Expect the unexpected because Raintree is committed to doing things a little differently

The Raintree team is back again to give you an update on our official launch.

After months of hard work from many, many people, we were so happy to be able to deliver a vibrant, one-of-a-kind event to officially launch our space with some of our professional friends. Over 250 guests were dressed to the nines as they checked into the Canopy event space for a night of jubilant celebration that featured TED-style talks from social entrepreneurs, tech startup founders, architects and even a mezcalier!

Renowned mixologist Jen Queen mesmerised the crowd as she crafted an exquisite cocktail featuring Brown Coffee’s potent cold brew, Mezcal Alipús, and a house-made cinnamon hazelnut milk liquor, live on stage. This lethal concoction, named the “Oaxacan Wake Up Call”, injected a good ol’ dose of energy into the launch party and ensured all our guests stayed wide awake through the event!

As the only certified Master Mezcalier in the region, Jen is part of the 26 people worldwide who are connoisseurs in this field of expertise. In case you didn’t know, Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from agave, a plant that hails from Mexico. Jen’s quickfire masterclass on the magic of mezcal, injected with a tinge of humour, kept attendees on the edge of their seats as she busted some common myths and misconceptions.

Other Conversations @ the Canopy included speakers Michael Michalec, founder of EdTech Asia, which aims to be the regions’ catalyst for education entrepreneurs and innovation, and Chris Wigley, CCO at data analytics and visualisation company Quantum Black.

Chris shared his thoughts on the challenges that occur with working with teams comprised of individuals from different fields and sectors, but the potential innovation and magic that can result from such professional ‘collisions’. These meaningful themes, revolving around the importance of cross-sector collaborations and innovations, also hits close to home for Raintree.

*The crowd at our launch party were left mesmerised by a variety of presentations given by Friends of Raintree*

Hok Kang then took the stage to share with us his aspirations for rural housing in Cambodia. Hok is of course, one of our co-founders, but you have probably unknowingly seen his work around Phnom Penh, as he leads the team that designs Cambodia’s very own Brown Coffee outlets.

Many Friends of Raintree came to celebrate with us, flying in from all over Asia and beyond. These included John Tan, the founder of Saturday Kids and co-founder of Collision 8, a collaborative innovation workspace in Singapore, Soon Wei Ee, founder and CEO of APW Malaysia, a repurposed printing house transformed into a creative campus and Jin Ng, co-founder of the Paramount Coffee project, pushing the art of coffee in Australia and California.

Raintree would also like to give a shout out to guests closer to home, including Julie Chung, Chief of Mission for the US Embassy Cambodia, Leonie Lethbridge, CEO of ANZ Royal, Chay Sila, founder and CEO of Sabay, Stephen Paterson, Academic Advisor for the National University of Management & founder of the Mekong Business Challenge, Kate Heuisler, Chief of Party of Development Innovations, and Alberto Cremonesi, Co-founder of Impact Hub. We were thrilled to share our launch with such a diverse professional and creative community.

*Playing ‘word salad’ at the Raintree photo area where friends gathered to create literary snaps to remember the night*

The evening was also a chance to show how the indoor ‘Canopy’ and the outdoor ‘Crown’ event spaces can be transformed and adapted for totally different types of events.

Our co-founder, Zoë, said, “The Canopy really sums up what Raintree is about – a meeting place, a space for collaboration and inspiration and where people come together to share passions and ideas. Although we have already hosted a few events since we opened, the launch was a chance to show how this space can be experienced and hopefully inspired people to use it, and our other facilities, as tenants, visitors and friends.”

*No party is complete without great snacks! Our guests were treated to some mouth watering treats courtesy of our partners*

Enjoyed reliving the launch night with us? This might be the end of the article, but it is merely the start for more creative content to come… Check back soon for other events lined up in 2016, and for news of our upcoming Grand Opening!

Team Raintree

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Special thanks to our event partners and sponsors: