Secret Sushi Social Success (June 5th, 2009)
Date: June 9, 2009
By Michelle Thai
This past Friday Ku Day Ta had the pleasure of sponsoring Adam Helweh’s event entitled Secret Sushi Social. Ku Day Ta founder Bee-Bee Liew collaborated with Adam to create both an interactive and memorable experience.
The event catered to over fifty guests, many of who were Adam’s clients as well as other professionals, business owners, and entrepreneurs. Some of the guests that evening included Dale M. Nelson, a marketing and workflow consultant, and Jun Loayza, the co-founder and CMO of Future Delivery.
When asked what is the event all about, Adam said, “What happens is that most of the time these individuals end up kind of being in their own little worlds and never getting the opportunity to meet. So I wanted to actually have an event where I can let all those people meet. I think that in this day and age sometimes we all forget about all the good old talking-to-each-other face-to-face type thing, talking to each other to see what we all do for a living, or who we know, and help each other succeed in whatever it is we’re trying to do.”
But this wasn’t just any usual networking event. Along with the delicious foods and teas all provided by Ku Day Ta, the program also featured two Middle Eastern dance performances by the Hala Dance Company, a few giveaways worth $25-$500, an art exhibition by local artist Oliver Kolay, and a small and intimate tea-tasting.
Adam gives me some insight on the social’s festive program. “People want to have an experience,” he said. “They don’t want to just come and be stuck face-to-face with each other.”
And a great experience is what everyone had. Devang Mehta, a Carnegie Mellon alumnus currently residing in Fremont said, “Everything is really nice.” Even one of the performers, Vi, described the event as “fun” and the tea lounge as “a good place to mingle.”
Taking photos and filming the event, I had first-row seats to the performances. The Hala Dance Company really sparked the social’s energy with their lively dance. The upbeat music, their colorful outfits, and the high energy attracted dozens of outside spectators as well.
In addition to the performances, Oliver Kolay featured some of his amazing abstract art during the social, even generously donating a few of his artwork as raffle prizes. Oliver said to me, “[This event] is a good way to share my paintings and my technique.” Along with the five paintings won were also a T-shirt and a Ku Day Ta gift certificate.
Not only did the social allow dozens of people from all over the state to network, but it also gave many their first experience at Ku Day Ta. Jun Loayza from Orange County said, “I love the ambiance, and the mango jazz was delicious! I like the Orange Flower Oolong too, but it’s the mango jazz that really got me.” Another newcomer, Dale Nelson from San Jose said, “The food is perfect.”
Such a grand event required much preparation. Behind the scenes, the Ku Day Ta staff dedicated long hours to prepare for this Secret Sushi Social. Ku Day Ta’s employees put together over fifty party favors that featured a bookmark created by one of our own employees, two tea samples, a hand-painted card by Oliver Kolay, and a sample of our Cha Cha Chipotle confectionary.
Although the work was rather tedious, it was well worth it. The enthusiasm of the guests and the lively vibe of the party as a whole made the hours melt away. The social was a huge success and everyone had a great time, including those of us who were lucky enough to be working during the social. We had a blast hosting this social, and we hope to see all our guests again.
The event lasted from 7 P.M. to 10 P.M. Early into the event Adam told me, “We’ve only been an hour and fifteen minutes into the event and it’s beautiful, I love it,” said Adam. “It turned out exactly how I wanted.”
Click to view Picture Gallery #1
Click to view Picture Gallery #2
Tags: Secret Sushi, social, south bay
June 10th, 2009 at 8:56 am
Hey Michelle, it was great meeting you at the Secret Sushi event. Thanks for quoting me on your blog!
I am going to miss that Mango Jazz. Keep up the great work
- Jun
June 13th, 2009 at 12:13 am
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June 18th, 2009 at 2:38 am
Hey, nice post, really well written. You should write more about this.
August 8th, 2009 at 1:58 am
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