Diary of  great event

 

The MiM Games countdown

What´s the MiM games? An annual event organized for students of the master in management of IE.

Friday, June 3, the time has come. After weeks of planning and preparation, locations searching, long hours debating the most appropriate games, prospecting visits to sports centers, clubs and restaurants, meetings with the client to leave no stone unturned, consulting menus and cocktails, buying plenty of goods for all the events to work well, preparing a comprehensive explanatory dossier for all the monitors, finalizing the details of each activity, talking to all suppliers and partners who participated in the team building event, the MiM Games, thinking about all the alternatives if something does not go as planned … After all this, which may have taken dozens of days, we are facing the expected day. And it is really exciting!

All that has not been done already,  will be difficult to implement. All that has not been scheduled, will be difficult to improvise. Though fortunately many years of experience teach you that it is impossible that everything goes according to your plan, we went to the appointment with the tranquility of a job well done and the willingness to correct anything that could go wrong. All the activities are very contrasted and they have been made dozens of times, but it is a very large group and as the fateful Murphy’s Law says: «If something has to happen will happen».

Imagen de organización de MIM Games

It’s 08:15 in the morning, we are in Golfcanal. The previous evening, when we should do the assembly (which was expected to last about 3-4 hours), we found the surprise that campus security would not allow us  the access. Due to an error of internal communication, not only we could not unnload  the three vans full of equipement, speakers, bounding fences, etc., but they also inform us that is not aware that the 3rd this event was going to take place… After an hour waiting, and seeing that  they were not offering us any solutions, we decided to unload  in the street, freehand, and with the amazement of  the passersby looking at us with a mixture of pity and wonder. It took an hour and a half, to complete it, instead of 10 minutes that would have taken in case of vehicles access. But our concern would not  end there, still  is not confirmed the access for that day (although Nuria, the commercial Golfcanal, does everything she can, without understanding how it is possible that there is no authorization statement from the high ranks, which herself issued days before). Finally we said goodbye to her and she tried to reassure us: «I think that tomorrow there will be no problem.» Uninspired good, unable to do anything else, we withdrew without giving too over the matter…

 

MiM Games. First day

They let us pass. We breathe easy. At last we can access! There we met Kiron, Desiré and Alicia. A tremendous amount of energy, time and enthusiasm they invested in the organization of the MiM Games. Without them, not only it would not have been possible to do it  but we had not had excellent ideas, suggestions and valuable contributions. Their team was also sensational, accompanying and supporting us during these two days, making it possible that everything was fine. There is little left to do: mount the signage, tents … final details awaiting the monitors to arrive and, how not, the participants!

Guillermo arrived (our extraordinary speaker, able to speak both English with a Liverpool accent as his native language, spanish, changing record without even blinking) and Sandro (our fabulous entertainer, able to set up a group of 300 people in an instant, both eager and confident in their talents). And now yes yes, the MiM Games began!!!

Imagen de los MiM Games 2016

Guillermo welcomes the legendary singing “Welcome and bienvenou»theme song from the Cabaret film. And after reminding some general rules, he leads to Sandro, who manages to make everyone dance to the rhythm of «Uptown Funk» by Bruno Mars. The atmosphere is unbeatable. With the sunshine and a good temperature accompanying everything is in favor.

After the first dance, participants flock to their pits, where monitors lead them to the stage and each team takes its street. They are about to start the most fun games: mechanical bull, Wape out, giant sacks race, cooperative skis race , Knee trembler, Crazy relay, rings race and water race… The most competitive face of the participants makes an appearance. The teams try to give the best of themselves. It is hilarious watching them compete and enjoy playing the bags, crazy relay …men are soaked in trying to transport a basin full of water, hopelessly pouring it over their peers.

Imagen de los participantes de los Mim Games del IE

The morning goes lapsing. Participants and staff members had a great time. Andthe time of a deserved rest came. A little water, a glass of chilled sangria and some delicious snacks make them regain strength and return to the charge with more energy if possible, willing to make the last effort to clinch the victory. There is no truce. Each team tries to steal one meter to the rival. They know that the games are about to end so they put their five senses on them. Very near the end, in the mechanical bull, a participant fell over his shoulder and suffered a dislocation. Nothing serious, but very painful. Fortunately, we have hired an ambulance (provided with doctor and nurse) and soon the injured is immobilized and taken to the nearest hospital. Everything under control.

One more year, the Olympics have ended up. Now it is time to regain strength. Grilled vegetables and meat are ready for them: eggplant, zucchini or peppers, accompanying the chicken, Creole sausages, bacon and sausage. And all that, of course,  with large quantities of beer,  sangria and refreshments. Meanwhile, Marina, is capturing everything that happens with her camera. And Nacho Jauregui, the video manager, alternating the camera and the drone, does not let ignore any detail  that happens there.

Imágenes de los participantes de los MiM Games 2016

Lunch ends and we move on to the awards ceremony, where we’ll announce the winning team, after a fierce dispute it was the No Mercy team. They collected their trophy and gifts to the rhythm of «We are the champions», played by our DJ and entertainer Sandro, always watching what happens. Then we step to the last of the activities of the first day: time to test their rhythm and coordination with the Just Dance contest. The teams will have to follow the choreography of different songs, which are displayed on two large screens, in the well-known video game style. A table with atrezzo, full of hats, wigs, boas, glasses and other items, is not only to acclimate the activity but also to get them uninhibited and make them dance wildly. The judges  were Sandro and our experts bachata dancers,  Alex and Melisa, who did not hesitate to demonstrate their expertise in dance to the attending public.

Imagen de los participantes de los MiM Games 2016

The game started with a great energy and enthusiasm, with the girls taking control, showing their expertise and brash, while sounding songs like «Gagnam style», «What a feeling», «Gonna Make You Sweat» or «Good Feeling» Florida group. The jury found it really difficult to assess each team without  having a laugh… until the team Stompers made an appearance. His performance was spectacular, awesome. His energy, rhythm and improvisation skills stunned the three members of the jury, and the final vote was unanimous: three ten that ultimately would give them the Champions Trophy of the Just Dance dance contest!

Participantes bailando en la MIM Games 2016

And so we ended the first day. Time flies!.After ten hours, their happy faces and widespread smile of all the participants and members of IE were for us a huge injection of self-esteem and confidence, a real recognition of a job well done. We still had a day ahead, and there were a lot of things to collect and prepare for the next day but were so satisfied and happy that nothing could put us off.

Noche de fiesta para los participantes de la MiM Games 2016

At night, Marina, Nacho and I went to the welcome party, held at Matt Restaurant, near Plaza de Castilla, where a wonderful terrace and a delicious welcome cocktail were wating for the,  with a menu like cuttlefish croquettes, salmorejo cups or grilled tenderloin tacos with onion and Porto wine. The evening was great. Everyone enjoyed the good atmosphere and the party was the perfect place to close this first lovely day.

 

MiM Games. Second day

Saturday 4 June.  The show, or the MiM games, must go on. Cloudy dawn after a stormy and rainy night. The conference is scheduled at Club Deportivo Puerta de Hierro, which has the largest pool in Europe, so we are worried about the weather. Fortunately, soon the clouds begin to disappear and the sunlight flooded Madrid, clearing all our doubts.

Batucada Mim Games

Batucada Mim Games

The second day begins with a massive batucada, where Gaston and his team manage to spread the rhythm of percussion to all the attendees. Lefties, tambourines, agogos and darbukas. Five different instruments for the participants. And then everything starts to take shape. They fit well, and quickly begin to play along with the lefties leading and the powerful sound of the drums that ended duping all the attendees, under a glorious sunshine and a pool ready to be invaded.

After the batucada, most of the students rushed to swim in the outdoor pool. Only a few brave, as Kiron, Desire or Cristina, stayed with Gaston enjoying the drums for a while. It was quite a sight! They seemed a real group that had been playing for years. While everyone was spashing in the water, we had just prepared the next activity, which would also sbe used as lunch for the boys and girls. We had prepared a special surprise, up to the very Masterchef: a contest of paellas! Each team would have to overcome a series of games and tests to get the ingredients,  and then cook their own paella. It had a spectacular welcome, and the teams did their best to prepare the tastiest paella. Each one chose the most appropriate combination of ingredients,  although the paella valenciana was the favourite of the most. The jury found it very hard to decide. Aspects such as presentation, the rice texture and of course  the taste, would be decisive when choosing the winner. And after a long deliberation, there was unanimity about it: the winning team was undoubtedly Las ratillas, which jumped with excitement when the verdict was given. The contest was a success, paellas were delicious and the participants, who had played their own music, just had a ball.

Imagen del concurso de paellas en los MiM Games

And after three hours of competition, it was necessary to fresen up in the pool, although we still had another secret surprise … Nothing more and nothing less than a capoeira workshop, where they would learn the basic steps. Kiron again, as usual, was the most active and enthusiastic about the activities.

The day was coming to an end. Participants were about to take the buses back, remembering the best moments of the day, while thinking about what to wear for the grand final party of the MiM games, in New Garamond, at 22:00.

 

Farewell party. The perfect finishing touch.

Our participants started to arrive about 22:30, all of them very elegant, and paraded proudly beside the IE photocall, showing her broad smiles and posing for Marina, who kept taking pictures. Gradually, the room was acclimating, and about 12 at night, Kiron proceed to deliver the trophy to the big winner, the team who had accumulated the highest number of points have in all the games over the two days: mini Olympics, Just dance , Batucada, Capoeira and paellas Contest. Thanks to a superb score in every single game, despite not having won any, the winner would be the great team Los Pajaritos, whose members were screaming with excitement when they knew the final result. It was a great night, worthy of an institution like IE, recognized as one of the leading educational institutions in the world, whose claim for the MiM games could not be more successful: «Great minds play alike».

Imagen de los participantes de la MiM Games 2016 en la fiesta final

With the satisfaction of a job well done we said goodbye,  all  of us: the attendees and the organizers. We are very proud, although we have taken note of everything that we can and must improve, because we focus on the MiM Games 2017 to get them even better.

Thank you everyone! It was a great pleasure to enjoy together this amazing experience ;)