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10 Things We're Looking Forward to at 401 Park Ave South

Mary Grace Scully
Mary Grace Scully
Updated: Feb. 16, 2022
Published: May. 28, 2020

Even though virtual happy hours have replaced celebrations in our Salon Room, and instead of “Escape Room” evening events, we are just eager to escape our homes for fresh air, we can’t help but look back on some of the fond memories we’ve made with our teammates from Simulmedia’s headquarters on Park Avenue.

For those of you missing our 11th floor and all of its intricacies that make it feel more like a community than a workplace - from the yoga ball chairs and ping pong tables to the cold brew tap - we hope these memories remind you of how much there is to look forward to once our doors can safely reopen.

And for those of you wondering what it’s like to work at a decade-old company that has maintained its start-up enthusiasm, here’s a glimpse into life at Simulmedia and what makes it so special and worth missing.

1. Becoming amateur food critics

Ilire Vucetaj, Human Resources & Office Operations Manager Twice a year, I pick out a neighborhood in NY for all of Simulmedia’s employees to Dine Around in. Several restaurants in that neighborhood then host 6-10 Simulmedians randomly grouped together from different departments. Everyone enjoys a delicious meal and gets to chat with colleagues they may not have the opportunity to spend time with otherwise.

Afterwards, all the groups meet up at a nearby bar for drinks and talk about where they ate and the fun conversations they had.

Our most recent Dine Around was in The Meatpacking District - some groups were sent to trendy bistros, others to NYC staple restaurants, all were full from food and fun by the end of the night. After all the planning involved, it is always super gratifying to see everyone enjoying themselves, as well as getting to connect with coworkers.

Colleagues dining around in New York.

2. Like-minded, passionate people

Adam Quinn, VP of Sales I miss the line of people from other offices in the WeWork staring at their phones waiting for the elevator at either entrance, and then seeing a colleague from Simulmedia and getting a warm smile and a quick good morning. Simulmedians just have a knowing look that we are working on something that is interesting and dynamic - and the sense of excitement in all our eyes that each day will bring something new and curious and worth discussing and contemplating. Basically, I miss seeing like-minded people every day and starting our discussions at an elevated level.

Group of colleagues on data science team having a meeting.

3. Post-work workouts

Kelsey O’Brien, Account Manager One of my favorite memories at Simulmedia actually happened outside of the office. A group of us went to a live in-studio Peloton class to support colleagues Jordan, Goldstein and Siegel in three milestone rides. Not only did we get a great workout, but Jordan also got to meet her hero, Emma Lovewell. Cross-team events are always a great chance to get to know colleagues that I don’t have the opportunity to interact with daily in the office. I’m looking forward to many more in the future! Live. Learn. Lovewell.

Group of colleagues at a Peloton workout class.

4. Not-your-typical team outings

Max Ettelson, Senior Software Engineer I’m looking forward to being able to spend time with coworkers in a non-work environment. Whether it’s a team lunch, happy hour, or an outing, I miss sharing stories and having fun together outside the workplace.

Pictures of team outings.

5. In-house studio (and supportive fans)

Matt Collins, SVP of Marketing I'm looking forward to resuming live streaming in room 305 and occasionally being 'stream-bombed' by Sales (you know who you are).

Livestreaming conversations in office.

6. Getting cultured on weeknights

Conor Finnegan, VP of Advertising Operations I was looking for a little cross-departmental bonding and I had heard that Rock of Ages was coming back (off-Broadway) after ending a few years back. I'd seen the show, many, many times (16 to be exact) and jumped at the opportunity to share it with fellow colleagues. It didn't disappoint the 17th time, and everyone had a great time.

Cross-departmental journey to see Rock of Ages.

7. Cross-team comradery

Ted Sirvaitis, Sales Executive I’m looking forward to having easy access to all teams again. Having the ability to ask a quick question from the product team or join a discussion with advertising operations is nearly invaluable in learning from others and building comradery.

Asking questions in the office.

8. Win or lose, there may be booze

Dylan Rothenberg, Customer Success Engineer One thing we lost this year, for the foreseeable future, is the opportunity to bring our talents to the softball fields of New York. The one good thing about that is it prevents us from actually losing games. We have lost more than a few games in years past, but we always win the post-game.

Post-game drinks after softball.

9. Friendly competition, or more what we call “bouncing ideas off of each other”

Mariel Schlaefer, Software Engineer I definitely don't miss getting absolutely destroyed by Vineet in ping pong, but I do miss our workplace competitions and watching the interns battle it out for ping pong tournament glory.

Colleagues playing ping pong in office.

10. Taking a trip down memory lane on the way to the microwave

Sam Guerra, IT Manager One of the things I miss is the small talk in the kitchen when it's close to lunch time, since everyone would either bring their cooked food from home for lunches or food they got outside. It was nice to hear the different foods coworkers would bring in and the pleasant smells in the kitchen when waiting for the microwave. Also the fridge was nice to look at as it reminded me of the fun times we’ve had over the years.

Pictures on the office fridge.

Although we won’t be gathering for our annual rooftop summer party this month, we are thankful for the group Zoom calls, morning coffee catch-ups and buzzing Slack channels keeping us connected to the people who make this company incredible, regardless of where we may call our office for the time being (or where our Zoom backgrounds claim we are).

Zoom call with Simulmedia team.