The Appreciation Dinner

from Ningbo Focus 2016

The Two Irish Bars

The The 2016 2016 Appreciation Appreciation Party Party

Written by ( 作者 ): Jojo Chen 陈姣姣 Photos by( 图片来源 ): Hossein Khandan & Xuguang Pan 潘旭光

To mark the beginning of a new year, Ningbo Focus pulled all the stops for our 2nd Annual Between the New Years Party at Sofitel Wanda Hotel on January 10th, 2016. Noble guests from the city government, local media, business representatives, and contributors from home and abroad came out for an appreciative gala filled with great performances, great food, and great times.

Despite the unpleasant weather, people didn’t hesitate to attend the party, with guests arriving one after the other, signing their names on the signing wall and taking pictures in front of the magazine covers from the previous year in the hallway.

Once inside the hall, guests were treated to croque-monsieur and handmade crêpes from La Crêperie Bretonne, baked treats from Mon Epoque, vegetable samosas from Indiana, imported fruits and drinks provided by Yongyu Wine, water from EARTH Water, and the finest scotch from THE WHISKYFIND. The colors of the food and drink added to the luster of the affair, bringing up spirits and moods for everyone involved.

Things kicked off with a speech from Randy Williams, detailing the progress Ningbo Focus made in the past year, and the great teamwork of everyone involved. This was followed by the performances, with a show of dazzling embroidery followed by musical performances, and local kung fu presented by the Siming Neijiaquan School. It was a frighteningly amazing amalgamation of femininity and masculinity, all representing the wonderful cultural heritage of the city.

The performances were rounded off by some awesome drumming by Morning Deer Cultural and more singing from MPW, all so passionate that they brought an uproarious applause when they finished.

We also had some great lucky draws throughout the afternoon, with some one-ofa-kind gifts for lucky guests, including a gold and silver multicolor embroidered scarf, a wine and beef gift box from Aushina Foods, a BMW suitcase with emergency road kit, VIP card and tickets from Ningbo Cultural Plaza Grand Theatre, and cash coupons from Donnabella and MBar.

The event was a wonderful occasion and a great way to say thank you to the Ningbo community for the support this past year. Ningbo Focus constantly seeks to connect the community in more ways than one, and its with your constant support that we’re able to make that happen.

站在阳历新年的起点上，为了向所有在过去一年中支持和关注我们的人表达诚挚的谢意，共同迎接农历春节的到来，《宁波聚焦》于2016年1月10日在万达索菲特大饭店举办了第二届新年酒会。出席本次活动的嘉宾有来自市政府的领导、同行的各界媒体、有过和正在合作的商务人士、杂志的撰稿人等等，中外朋友欢聚一堂，热闹非凡。

当日的天气略为湿冷，但挡不住大家愉快赴宴的脚步，午后，宾客纷拥而至，在签名墙上写下名字，与走廊上依次挂起的十二期杂志封面照片合影留念。而此刻，大厅里已经汇聚了由布列塔尼法式薄饼餐厅、莫逆时光法国面包房、印都安纳印度餐厅、帝加和暹罗进口水果提供的各国美食和由永裕酒业、威士忌坊和地球水提供的酒水饮料，在静候大家的到来。食物的色彩呈现诱人的光泽，让人不由得心情愉悦。

酒会开始以后，首先由《宁波聚焦》的总经理雷迪•威廉姆斯做了开场致辞，为现场宾客介绍《宁波聚焦》在过去一年中取得的进步、我们的团队以及2016年的愿景。然后大家一边交流畅谈，一边欣赏精彩表演。悠扬的音乐声中上演的金银彩绣表演和潘君耀师傅及其团队为我们带来的内家拳功夫表演一柔一刚，都是宁波本地的非物质文化遗产，平时难得一见；朝鹿文化带来的击鼓表演、歌曲演唱和MPW飞碟文化带来的乐队表演一中一西，都激情四射、嗨翻全场。

我们还在表演过程中穿插了三轮抽奖，送出几十份精美礼品，有金银彩绣丝巾、澳之牛公司红酒+牛肉礼盒、宝信宝马行李箱和应急工具包、宁波文化广场大剧院VIP卡和演出门票，以及紫琪尔和M吧的代金券等等，价值几百到几千元不等，希望带给大家新年好心情。

但最重要的是，我们希望借此机会为来自各个国家、各个领域的朋友提供一个相互交流的平台，联结起整座城市，这也是《宁波聚焦》一直在做的事。过去的一年，感恩有你，和我们一起创造所有的精彩；新的一年，愿我们共同成长，把更多的爱和欢乐带给整座城市。