All Hands 2025: Two Days to Celebrate What We’ve Shared and Prepare for What’s to Come

Last week, we celebrated our Christmas All Hands at the WATA Factory offices – one of the most special moments of the year. It was two days to step away from the routine, reconnect in person and share the milestones that have shaped the past months. Between the talks, the festive spirit and the joy of being together again, it was clear from the very beginning that these were going to be two meaningful days.

We kicked off the morning with a proper Andalusian breakfast: mollete with jamón, extra virgin olive oil and tomato, accompanied by freshly squeezed orange juice and coffee. A breakfast that always hits the spot and helps start the day in a good mood while the first conversations form and the chatter flows from table to table.

Once everyone was settled in, Germán T., CEO of WATA Factory, opened the event with a warm message full of gratitude. He reflected on the year behind us – one marked by a clear push towards adopting new technologies. He highlighted the work of the Support team, the growing role of Terraform in our processes, the way AI has been integrated into design, and above all, the value of each team dedicating time to experimenting, learning and bringing new ideas into the company.

Afterward, Eliezer L. gave us an overview of the agenda — short and to the point, just enough to give everyone a clear sense of how the event would unfold.

The first presentation, New Helpdesk Tool and Next Steps, was introduced by Carmelo B. and presented by Eliezer L.. The talk covered how our support model has evolved over the year, moving from a system based mainly on scattered emails and calls to a much more organized setup thanks to Freshdesk. We also got a preview of what’s coming next: incorporating AI capabilities to streamline tasks, improve efficiency and connect Support with Atlassian Jira in a much smarter way.

After this first session, we took a coffee break — with polvorones, mantecados and chocolates. Between comments about the talk and a few failed attempts to eat a polvorón without making crumbs, we continued the day in great spirits.

The second presentation came from Raquel C.: AI-powered Landing Page Development. She walked us through how Figma Make is helping accelerate the creation of homepages without compromising quality, while adding an extra layer of security. Raquel explained what the tool can do, what it doesn’t aim to be, how it performed in a practical use case and what it contributes in terms of speed and autonomy — as well as outlining its current limitations

The session sparked a lively discussion with many technical questions and different perspectives on fit, security and impact on development work. A rich exchange that made it clear that this is a topic we’ll continue exploring together.

And to wrap up the morning on a cheerful note, some colleagues surprised us with a very Christmassy detail. With the help of AI, they created a personalised Christmas carol featuring all our names, fun everyday anecdotes and a gallery of images looking back at moments from the past ten years. Filled with laughter, comments and an increasingly festive atmosphere, the video was the perfect closing touch before leaving the office.

With that holiday spirit firmly in place — and the carol still stuck in our heads — we headed to the centre of Jerez to continue the All Hands outside our usual workspace. We started with lunch at a local restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide, where good food turned into long conversations and a relaxed atmosphere.

The afternoon continued at El Gallo Azul, located in one of Jerez’s most iconic buildings. The space, the light and the aesthetics made for a naturally flowing afternoon: drinks, laughter, conversations, a few personal moments and lots of photos. A place full of character to close the day and keep enjoying our Christmas All Hands together.

The next morning, we resumed the event with another traditional Christmas breakfast: Roscón de Reyes. For those who didn’t grow up with this tradition, it’s always entertaining to learn what the bean means, who ends up paying for the next roscón and who is crowned king of the breakfast. And of course, it tastes amazing — this year accompanied by small 3D-printed WATA Factory keychains as a gift.

The first presentation of the day was Tech Momentum, delivered by Pedro G. and Eliezer L. They offered a complete overview of the technical areas we’ve deepened this year: technologies oriented toward Continuous Monitoring, the solid foundation provided by working with Kubernetes and the initiatives we want to drive forward in 2026 across Development, Quality Management and Project Management. New workflows, improvements to internal processes, new tools… a clear roadmap that reflects both the work done and what’s coming next.

Next up was Víctor G. with his talk From Story to Endpoint: Principles and Conventions in REST APIs. He explained how good conventions — clean structures, consistent methods, clear pagination and orderly error handling — make all the difference in an API, and how well-written user stories can become a solid guide for the entire development process.

Around mid-morning, another fun surprise appeared. If in past Christmas All Hands we had already seen the Three Wise Men — or even Santa Claus — this year we took it up a notch. Suddenly, a Bedouin entered the room, one of those characters deeply tied to Andalusian Christmas tradition, announcing the arrival of the Kings and bringing life to any celebration. The character was brought to life by Pedro G., who is now a true All Hands costume master, appearing in costume three years in a row — much to everyone’s delight.

And to make sure the Iberian touch wasn’t missing, a full jamón leg soon appeared as well — performed by our dear Juan Miguel G. The combination was perfect: immediate laughter, general surprise and an atmosphere that lifted instantly. One of those moments you don’t plan much, but end up remembering the most.

As in every Christmas All Hands, it was then time for our much-awaited gift exchange. Like every year, we took the stage, opened gifts and shared plenty of laughs. There were useful presents, unexpected ones, funny ones… and, of course, the unmissable mugs that have become part of the unwritten All Hands tradition.

Right after that came the highlight of this All Hands: the surprise we had been preparing for months. We invited Isabel G., Carmelo B., Pedro G. and Isabel D. onto the stage to celebrate something huge: ten years at WATA Factory. A decade of great work, of showing up day after day, of moving in the same direction and growing with the company. Ten years that speak of commitment, professionalism and — above all — of people who have left a lasting mark on our journey. Even though Isabel D. couldn’t join us this time, the award and Germán T.’s personal thanks were addressed to all four.

Seeing them come on stage together was truly moving — it wasn’t just a simple recognition; it was looking back at everything they have built. And when they received their trophies, the applause was immediate, long and heartfelt — an applause born from the team’s pride and affection.

And the celebration continues beyond our borders: two more trophies are on their way to Germany, where more colleagues are also celebrating their first decade at WATA Factory.

And of course, our All Hands “mascot” didn’t go unnoticed: Christmas hampers stacked into the shape of a Wise Man, complete with his cape and crown. A fun little detail that stayed with us throughout the event and sparked more than a few smiles.

When the moment finally came to pick up our Christmas hampers, we discovered they were especially well stocked: multifloral honey, Chardonnay Entrechuelos, Entrechuelos Roble, ibérico salchichón velita, chorizo and – taking centre stage – a Montaraz jamón. A perfect selection to enjoy at home over the holidays.

And so, between conversations, learning, recognition and many wonderful moments, we wrapped up our December All Hands. We leave with the feeling of having shared something meaningful, of having highlighted everyone’s contribution and of recharging our energy for whatever 2026 has in store.

See you in March at the next All Hands – and if this one proved anything, it’s that we’re ready to go all in.