At My Table: Where Our Paths Meet.

In the midst of the noise and chaos, I often pause and realise how remarkable it is that every person around me is unique. Not one person is the same. Not in looks, shape or size. Not in one thing, except the heart that beats in their chest and the blood that runs through their veins.

I love sitting at the airport, quietly watching the faces passing by. For a brief moment, I realise that each one is a soul on a distinctive journey, past and present. And then the voice in my head gently reminds me of my own.

Born in the '80s, I struggle to comprehend how quickly the emotional landscape of our world has shifted, and how the environments we've created now shape us, consistently, towards instability. In one lifetime we've gone from knowing our neighbours by name to needing to deliberately create space just to undo the spaces that pull us into isolation. We doom-scroll. We disconnect. Some of us retreat to the backyard to grow our own vegetables, simply to feel something real again.

Recently, in the midst of a meeting, I expressed the motion to encourage our teams to focus more on customer service within our industry. To my surprise, a comment “you’re delusional” quietly sums it up.

This unrest has caused many to grow cold in their love for one another: in compassion, in patience, in understanding. I was raised on a simple truth: "Treat others as you would want to be treated." (Luke 6:31; Matt 7:12). It sounds almost old-fashioned now. I've come to believe it is the most practical advice I was ever given. Thank you mommy and daddy.

The Table

When I think about where that truth comes to life, I keep returning to one image: a table.

Some of the most important moments of my life have happened around one. My family's kitchen table, where arguments were settled and plans were made. Boardroom tables where nervous handshakes turned into ten-year partnerships. Long banquet tables at events where a stranger in seat 14 became a friend by dessert.

A table does something nothing else can. It puts us at the same height. It asks us to face one another. It slows us down long enough to listen. That, if I'm honest, is why ONE39 Central exists. On paper, we organise conferences and design event spaces. In reality, we build tables. Some are literal. Most are not. A summit where a government department and a start-up finally hear each other. A launch where a team that has worked remotely for two years meets face to face. A gala where a supplier's craftsmanship becomes the thing everyone talks about on the drive home.

Every event we deliver is, at its heart, an invitation to come out of isolation and sit down together. And do life together. Everyone who has a seat

So this column is my table and I'd like to tell you who I'm setting a place for.

For our clients.

You trust us with your people, your reputation and often your biggest moments of the year. I don't take that lightly. Behind every run sheet and floor plan is a team asking one question: will the people in this room feel seen? Respected. Loved.

For our suppliers.

The technicians, caterers, décor teams, drivers and crew who arrive before dawn and leave long after the applause. You are not line items on a budget. You are the reason it works, and you deserve a seat at the head of the table far more often than you get one. Afterall, do you not create job opportunities? Have a family and a table of your own?

And for you.

Whoever you are, reading this between meetings or on your phone in a queue somewhere: you're on a journey I know nothing about, and you're welcome here too.

Where Our Paths Meet

In the months ahead I'll use this space to share stories from behind the scenes: the triumphs, the near-disasters, the people who make it all possible, and the lessons a decade of bringing people together has taught me.

But mostly, I want this to be a reminder of what I feel in that airport lounge. In a world that keeps pushing us apart, every gathering is a small act of resistance. Every conversation across a table is a chance to warm what has grown cold.

Our paths are all different. But every now and then, they meet. When they do, I hope there's a seat for me at your table.

— Jacques Groenewald, Founder & CEO, ONE39 Central