Members of this year's edition had all met the screening criteria, for my browsing partner, the "honourary" July baby was not in attendance.
The day would involve a stopover at HERO Tea followed by the newly opened Cube Challenge, eventually terminating with a dinner of sushi and pizza in my backyard. It hadn't dawned on me in the moment that I had suggested the agenda that, by inviting others, I would effectively adopt the "hostess" title. Yet, as much as I disliked hosting events and all the cleanup that materialized with it, it sufficed to say that my 1.5 L bottle of 2009 Vidal Riesling and 750 ml of Sparkling Choya would not drink themselves. And so, hosting it would be.
Logistics and activity planning can be considered my forte, but being able to render a space guest-ready - not so much. Leading up to the day, I procured additional lawn chairs, disposable utensils and tablecloth, and even decorations to theme. Single-handedly preparing balloons was a first for me, and I likely wouldn't have bothered for any regular occurrence.
On the morning of, one of the July babies would meet at my house, witnessing the tail end of my last-minute cleaning operations. We'd later join the others at HERO Tea.
The ordeal concluded somewhat sooner than envisioned, so we parted ways for bathroom usage/errands before re-convening at Cube Challenge.
After obtaining Rec Room-style fabric wristbands, all members of the team were required to register at the kiosk at the same time before starting. This approach differed from Activate, as players could register individually based on their arrival time. This approach wasn't unreasonable, as points were accumulated on a team basis, as opposed to individual basis with level designations. We were informed that points redemption for prizes is not available at this time; there is also no option to carry over one's status to a future date. For some, this may reduce potential for repeat visits significantly, but I personally found the format to be ideal for collaboration, as it shifted the focus away from competition. Team photos would also be taken during registration and would appear with each tab of the wristband.
The rooms were arranged in a U-shaped corridor, with Physical rooms grouped together around the midway point and "Skill" towards the end. The shuffling of game types was great as it enabled brief periods of recovery time.