With a staff occupying four offices and staffers often on the move, traveling to visit clients or filming coast-to-coast, the Charles Ryan Associates annual meeting is our chance to gather in the same place and reconnect to what makes CRA special and successful.
This year’s meeting was particularly exciting as 2019 marks the 45th anniversary since Charlie Ryan himself founded the firm.
Our theme for the meeting was CRA Sapphire, which is the official symbol of a 45th anniversary and, to us, represents the culmination of nearly a half century of innovation, passion and drive.
Sapphires come in an array of colors, cuts and styles, but each has its own unique magnificence.
Like great ideas, Sapphires can be found suddenly in nature or carefully cultivated by scientists in a lab. And at CRA, we work diligently each day to create experiences and assets for our clients using our natural instincts as well as innovative tools.
Our staff spent time celebrating client, campaign and project successes, sharing personal stories and departmental presentations, and discussing our company values and goals.
Of course, this being CRA, presentations come with a little more flair than a standard slideshow. The media department presented best practices through an interactive dating game. The film department offered commercial breaks throughout the two-day meeting to share some of the best clips, commercials and videos of the past year. Our content strategist helped everyone tap into their inner content creator.
And, unsurprisingly, a major highlight came in the form of an elaborate surprise music video made by our creative team.
Finally, after a raucous game of JeoPARODY featuring categories on CRA history,Dudes Named Matt advertising trivia and more, our staff further bonded over dinner and games at Richmond’s Bingo Beer Company brewery and arcade.
It’s been a wild 45 years, with 2019 proving that it’s only getting busier and crazier at Charles Ryan Associates, but getting together once a year allows us to remember why we do this, and why we do it at CRA. Here’s to the next 45!