It’s summer! And for IXcellerate, summer, among other things, means bringing together friends, clients and partners from all across the industry, and plunging them all into the joyous atmosphere of rock music, delicious grill and networking. We’re talking of course about Rockin’Russia, an open-air party, traditionally held by IXcellerate in late June.
«Everyone present here is our big family and we are happy to see all of you. Today is your day and today it’s our honor to be your cooks, musicians and guides!” – with these words Guy Willner, CEO of IXcellerate, greeted guests who gathered in front of the stage, awaiting the beginning of the rock performance.
In 2018, Rockin’Russia marked its fifth anniversary, and so did IXcellerate. Founded back in 2013 by Guy Willner and Cliff Gauntlett as a startup with only a handful of racks, IXcellerate Moscow One Datacentre has grown into one of the most advanced, largest and fully certified commercial data centers in the Russian Federation.
As the company evolved, so did its trademark event. From a humble gathering in the office with a couple of dozens of guests – to a lavish party covering half of our campus, Rockin’Russia has firmly attached itself to the IXcellerate brand and became the signature event.
That said, it was no surprise, that Rockin’Russia 2018 was the biggest and most diverse to date. The event was attended by more than 230 guests and featured 10 sponsored zones. However, as 2018 saw the FIFA World Cup come to Russia it was a perfect opportunity for IXcellerate to embrace the football and the hype of the Championship.
Warmed up by the energetic performance of a cheerleading squad the crowd split into teams to play a life-size kicker-foosball (sponsored by Vertiv) and take pictures in the special football-themed photo zone (sponsored by Mastertel). Meanwhile, other guests were practicing their soccer freestyle skills at a special master class (brought by Arup). All this was in preparation to watch that evening’s live England-Belgium match broadcast on a giant screen (sponsored by Orange Business Services). Altogether, the guests had more than enough opportunities to satisfy their football hunger.
Speaking of hunger satisfaction, sponsors also took care of guests’ catering requirements. A grilled meat & vegetable buffet, burgers, kebabs and hot dogs, delicious picnic stand with corn and lemonade (sponsored by Cirex), a pilaf tent by IXcellerate’s commercial director Andrey Egorov, and on top of all that, for the first time ever – “Fokin’ Ribs” – lovingly cooked BBQ ribs by none other than IXcellerate’s managing director, Dmitry Fokin.
«Serving our clients and catering to them, making our clients happy and giving them joy, while also exceeding their expectations – this is what I like doing in life the most. Welcome to Rockin’Russia!” – said Dmitry Fokin, cheerfully raising a toast for the gathered guests.
Between football activities and (poorly) managing stomach space, the guests could relax in the cloud zone with hookah pipes on the lawn (sponsored by Softline and Cisco) or have indulged in a pint of Guinness or three in the bar zone nearby (sponsored by Siemon & Advansys). For those eager to see the inside of the data center, IXcellerate organized a special tour, including visits to the newly built data hall, Phase 3. Guests who preferred to stay as close to the pub and food as possible could instead experience the same tour in VR, in addition to a variety of other VR games (sponsored by Cirex).
Of course, it would not be Rockin’Russia without traditional live rock performances from stage (sponsored by Legrand), featuring all-time favorites “Whole Lotta Love” and “Angel” by IXcellerate band and “Everlong” and more by Legrand band.
IXcellerate thanks everyone who participated in Rockin’Russia 2018.
See you next year!