only 20 minute long.
![03-sg_big_meating.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmSWCw76tdr11ZgxZJj1WSUtYPHyDGnHFkZyRtrCSKTmZU/03-sg_big_meating.png)
Full Company Meeting
And in the afternoon, we had "Self-Organized" meetings on different subjects in smaller meeting rooms.
![04-sg_small_meeting.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWgRqv7Dnm2ZUWCsuFfKEHijM6DTUbmG7YTFGVEtzTgbD/04-sg_small_meeting.png)
For very small groups, some meetings were taking place outside.
![05-sg_outside_meeting.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmTa7AMGCqm38FnQKmzaDX3PnH5D5w6AeRWH7BB7KtAMs8/05-sg_outside_meeting.png)
And, of course, there were many opportunities for socializing, mostly during meals.
![06-sg_meal.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTdB9NncEeXQPmEwhpmLLKJGSGHMv1653Arot2F6iE4hE/06-sg_meal.png)
Every year, at the Summer Gathering, we take a company picture. We have a professional photographer that works for the company; he lives in an island off the coast of Washington state.
![07-adacore_2017_group_picture.png](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://steemitimages.com/DQmSRXy3Q4LYBu8YhLJgrFtRYuJe7nbSCieuEJwP8g164hW/07-adacore_2017_group_picture.png)
Company Picture at the 2017 Summer Gathering
On this picture, the CEO is the first on the left, the president is the second from the right on the first row on people sitting.
And I am the one with the hat, sixth from the left on the first row, between a Bulgarian living in New York City and a Russian living in Moscow.
After the Summer Gathering, I stayed two more days at the office in New York and came back to British Columbia Friday night, ready to work from there tomorrow Monday.
Interesting read @vcelier- have followed you and upvoted the post. Thank you for your support on my video on the beautiful dancer MicciT. Working hard to get them to join Steemit
Must be interesting to be working for an International company. Lots of traveling, learning other countries culture, get to visit countries each year when the company hold their annual Summer gathering. Sounds like you have a great career. Keep up the good work and enjoy every summer gathering and the work you are doing now. Good memories for you to recall later on with many stories to tell.
Thanks
@jackpot
Maaan, what a lifestyle. You really made some good choices! Thanks for the support, much appreciated!
Looks like a great organization to work for. I think all organizations will end up being like this. Sending you good vibes from Toronto 👍
I love to read stories like this and I admire so much companies like this. Remote working is probably the only way people can acess genuine opportunities without being limited by where they are from or where they live
Then, you must have read the book Remote: Office Not Required, from the founders of 37signals (now Basecamp).
If not, then go buy this book today!
I haven't read it , would check it out immediately. Thanks
What an interesting job you have with an amazing multinational company! I love the idea of the Summer Gathering. This is a unique organization. No wonder they don't have much turn over in staffing.
Well, that's a cool gathering! 😏 Did those Russian guys have some kind of mafia behavior? 😁
No, of course not. But they tend to socialize between themselves as they don't meet in Russia. Except of course Сергей and Федор that are father and son.
Very cool!
Can we get the father/son to take out some of the other teams??
(Steem-pocalypse joke)
that looks like a very good company to work. the worker scatter around the world.
that must be very nice to get together once a year. an anticipated event i think.
Yes, it is a very good company to work with. The turnover is very low.
And yes, we like to get together every year at the Summer Gathering.
Your company sounds great to work for. So many interesting people gathered together. You guys must have a good time during summer gatherings. Maybe I should have worked in such company instead of freelancing all my life... or maybe I am just about the right age to start now? :D
And yes, thank you for your ongoing support! The difference is really visible when you read my article. Much obliged.