Inside GP’s Summer Festival 2026: Building a Stronger “ONE GP”

Hi! This is Nakahara from GP.

We recently held our very own summer festival, “Summer Festival 2026,” at GP, and I’d like to share a look at what happened!

The Purpose Behind GP’s “Summer Festival 2026”

This summer festival had two main goals. The first was to thank everyone for their hard work throughout Q1, and the second was to strengthen our sense of unity as “ONE GP” as we headed into Q2.

With everyone busy working on client projects, we don’t often get the chance to slow down and spend time with people outside our usual departments or teams. That’s exactly why creating an opportunity at the end of the quarter to pause, come together, and connect face-to-face felt so meaningful.

A Look at the Day: Eat, Make, and Have Fun

The venue was filled with summer-inspired food and catering, creating the lively atmosphere you would expect from a Japanese summer festival.

One of the biggest highlights was the takoyaki station. Rather than simply serving ready-made takoyaki, we made it ourselves—pouring the batter into the molds and carefully turning each piece until it was perfectly round and cooked.

What makes takoyaki especially fun is that the process of making it naturally creates conversation.

“Those aren’t cooked yet!”
“When are we supposed to flip these?”

Small exchanges like these naturally sparked conversations between people from different departments, which was great to see.

Another feature of the event was the variety of festival-style booths and details set up throughout the venue. Decorations added to the summer festival atmosphere, while the layout made it easy for people to grab a drink, move around, and casually chat with others.

The space was designed so that eating and connecting happened naturally at the same time.

In event production, we often see how shared activities and spaces that encourage people to move around can shape the atmosphere even before the main content begins. This summer festival gave us the chance to experience that firsthand within our own company.

Department vs. Department: Let the Games Begin!

One of the biggest highlights of the summer festival was our interdepartmental competition.

Darts, ring toss, and beer pong booths were set up around the venue, and members from each department stepped up to represent their teams. Serious expressions as people aimed for the target were quickly followed by laughter whenever a shot missed. The games themselves were simple, but the energy they created was much bigger than we expected.

Another major highlight was the department-head Butminton tournament.

Our department heads, who we usually see leading and supporting their teams from a management perspective, became serious competitors for the day, determined to win on behalf of their departments.

There was plenty of laughter even in the middle of the competition, and it made me realize that this kind of opportunity to temporarily put titles and positions aside is one of the unique values of an internal company event.

Whether it was darts, ring toss, or Butminton, the result wasn’t about individual performance—it was about the department.

Because everyone was thinking not only about their own score but also about the team’s overall result, people who don’t usually work together naturally began encouraging and cheering for one another.

With cheers flying across departmental lines, it felt like the experience of getting excited together mattered much more than who actually won or lost. And perhaps that shared experience was what created the strongest sense of unity.

Why Internal Events Are About More Than Just Having Fun

To be honest, when I first joined GP, I thought of internal events simply as a chance to take a break from work.

But after experiencing this summer festival, my perspective changed a little.

In event production, we often talk about how the quality of an experience shapes participant satisfaction. As it turns out, the same idea applies to internal events.

Eating good food, getting active, and laughing together.

It sounds simple, but within those experiences are opportunities to build relationships where people feel comfortable speaking openly and to reduce the psychological distance between different departments.

Even after Q2 began, I felt that conversations at work became a little smoother with the people I had connected with during the summer festival.

It reminded me that the impact of an event cannot always be measured on the day itself. Sometimes, its real value gradually becomes visible through the relationships and interactions that follow.

In Closing

“Internal events are about more than just having fun.”

Through this summer festival, I feel like I came to understand what that really means, even if only a little.

It was a chance to recognize everyone’s hard work, but at the same time, it was also an opportunity to build a stronger foundation for taking on Q2 together.

In that sense, GP’s Summer Festival truly embodied the idea of “ONE GP.”

As I continue to gain more experience working on events, I want to bring this perspective with me—the importance of carefully creating opportunities for people to connect and build relationships.

And, of course, I’m already looking forward to our next internal event!