Editor’s Note: We did things a little differently for Admin Day 2019. In addition to throwing our 7th Annual Admin Bash in San Francisco, we hosted OfficeNinjas Con, our first, full-day professional development conference! See highlights from OfficeNinjas Con and Admin Bash 2019.

Sure, we can talk about breaking boundaries. We can say that admins are the brave, new explorers of the workplace, evolving at the speed of light. But the proof that Office Ninjas are indeed “Limitless”—our theme for Admin Bash 2018—is in our community. And y’all SHOWED UP.

You physically showed up … nearly 500 strong and from all over the country! In its earliest years, Admin Bash was a local event for Bay Area Ninjas—but this year we had attendees fly in from 25 cities across 13 states. (Shout out to our Boston, Atlanta, and Charleston Ninjas for making the cross-country trip!)

And, speaking of brave explorers, 60% of our guests were Admin Bash first-timers.

Had such a great time at the 2018 Admin Bash! As a first timer, I didn’t know what to expect but everything was fabulous—food, beverage, vendors, the vibe and SO much schwag! Will definitely attend next year!— Olympia K. Executive Assistant

And you showed up to play. Here’s the thing about Admin Bash: to really work, it needs a group of engaged, forward-thinking Ninjas. Admin Bash isn’t like other networking or educational events. It’s not about the agenda or the speakers. Yes, we curate the experience, but the real value is in the collective intelligence of the Office Ninja community.

Your experiences, thoughts, and ideas about the future of the admin profession are what make Admin Bash more than just a professional development event or a party.

Another memorable event meeting and sharing ideas with other Office Ninjas. My favorite part was learning about new innovative ideas for improving office culture.— Velma P. Sr. Administrative Assistant

That’s not to say we didn’t party. Oh, we partied. Admin Bash is, after all, a celebration of our tribe’s administrative badassery! We enjoyed delicious food and drinks, bonded over ridiculously fun activities, laughed a lot, and made so many great memories. And be sure to check out our video for a taste of the evening’s magic … and get pumped for next year!

Admin Bash Became a Family Affair

Roxane R. isn’t a regular mom, she’s a Ninja mom … to Marja B., who’s also a Ninja! We love that they celebrated their intergenerational administrative badassery by attending Admin Bash together. We also love that Roxane was the first of the mother/daughter team to discover OfficeNinjas. Mom DOES know best!

Ninjas Whipped up Pedal-Powered Smoothies … in Heels

Who else but a Ninja can network, pedal a bike, and make a smoothie at the same time—all while wearing heels and skirt suit? The blender bike was made for our multi-tasking kind, and the fresh smoothies were just as tasty as they were fun to make. Shout out to ezCater for understanding the Ninja’s propensity for constant motion (and appreciation of fresh produce).

Riding a bike in heels and a skirt to power blend my smoothie, while drinking a glass of wine and posing for photographers. #multitasking at its finest 🍷— Tracy B, Executive Assistant

The All-Stars Had Us All Kinds of Starstruck

It was a stellar collision that rocked the admin community: Verlance and Mimy, two of our 2018 OfficeNinjas All-Stars, met for the first time at Admin Bash! Attendees were pumped to connect with these incredible Ninjas in person, especially after reading their inspirational All-Star interviews. And we loved seeing them get the celebrity treatment, complete with high-fives, hugs, and selfie requests.

Y’all Fired up Some Old-School Typewriters

The Ninja speed challenge was the unexpected hit of the night! Who knew a couple of office artifacts would stoke the competitive spirit of such a tech-savvy group?

Congrats to Philippa B, the fastest, most accurate typist of the night!

And kudos to Joanne Linden, AdminUniverse founder, Former Chief Executive Assistant, and author of Sitting on a File Cabinet, Naked, with a Gun, for managing to make a typing test exciting!

We Feasted on Delicious Eats and Gorgeous Wines

415 Catering did NOT disappoint. The impressive spread included fresh, healthy options like avocado spring rolls and a grain bowl station, as well as festive, unexpected treats. (Ninjas loved the popcorn bar and mochi ice cream cart!)

The food from 415 Catering was absolutely delicious and in the perfect proportions. From the parking, check in, space decor, entertainment, vendor tables, [Admin Bash] was a great experience! I enjoyed catching up with friends, past and current. We had fun networking and trading pins—that was a great ice breaker! Thank you OfficeNinjas for a great night! I will register early for next year’s event!— Angela H. Executive Assistant

And Testarossa Winery wowed us all with their open wine bar and cork crafts station. Ninjas learned how to upcycle wine corks into functional, gift-worthy crafts like keychains and phone holders.

I had the BEST time ever! I did every event, and did everything, tried every food and snack. I loved the popcorn guy. I won the Testarossa Los Gatos Winery package! I even got a massage, and tried the oxygen bar. That was so fun. I loved the mochi guy and the bicycle blender. I could go on and on.— Suzy G. Senior Administrator

We Got Hopped up on O2

Turns out that even breathing is better at Bash. Maybe it was Admin Bash’s sense of adventure or the array of aromatherapy options, but we were all about the Oxygen Bar. And the bar’s funky lighting design fit right in with the celestial decor. Thanks, TripActions, for this one-of-a-kind activity—it was a breath of fresh air!

The Scent of Spring Filled the Room

Ninjas loved creating their own flower arrangements with Eat With the Seasons, and we can’t say we’re surprised! Ninjas are a DIY crowd, and who doesn’t love freshly cut flowers? It was beautiful (and maybe a little emblematic?) to see so many Ninjas carrying the unofficial symbol of Admin Appreciation … but of their own design.

We Gave Away $10,000 in Raffle Prizes

This year’s prizes (31 in total!) were off the charts! Ninjas walked away with over $10,000 in quality goods. Every prize was a winner, but some of top ones included:

• A killer cocktail kit from Bevi. (Sarah H., our Bash co-chair and Executive Assistant at Oath, was the lucky winner!)
• A Philips Digital AirFryer, courtesy of ezCater. Our entire team was envious of this gadget that cooks healthier food!
• The Oh My Greatness Snack Box by Oh My Green. We were thrilled to see Sasha F. score this prize—she traveled all the way from Baltimore!
• Williams Sonoma gift sets, made possible by Emily F., Executive Assistant to the President of Williams Sonoma. She wasn’t able to attend this year’s Bash, but she came through with some unbelievable gift items!

OfficeNinjas HQ Had to Roll … Er, Spin with the Punches

What do you do when your event venue is hosting FOUR other events and the parking situation is a potential nightmare in the making?

You take a deep breath, and think like a Ninja! Luckily, we were able to secure an adjacent parking lot and bring in the special forces: three expert sign spinners from AArrow Sign Spinners. Did you see these guys in action? They made sure everyone got to the right spot while delighting drivers with their sign-spinning stylings.

We Created the ULTIMATE Swag Bag

We take our swag seriously. Ninjas have collected enough flimsy totes and junky pens to last a lifetime, so we picked a sturdy, screen-printed bag (thanks, Ashbury Images!) and filled it with only high-quality treats and samples of products that Ninjas actually want.

In fact, with over 30 curated items, including an Autumn Summer Co. Wooden Bottle Opener (engraved with the OfficeNinjas logo!), Shima’s Jerky Chips, Small Batch Organics Granola Bark, and a Yuzu Soap Spa Emergency Kit, we’re willing to claim that it was our best swag bag yet!

I want to go to every one of these OfficeNinjas parties. I can’t believe that I never heard of this until now. The food, drinks, activities, friendly people and vendors along with all of the samples and gifts were FANTASTIC!!! Thanks for having me.— Susan G., Senior Administrator

Ninjas Blew Up the Internet

Admins are some of the hardest working people, which is why it brings us SO MUCH JOY to see you take one night to focus on yourselves and let someone else take care of all the details and logistics. We loved poring over your glowing #AdminBash selfies and Instagram stories of celebration and connection. Your posts, photos, and comments remind us why we do what we do.

Our Volunteer Crew Slayed It

When we say we couldn’t have pulled off Admin Bash without our Ninja Volunteer Crew, we’re 100% serious. These Ninjas hit the ground running months before the Bash, sharing ideas, conducting research, and providing invaluable feedback. On event day, they kicked it into high gear, stuffing hundreds of swag bags, greeting guest, holding down the registration table, and solving problems on the fly. They were tireless, resourceful, eager, positive, and hilarious. We simply cannot thank them enough!

Psst … Want to Be Part of Admin Week History?

We’re so proud of this community and can’t wait to start planning next year’s event. (Seriously!) If you’d like to be more involved with the OfficeNinjas community, we’d love for you to join our Admin Bash 2019 Volunteer Crew. Just shoot us a quick email at adminweek@officeninjas.com, and we’ll be in touch.

And thank YOU for attending Admin Bash or tuning in via social media. (We see you!).

For a complete play-by-play of Admin Bash, browse our photo album, photo booth gallery, and BOOM gif stream—courtesy of Oh Snap! Booth Co.

What were your “Remember when…” moments of Admin Week 2018?