Chillibyte Celebrates 10th Birthday
Wow, we’ve reached double figures! It’s time to blow out some candles and eat some cake! This year, we celebrated our tenth birthday, a special milestone and one we are particularly proud of.
Since our inception, we’ve grown from strength to strength, welcoming clients from not only the UK, but across the globe too. Our place in the world of search marketing, now firmly cemented.
For some of you reading this, you may be new to Chillibyte, either as clients, or even team members. For others, you may have been with us from the start. Whoever you are, and whenever you came on board, we thank you all! You are what helps make Chillibyte great.
So, we guess you want to know what we got up to for our 10th birthday? Well, let’s indulge you a little in how we celebrated, but first, a quick overview of Chillibyte to give you a little background.
When was Chillibyte founded?
Chillibyte was founded by Sam Trousdale and Tim Watney in the summer of 2013, with the aim of delivering premium search marketing services to businesses that felt their online presence was lacking. Utilising their years of experience in digital marketing, the duo put a plan in place. A plan that would help see rankings rise and sales surge for businesses looking for results that had otherwise eluded them.
Over time, the ability to demonstrate the merits of search proved to be successful. Clients could now see and understand why their brand wasn’t previously seen. They could finally fathom why keywords mattered, why content is king, and why getting to page one on Google is certainly not a given.
Expansion of Chillibyte
With an influx of clients beginning to flood in, rapid expansion was needed. Sam and Tim drafted in Akash Valand, an SEO Jedi who is the walking, talking encyclopedia of SEO strategy. Still here to this day, Akash, now the Head of SEO, has helped Sam and Tim enhance the Chillibyte reputation immensely. Next in was Amber Longhurst, the content writer who can make words sing on a page, no matter the subject. Now the Head of the Content department, Amber strategises the way content will deliver meaningful and impactful results for clients across property, finance, insurance, beauty, travel, healthcare and so much more.
With a core now built, Chillibyte was able to continually expand as it impressed clients with its results. Valued assets such as Dan Stockwell, now the Head of Web, Jeff So the Head of PPC, and more, all came on board to help Sam and Tim with their mission.
Today, we celebrate ten years of Chillibyte with many of the people who joined Sam and Tim in the early stages of the journey still with us. A few faces have gone, and a few new ones have joined. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the Chillibyte ethos of giving your search marketing a kick!
So, let’s tell you about what we did to celebrate.
Chillibyte’s 10th birthday party
With Covid putting pause to many events throughout 2020-2022, we approached 2023 knowing that if everything was as close to normal as possible, we could enjoy a 10th birthday with our team. If it wasn’t, a party via Zoom may have been our only option!
Sure enough, life in 2023 is pretty much the same as it was pre-covid. This means we can have some fun.
So … what did we do?
We started with a vote organised by Senior Account Manager Kim May-Papailiou. A selection of event types was given to us, and we could all choose a preference. Options such as a meal and drinks, an escape room or a trip to a sporting event, were all listed among many others.
Being a team never to shy away from excitement, an escape room experience was chosen with a meal and drinks added in for good measure.
So, on a balmy July day, the team headed to Brighton. Some keen to soak up the atmosphere had already arrived in advance of the majority. Once all together, we headed for the Pier Pressure murder mystery at Preston Manor. With questions around whodunnit about to be answered, it was time to don our detective gear and go investigating!
The murder mystery solved by Chillibyte
Chillibyte is a team of around 15 people, and with the organisers of the event suggesting we break into smaller teams for a more competitive experience, we soon had captains picking their colleagues as prized assets. With none of us qualified in criminology and a few having visited the pub in advance, this could be a taxing affair……
Split into three teams, we navigated the manor attempting to solve a murder. Like a game of Cluedo, we needed to locate a weapon, the criminal and where it was committed within the grounds. Adorned with our costumes provided by the venue, we set out on the hunt for answers.
An hour is set on the clock, and penalties are in place for incorrect answers. Penalties that would affect the result for some.
With puzzles ranging from the simple to the complex, it was a true combination of excellent teamwork, a little luck, and some random guesses that we all managed to get back to the “Detective” with our allegations.
All three teams made it within the hour, but one failed. As you enter the room to announce your findings, the Detective confirms whether you are right or wrong with each accusation. If you have them all correct, and complete it in the quickest time, you are the winner. Unfortunately, the writer of this post was lured by a false indicator from the detective, thinking it was a helpful hint. Instead, he made a decision that cost his team a further five seconds. Putting them bottom of the rankings.
Whilst a career in MI5 may not be beckoning for any of us, we thought it was time to enjoy some food and drinks, satisfied a fictional killer had been found and justice served.
Seaside dining and city centre cocktails
Solving murders, even fictional ones, is hard. Leaving Preston Manner, we ventured closer to the seafront, stopping at a few pubs on the way to test the beers and break down our case findings. Time was moving quickly though, and with a drink or two enjoyed, it was time to move on to Shelter Halls. Now if you have never been, we recommend it. A huge selection of eateries, all under one roof, offering an eclectic mix of different cuisines. Whereas in a regular restaurant, you may order from one specific menu, at Shelter Halls, you can order your main from one, your side from another, and a drink from another. Fancy adding a side of pasta to your burger? No problem! Enjoy a little Indian food but wouldn’t mind some fries too? You can do that!
The service was speedy, and considering you are ordering from multiple menus, the wait for things to arrive from each outlet was incredibly short. It gets very busy though, and booking is a must. With tables often held for short periods, we knew that after eating it was time to explore elsewhere.
A bar close by that had a ship’s hull as part of its interior provided a welcome rest spot before we dived deeper into the city. The Cuban band outside gave us some welcome tunes to bring the afternoon into the evening.
As time progressed, a few of the team headed home due to childcare and other commitments but a few stayed out to see what else the night may bring.
A cocktail bar, where you “roll the dice” was next up. Bohemia is a great venue where your preferred drink can be ordered unless you “roll the dice”. The barman gives you two dice, each number represents a spirit. The numbers you roll then determine what the mixologist must use. Their ingenious creative skills mean you end up with a drink combination you may have never thought possible. In one instance, we were taken back to 1920s New Orleans with a whisky-based drink that looked appealing but didn’t quite give us the taste we hoped for. Our next roll provided something a little fruitier and from there, we had found our tipple for the evening.
With the night drawing to a close, it was time to reflect on the day and also the company itself. Sitting around a small table. Sam and Tim both enthused about how far Chillibyte has come and how excited they are for the next chapter.