Team unity half-day & New Year ceremony: a pop-up ski resort in Paris
To bring together 500 employees from an engineering unit dedicated to the energy transition, WMH Project designed a team unity half-day combined with a New Year ceremony, reimagined as a pop-up ski resort. The concept: a unifying mountain narrative, 12 marketplace workshops, a scripted plenary and a winter party, all held in Paris in January 2026.
Why choose a mountain theme for an engineering unit?
The work of an engineering unit dedicated to the energy transition relies on technical mastery, responsiveness, operational agility and performance in complex environments. WMH Project looked for a universally understood imaginary world capable of conveying these values while adding warmth and shared emotion. The ski resort proved ideal: technical altitude, demanding terrain, summits reached through collective commitment. An added scheduling bonus — the event takes place in January, at the heart of winter season.
How is an immersive team unity half-day structured?
The programme follows a smooth half-day journey. Welcome on the "snow front", an opening address unveiling the day's "piste map", then access to the "ski area": 12 signposted meeting points in a marketplace format, two silent conferences running in parallel, a central bar, a mountain-top restaurant and a cable-car photobooth. The runs (green, blue, red) are mapped to the unit's main business themes. A plenary follows for the New Year ceremony, before a winter dinner party and dancing.
Which workshops bring the professions to life in a playful way?
Each workshop borrows winter-sports codes. A "rope team" of speakers presents how different roles complement each other on a project. A slalom drawn on a whiteboard illustrates resilience against project obstacles. A "snow triathlon" highlights the diversity of career paths. A fondue pot is used to draw an innovative project to pitch. Challenges hidden behind skis break the ice between colleagues. A first-aid post raises awareness of workplace safety, a key priority for the unit.
How do you script a memorable New Year ceremony?
The plenary unfolds in three acts. The "season" review: video retrospective and speakers arriving on skis to share progress on the strategic plan, including a flagship project presented in exactly 2 min 45 on a reconstructed ski lift. The outlook: a forward-looking sketch, headlamps on and the room in darkness, around tomorrow's challenges. Finally, a "torchlight descent" celebrates long-service award winners, with recycled-PVC LED sticks and long-exposure photography creating collective light drawings.
Which Paris venues can host 500 people?
WMH Project compared several venues considering workshop capacity, a 500-person plenary, accessibility and environmental commitment. A historic pavilion on the edge of a wood, a former industrial hall converted into a gastronomic and cultural destination, and an elevated rooftop with panoramic city views were all studied, each paired with a committed, eco-responsible caterer. Logistics rely on a three-stage registration campaign, digital QR-code check-in and an event app (agenda, who's who, Q&A, quiz, e-badge).
How do you embed CSR in an event of this scale?
The agency applies an ISO 20121-certified eco-design and eco-production approach, measuring the project's carbon footprint and offering to capture residual emissions through sustainable French forest management. Local and solidarity-based caterers, recycled-material props and impact monitoring complete the setup, in line with a unit whose very mission is decarbonisation.
Designed and orchestrated by WMH Project — We Make It Happen.
FAQ
How many participants can this format host?
The setup was designed for 500 employees, with a single plenary, 12 marketplace workshops and a dinner party with dancing, all within a half-day.
Why a ski-resort theme?
The mountain world conveys engineering values — mastery, agility, endurance, teamwork — in a friendly, instantly readable way, and resonates with an event held in January.
How is CSR factored in?
ISO 20121-certified eco-design and eco-production, local and solidarity caterers, recycled-material props, carbon footprint measurement and residual emission capture through sustainable French forest management.
Which digital tools support the event?
A three-stage registration campaign, digital QR-code check-in and an event app featuring agenda, who's who, Q&A, quiz and e-badge.