It was a great time with you! On 14 December, in the lobby of Olivia Star, the Charity and Christmas Variety Market was held once again. It was visited not only by fans of handicrafts and unusual Christmas gifts, but also by those looking for a moment of respite with fantastic live music performed by Wiktoria Gorczyca and gourmets, such as lovers of classic borscht with dumplings.
During the event, you could buy amazing things from Tri-City artists and craftsmen, as well as from talented charges of foundations or associations. Thank you for visiting the stands of the RC Foundation, the ZEROBAN Social Cooperative , the Lena Grochowska Foundation and the Navel of the World Foundation .
The event was a charity event. The entire amount collected from the Exhibitors will be donated to the treatment of the wife of our colleague from O4 Coworking. In addition, O4 Coworking ran a fundraiser among people visiting the market! There is also a special piggy bank where you can make a donation to help Ula. Every who donates PLN 50 or more will receive an O4 calendar for 2024! The action is still ongoing!
On December 18, 2023, at the 34. On the first floor in Olivia Star, a special ceremony took place – the Maltese Wafer, which is the 22nd anniversary of the Maltese Christmas Wafer. edition of this Christmas meeting, for the 3rd time. organized in Gdańsk on the top floors of Olivia. The event was attended by two hundred invited guests, who had the opportunity not only to enjoy an exquisite dinner, but also to admire the picturesque views. The organization of this unique wafer was an initiative of the Association of Polish Knights of Malta.
The participants were greeted with a word and blessing by Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, Metropolitan of Gdańsk. In his speech, he pointed out that this meeting is of particular importance in difficult times, and such events bring something positive to life. The President of the Association of Polish Knights of Malta, Jacek Tarnowski, emphasized that the Maltese wafer is to be unique and luxurious in order to bring joy to people whose lives are often difficult and the sun rarely peeks into their homes.
The campaign focuses on inviting lonely seniors and families in need to a Christmas dinner, where each guest receives a gift from Santa Claus. One of its important elements is taking care of a unique atmosphere. For many of the guests, it was not only a Christmas meeting, but also a chance to admire the beautiful views from the 34. Olivia Star floors. Families with children, the elderly, lonely people and people with disabilities sat at the Christmas table in Olivia. On the table there were traditional Christmas dishes, which were served to the participants of the event to the sounds of Christmas carols. It was a nice time, filled with conversations, celebration, socially integrating.
The Maltese Wafer is a nationwide charity campaign that aims to support poor families, lonely people, and those who need help. The activities are organized by the Association of Polish Knights of Malta in cooperation with Municipal Social Welfare Centres. In this year’s edition, it was planned to give gifts to about 3500 people in various locations in Poland, Ukraine and England.
The honorary patrons of this festive meeting were the President of the Association of Polish Knights of Malta Jacek Tarnowski, the Ambassador of the Order of Malta to Poland Niels Carl Alexander Lorijn and His Excellency Bishop Tadeusz Wojda. The Maltese Wafer takes place thanks to the generosity of donors, sponsors and the commitment of volunteers. The partner of the place was Olivia Centre.
The year 2023 is not over yet, and the largest business center in Poland can already announce that this year will be record-breaking. In the first days of December, the level of contracts reached m.kw 50,000, and contracts are waiting to be signed, allowing for a forecast result of m.kw 53,000 or even 55,000. Summing up 2022, Olivia Centre could boast of reaching the level of 30 thousand m.kw. covered by the lease agreements.
The previous record year was 2018, when for the first time in the history of this 11-year project, the commercialization of leasable space at the level of 40,000 sqm was achieved. m.kw. We managed to beat this result already in September ,” says Michał Klepczyński, Leasing Director at Olivia Centre. “Most of the contracts are related to the renewal of the contracts of the existing residents of Olivia Centre, but this group also includes new residents, and what is particularly important for us, among the 5 new companies, 4 are service companies, which allows us to expand the offer of services available to Olivia employees and residents of the Tri-City.
The new services include the café and confectionery Ciacho bez Cukier, abranch of Pekao S.A., a global tycoon on the vehicle rental market, Enterprise, and a showroom for the sale of apartments by the Belgian developer BPI S.A.
This year’s result gives us great satisfaction – emphasizes Maciej Kotarski, director of Olivia Centre. – We have signed contracts for such a high volume of space in extremely demanding times and market realities. The evolution affects the entire labour market, and we manage to keep up the pace. Last year, we had as many as 18 contracts concluded with new residents, which was a record in the history of our project, so it would be difficult to expect that we will be able to reach such a high level this year as well. During the period of the greatest market turmoil, i.e. since 2020, our team has acquired as many as 46 new residents, who have taken over 30 thousand residents. m.kw. lease area. Among them are companies such as AMS, Capgemini, Graphcore, Just Join IT, Nike, Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A., Pekao SA Santander, SoftServe, SPEEDNET.
At the same time, it is worth emphasizing that departures to other locations outside Olivia Centre are marginal: within 4 years, only 4 companies, occupying slightly more than 1000 m.kw, decided to change their location. In addition, the level of commercialization of space in the entire center is currently over 90% and is still growing, which also allows us to conclude that the attractiveness of the center in the eyes of the market is increasing.
In my opinion, 2023 is the most difficult year for the market over the last 15 years,” emphasizes Maciej Kotarski.Throughout the country, there is a growing vacancy rate, a significant stagnation, and in Warsaw even a decrease in the volume of the entire market. Observing this, investors decided to suspend virtually all construction of new office buildings in Gdansk, accompanied by an ongoing price war. All the more credit goes to the commercialization team at Olivia Centre, which is able to bring profits even in such demanding times.
Such fantastic news! 14 teams took part in the charity volleyball tournament “JUMP HIGH FOR SANTA CLAUS!”, which was brilliantly organized by volunteers from Bayer. Olivia was represented by Bayer Externals, EPAM Poland, Bayer Global Business Services Gdansk, Olivia Centre, PwC, Sii Poland! To the Hospice im. Ks. Dutkiewicz in Gdańsk received 15,950 zlotys!
As Agata Lewandowska from Bayer, who coordinated the whole event, says: “The amount from the entry fee for the participation of companies in the charity tournament is as much as PLN 14,000. But that’s not all! During the match, there was a lottery and auction to which m.in. Trefl Gdańsk joined, donating, for example, a T-shirt with Mariusz Wlazlo’s number and his signature, a puzzle with the image and autograph of this player, and 4 vouchers exchangeable for tickets for a match with the three-time winner of the Volleyball Champions League – Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. The total amount obtained from this game is 1950 PLN. In the end, we collected PLN 15,950. The whole was donated to the Hospice Foundation in Gdańsk. The tournament was also attended by children from the Foundation, who lively commented on the matches and cheered on the teams. Thank you all very much, because without you it would not have been possible.”
On the podium were:
1st place: Bayer Externals
2nd place: Lufthansa Systems
Location 3: DNV
Here are all the teams of the tournament (in no particular order): JIT Team, HLAG, Oddyssey Logistics, Kemira, DNV, LSEG, Volue, Sii, EPAM, Lufthansa Systems, PwC, Olivia Centre and two Bayer teams: GBS Bayer Gdańsk and Bayer Externals.
THANK YOU!
Once again, we have proven that only together can we do more!
Fig. Players’ own materials, for which we thank you very much!
It was an event full of emotions, good emotions and great hits. The concert “Fifth ROCK of the Olivia Centre Choir” took place on December 6 on the 34th floor of Olivia Star and filled the hall to the brim, gathering an audience of over three hundred people. Once again, it turned out how special Olivia’s venture is.
During the pandemic, nearly 80% of choirs in Poland were forced to suspend their activities, and after the pandemic, only a handful of them continue their activities. Against many odds, the Olivia Centre choir not only endures, but also develops perfectly, contributing to the strengthening of the Oliwa community. The project, created in a business environment, which brings together busy and burdened with numerous responsibilities employees of corporations on a daily basis, is a unique undertaking, proving that passion can connect people and be something much more than just a space for them to develop their vocal talent.
The Olivia Centre Choir is one of the most active clubs for developing passions in Olivia. It is part of a project that has been implemented for years to create an active, strong community in Olivia, which is manifested in the functioning of a number of teams focused on the various interests of the employees of this largest business center in Poland. For years, there have been clubs of enthusiasts of photography, football, volleyball, mountain biking, cross-country running, plant lovers or singing together in the form of the Olivia Centre choir. These clubs have repeatedly shown how important a role they play in the local community, uniting their forces for important projects. During the pandemic, the people in them have completed m.in. collection of computers for children during remote learning, collection and distribution of Christmas gifts for the sick and needy and those in isolation, as well as collection of equipment and food for Ukrainians after Russia’s aggression against their country. At the same time, the choir is the most active project, which this year celebrates its 5th anniversary.
The conductor and manager of the choir is Wiktoria Pagieła, a native of Zhytomyr. It is her energy and persistence that make the project develop, bringing together people from over 20 companies from the Olivia Centre. As she emphasizes, the challenges she faces go far beyond what could be superficially called a club for developing her own passion.
– A conductor should have managerial competence to be able to developthe ensemblenot only in terms of music, but also in terms of Artistic. Luckily,I’mstill succeeding when we’ve been continuously developing our business for 5 years. During the pandemic, they masteredśwe piecesę rehearsals via the Internet, it will be possible toTAbout Us SIę even recordsć music video and releaseć The firstą pTYtęand we are currently preparing forę to our first commercial gig that will beęGoing onę in the Oliwa Town Hall of Culture. -Tells Wiktoria Pagieła.
Fig. Maciej Roszkowski
As he emphasizes, leading a choir means working on personalities that are as different as the voices are, but which nevertheless create harmonious sounds in the choir.
– To me, it’s importantżindividual contact with each other is notżSmoke from CZTonics of our teamTu whenż This is aęI manage to do itę constructionć TakesTe relationships and maintainsć TeamT Even during such difficult periods as they have gone throughśwe together, like the pandemic or the rise inśremote work. We like to siAs a ensemble, and this is the most importantthing for the development of the choir and our potential,” adds the conductor.
Fig. Maciej Roszkowski
A choir in the center of the business attracts people to the office
The non-musical role of the choir is noticed by many of its members. Marta Moksa, a choir member and director of the O4 coworking space, emphasizes that the mission of the choir for each of its members is much more than just a meeting of music lovers.
– Olivia’s choir is a classic exampleTad this, że reallyę Not all that is in żin life and in business we do, must haveć in advance forTaboutżpurpose, or a quantifiable indicator of theźNiki. And at the same timeThat the key in lifearethe people with whomyou start to do something. How do youfull of energy, commitmentand passion, then suddenly there isa Wonders. At the beginning of theItwas supposedto bejust an ordinaryhobbyIn the case of the Scottish Government, the Netherlands But how do youIf 10,000 people gather in one place, you canalready gather fortygreat amateur musicians with a big heart for the world.singing! For me, it’s aIt wasnot a great specificity (concerts, albums, awards, competitions) and at the same timeasymbol of the role that Olivia wants and fulfillsin the lives of many people from the Tri-City – says Marta Moksa.
Ewa Bućko , a senior accountant from Lyreco, joined the choir during the pandemic. Her adventure began completely by accident when, while in the office during the lockdown, she came across information about the recruitment and applied for an audition. Since then, the choir has become a place that not only gives her the opportunity to fulfill her artistic passions, but also provides a stimulus to come to the office: Fact że rehearsals shall take placeą Się inTaśin my workplace, motivates me a lotT On top of that, żso that on this particular day I would beTand in the office. KnowI alsosaidthatI had to plan my tasks in such a waythat I would be able to on a timed rehearsal. I’m very happy that my wholeteamin the company is very supportive of my artistic aspirations and cheers me on to make mydreams come true . ViewerThere are alsoa lot of events in Olivia that are supposedto attract people to the office. People chTheytakeadvantage of such oppor tunitiesand attractions, and I am the best example of this.
Wiktoria Pagieła also confirms that during the 5 years of the choir’s activity, it began to play a much more important role in the lives of musicians than just the one related to rehearsals and concerts: Our choir is a group of 40 people, representingvery differentworldsEnvironments. CzMost of them have been singing in the choir sinceits inception, and therefore already 5 years. ZawiąbehindTY się in it alreadyż Friendshipźno, meTaboutśToday,ęwhy the choir is not only our passion, but alsożE spoTEcznoT h e, which meetsę on the commonśkaraoke, cinema or other social gatherings. After so many years, the choir is alreadyThat’s our musical family.
Michał Krzepkowski, a manager from Epam Systems, a company with offices in Olivia, does not hide his satisfaction from participating in such a unique undertaking and the non-musical benefits: To my knowledge, there is no other initiative like this in the world. Certainly, it is something very unique and at first glance it is difficult to find a connection with everyday managerial duties. However, if we take a closer look, the work of a choir is also a group work, where everyone is different – if we compare it to our corporations, it is a much bigger challenge – if only because it is a larger team than those that managers deal with on a daily basis. Choir is a team effort – that is, if we want to achieve something, we should do it together. Choir is also about learning to listen to each other, it’s about working on communication, about looking for your strengths and weaknesses, it’s about supporting each other when you’re doing great, but also when there are days when everything sucks. For me personally, the choir gives a better perspective on the team, on how to work together to become better, how to overcome difficulties that will arise and how to improve communication.
In a period of dynamic changes in the labour market and the evolution of the office work model towards hybrid solutions, managers are developing numerous solutions to motivate employees to return to the office. Olivia Centre, among other things, through the activities of such passion development clubs as the choir, shows that with an interesting employee integration policy, the hybrid model does not have to be the dominant variant at all. According to extensive research conducted by Olivia, the number of employees coming to the office increases significantly on days when the center organizes events for employees of companies operating in its area.
Samuel Steinborn
Dominika Rossa
Paweł Neumann
Fig. Maciej Roszkowski
A few more words about the concert…
The guests certainly let themselves be carried away by the wave of energy, singing and rock sound. Not only was it a great time, but everyone who bought a ticket for the jubilee concert contributed to the charitable goal of the event. The Choir decided to allocate part of the proceeds from the tickets to scholarships for students of the Secondary Music School. Feliks Nowowiejski in Gdansk. Young artists, Antonina Zawada from class III, accompanied by her father, Paweł Zawada and Józef Wesołowski from class VII presented themselves excellently to the general public during the event.
Fig. Maciej Roszkowski
As the title of the concert suggests, “Olivia Centre’s Fifth ROCK”, guests could hear world rock hits arranged for choir, such as Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, U2’s “With or Without You”, and Queen’s “We Will Rock You”.
Soloists: Dominika Rossa, Paweł Neumann, Samuel Steinborn.
The Olivia Centre Choir was also accompanied by Felipe Alvarado (saxophone, classical guitar) and a band consisting of Marcin Twardowski – piano; Olaf Shchelushchenko – guitar; Krzysztof Hnatiuk – bass; Tomasz Hoffman – drums.
Olivia Centre Choir conducted by Wiktoria Pagieła
Dorota Bednarczyk, Alicja Błażejewska, Patrycja Buczkowska, Ewa Bućko, Samuel Conejo Amaguana, Krzysztof Dolański, Julia Fedosova, Michał Krzepkowski, Idmal Kwidzińska, Bożena Lehmann, Karolina Lewandowska, Marta Moksa, Yulia Myroshnychenko, Paweł Neuman, Magdalena Odrowąż-Piramowicz, Małgorzata Olszewska, Izabela Paluch, Katarzyna Piętka, Radosław Piętka, Hamish Potts, Katarzyna Roskosz, Dominika Rossa, Aleksandra Rylska, Olha Shatkovskaya, Joanna Sienkiewicz, Małgorzata Sitko, Adrianna Stajewska, Samuel Steinborn, Anna Szczołek, Maria Szkatulska, Karolina Tetlak, Bartosz Walaszek, Anna Walaszek, Sylwia Witberg, Remigiusz Wojciechowski, Dominika Ziobro
We cordially invite you on December 14, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., to the Charity and Christmas Variety Market in Olivia. As every year, you will be able to buy amazing things from Tri-City artists and craftsmen, as well as from talented charges of foundations and associations (such pre-Christmas helping is our olive tradition).
You don’t have to go to the center of Gdańsk to feel the atmosphere of the Christmas Market. All fans of handicrafts and unique trinkets, as well as those who simply like to help, will surely be satisfied with our Christmas market.
What’s ahead? Three trade fair zones and a performance by Wiktoria Gorczyca.
Non/meat – delicacies from a bistro with two faces – vegetarian and meat
Easy Cheesy – occasional catering, sweet and persistent treats
Charity Zone
Visit the stalls with handicrafts made by the charges of associations and foundations. And don’t forget about the O4 Coworking fundraiser . Take a look at the special stand of O4 Coworking – accepting payment confirmations and prizes for people supporting Ula (details below)
dOBRY dEALFoundation and with it ZEROBAN – backpacks, fanny packs, bags and toiletry bags
Lena Grochowska Foundation with ceramics
Navelof the World and handmade candles
Food court
Try festive, Polish delicacies from Natka Bistro, Easy Cheesy and Nie/mięsny! There will be no shortage of borscht and dumplings.
Live music, performance by Wiktoria Gorczyca
You will relax during a break at work, listening to vocalist Wiktoria Gorczyca and Christmas hits such as: Last Christmas, Let It Snow, Jingle Bells.
Wiktoria Gorczyca is a versatile vocalist with a dark timbre, a strong voice and a natural jazz feeling. She began her musical adventure in her childhood. She is inspired by the freedom in jazz music, which is in line with her nature. In 2017 she completed a course in vocal and conducting jazz bands at a seminar in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Over the next few years, she took part in numerous projects and music workshops. She performed with the accompaniment of the guitar in popular places in the Tri-City, singing various songs, giving them her own individual style. The next important step in her development was a trip to the United States, where she worked on her solo material and played, among others, in South Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles and Memphis. Her American adventure and numerous performances gave her confidence and contributed to the creation of new songs that helped her set her sights on a new solo album.
YOU BUY = HELP!
The event is a charity event. What does that mean?
First of all, the amount collected from the Exhibitors will be donated to the treatment of the wife of a colleague from O4 Coworking
Secondly, in addition, O4 Coworking will conduct a fundraiser among people visiting the market. You can help too! How?
A special piggy bank has been created, where you can make a donation:
Among those who come to the O4 Coworking stand with a payment confirmation, O4 will draw 5 unique gifts from exhibitors. The minimum deposit amount is PLN 10.
