Our beloved VP, Gabriel Haigazian, turned 50 this summer. And that called for a creative celebration!
He already had plans to celebrate in a big way. He’d chartered the Black Swan* – a fabulous yacht – so he could party like a rockstar with family and friends for a week in ports like Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Korcula.
His CTP family – with whom he spends many, many delightful hours in and out of the office – would not be onboard with him. (Because somebody’s gotta stick around and take care of business!) But we couldn’t let it pass, and we couldn’t have an ordinary birthday celebration. After all, he was turning 50!!
To throw him off the scent of the in-office surprise party we were planning, we told him that we’d celebrate when he returned from his cruise. Meanwhile, we sent a “Shhh! Gabriel’s Surprise 50th Birthday … and You’re Invited” email to customers, suppliers, family, and friends. Near and far. If schedules or distance precluded their attendance, we asked them to share a memory or a birthday wish.
Naturally, the loving tributes started flowing in:
The accolades poured in from all over the globe!
Do you recognize my team? We really got into the flower child theme. And Gabriel loved having hair! Tie-dye was a new experience for me, and I went a little crazy creating photo backdrops, bunting, t-shirts, etc!
Howard is affectionately known as our “Master Baker.” He made this beautiful (and delicious) 3-tier tie-dye cake!
Gifts included a lot of alcohol. Hmmm … Should I be alarmed that the fifth of tequila was almost emptied by 12 Noon? And what’s with “Ringmaster of the Shit Show”??!
It was a perfect celebration in honor of one of the greats! Check out this video, which captures some of the hilarity of the day!
Just of portion of Gabriel’s fan club!
We loved plotting, scheming and planning. Thanks to everyone who showed up, shared a love note, and wished him a happy birthday!
p.s. My 65th is coming up a month (28 days and counting). Hint, hint … 🙂
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1 Comments
Helene Volkman September 29, 2019 at 11:21am
Dear Gabriel,
Only the fact that I was in New York on August 27th could have prevented me from being there to wish you a Happy Birthday in person.
I hope your surprise celebration was as as great as you are. You”ve come a long way from the time we first met in the office and you certainly are a consummate professional in the industry. I wish you many more fun-filled years of traveling in the world.
HELENE