On November 22, we had another amazing Year End Party! “Winter Wonderland” was the chosen theme for this year, and we celebrated at the Hilton Tokyo in Shinjuku. The glamorous annual event of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Swiss Club Tokyo proved to be extremely popular this year, with a crowd of over 250 people. Tickets were completely sold-out weeks before the deadline!
Registration started at 5pm, and guests mingled in the luxurious foyer for about one hour, having a first drink, before the doors to the Kiku ballroom were opened. From the very beginning of the party we were able to admire some extravagant costumes, waiting to be judged by the jury during the event.
After everyone took a seat at their table, the event began: Ambassador Baum opened the official part of the evening, followed by the president of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce, Thomas Brodbeck. Peter Woehrle, President of the Swiss Club Tokyo, wrapped up the formal introductions with his thoughts on the theme, and he concluded his speech with a rendition of the song “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”. This impromptu performance was well received by the audience and people started to clap in rhythm almost from the start. A toast by Peter Woehrle followed the song and finally food and drinks were served.
After the main course, Keiko Itoh, who is a well-known Japanese yodeler, performed with her band, the Amsle Quartet, adding a touch of Swiss folklore to the evening. A dessert buffet allowed people to mingle again, and then it was time for the costume competition. The guests, who chose to dress up according to the theme, paraded on the stage and a jury of six were watching closely to determine the three best female and male costumes.
After everybody was seated again, the lucky draw began: The 13 most valuable prizes were drawn in front of the audience, whereas the remaining winners could find their names on the huge screen at the far end of the ballroom. Finally, the winners for best costume were called on stage, where they received their awards. After the award ceremony, guests started to leave and at around 11pm another successful Year End Party came to its conclusion. See you next year!
This article was written by Peter Woehrle (President) and Elena Laghi (Communications)
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