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Inside 'Corporate Coachella': The hype-filled festival for young professionals 
This is a moment in the four-day outdoor festival for young PwC consultants.
Video: Instagram | PwC Australia
If actual Coachella had Billie Eilish on the main stage, then Corpchella is headlined by the Parramatta Eels mental skills coach Andrew May and human behaviour PhD Jemma King hosting a biohacking workshop in the lineup.
People in activewear weave between teepees in the sprawling green hills of the Hunter Valley to experience tear-filled workshops about unlocking your 'inner child'.
To get into the hottest immersion in town, you need to wait in line for an hour. Breath-work sessions are held before colleagues get into an ice bath.
Welcome to PwC's "The Outside"
The new $15m annual event is about "future-proofing" their 3000 senior associates and managers who choose to join.
The lowdown
The annual calendar event costs $5000 per employee, but it's free for any staff member to attend.  Each day has a different theme, and PwC send 600 senior associates and managers each week, for five weeks.
Video: Instagram | PwC Australia
The week's activitiesat a glance:
Sunday is about connection to country
Monday is about self-discovery
Tuesday touches on the future of technology, trends and skills
Thursday involves building connections with an "un-conference"
Video: Instagram | PwC Australia
'War on talent'
Consultancy is ultra competitive. The Big Four consultancy firms - PwC, KPMG, Deloitte and EY - have long fought it out for the best young talent. In 2022's candidate-short market, this one-of-a-kind corporate festival might be the thing to help win the war on talent.
"
Number one, we need to invest in people.
Lead curator and PwC’s Future of Work Lead Partner 
Lawrence Goldstone
Number three, if we create amazing experiences like this, of course people are going to want to come here. And they’ll want to stay.
Number two, we need to invest in people in a way that shows who we are and is really about our growth and development.
Employees only
Four colleagues, who had started as grads together in 2019, emerged from a raw, emotional immersion about “finding your inner five year-old” and all agreed they wanted to be more authentic in the office.
“I think [PWC] show they really want to care for their employees after the past few years where it’s been a bit rough working from home," consulting senior associate Kevin Sie added.
Consulting senior associate Hilary Fong, said she hadn't seen her team in person for a long time.
Many employees said the festival made them feel valued. For others, it was about connecting with peers.
Video: Instagram | PwC Australia
Goldstone wants "The Outside" event to be a big deal in the corporate world.
"Forget the $15m, that's locked in for next year I believe. This is for the senior associates and managers. Let's do it for the senior managers and directors, let's do it for the partners, let's do it for our clients," he said.
WORDS: Joanna PanagopoulosPRODUCER: Bianca Farmakis
																		

Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/web-stories/free/the-australian/inside-corporate-coachella-the-hype-filled-festival-for-young-professionals