One of DMC's favorite traditions involves taking a "day off" from our regular tasks. DMC Chicago recently held another ADCM, or All Day Company Meeting. This event allows us to spend time team building, having fun, and sharing knowledge through an ever-changing agenda of fun, learning, or volunteering. We've tried out everything from WhirlyBall to ice skating to boating in Lake Michigan.
A few years ago, our ADCM was Ferris Bueller-themed for DMC's Day Off. We decided it was time to have another of these Ferris Bueller's Day Off-themed ADCMs for all of our office locations (except for Houston, who assisted with hurricane relief). Everyone spent the day acting like tourists in their own city, exploring places that some had never visited.
What's Going On Here?
Chicago's ADCM started off early with big breakfast in the office. Everyone enjoyed their coffee, bagels, fruit, and pastries in our main conference room. The day's activities were kept secret from all our employees. Without revealing what exactly we would be doing, breakfast also included very vague instructions on what everyone needed to do to begin the day.
What Would Ferris Do?
After breakfast was complete, we boarded two charter buses and headed north to our first destination.
Eager and giddy with excitement, everyone tried to guess what our first activity could possibly be. We finally arrived and it was revealed that would be taking a tour of Wrigley Field, home of the 2016 World Series Champions!
We learned the history of the Chicago Cubs and were even lucky enough to walk on the field! It was also a meaningful experience for our die-hard Cubs fans in the office.
"Through the first 22 years of my life, I wished on every birthday candle, every eyelash, every shooting star for a Cubs World Series Championship. All of those wishes came true on November 2, 2016 when the Cubs beat the Indians in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.
"Since that day last fall, I have questioned what I should be wishing for now--Another ring? A fear-inducing bullpen? For Anthony Rizzo to leave his fiancé for me? But it was made clear to me on the morning of the ADCM what I should have been dreaming about for the last 10 months--an opportunity to explore Wrigley Field uninterrupted by the chaos of a game.
"Seeing the field from a million different angles, taking in the beauty of the ivy, standing on the field, and learning a ton about Cubs and Wrigley Field history was an amazing experience that I definitely will never forget."
- Emily Shanker
Into the Wild
We boarded the buses again and headed to our next activity: the Lincoln Park Zoo! Everyone walked freely through the park, taking in all of the exotic animals. I felt like we were all kids again on a class field trip, ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the lions, polar bears, and giraffes.
The sea lions made us wish we could jump in with them!
After saying hello to as many critters as we could, we met up at the Ulysses S. Grant Monument in Lincoln Park and had a very relaxed picnic lunch. We lounged in the park until it was time to head to our next destination.
Finding Ferris' Favorite Art
Our next activity was at the Art Institute of Chicago, where everyone was broken up into teams for a scavenger hunt! The scavenger hunt included tracking down a variety of paintings, re-enacting scenes from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and drawing Picasso-esque portraits of one another.
The other patrons at the Art Institute may have wondered why we were striking so many strange poses, but they were great sports and we had a lot of fun!
I don't think anyone will be challenging Picasso's artistic place in history, but we ended up with some amazing and inspired portraits of DMC employees in the style of Picasso. Can you tell who is who?
The museum asks that you not climb the Lions, but these big cats don't bite, so we cozied up for another group photo.
It wouldn't have been a true Chicago experience without taking the obligatory picture in front of The Bean aka Cloud Gate! It may not have been around when Ferris was skipping school, but we think he would have made a stop there if he could have.
Back to Work
We ended the day back at the office with our customary happy hour on our rooftop deck. Overall, it was a fantastic "day off" allowing us to get to know our wonderful city of Chicago better as well as each other. Like Ferris said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
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