How AppOmni brought their team together with BoomPop

AppOmni builds world-class security tools for leading SaaS applications. With the help of BoomPop’s event experts, they recently planned their first in-person gathering after two years of fully-remote work.

We spoke with Technical Program Manager Allie Malenfant to learn more about the experience of planning the event and how it impacted the AppOmni team.

Rediscovering the value of in-person connection

As a fast-growing, remote-first startup, AppOmni’s approach to in-person gatherings has evolved quickly over the last several years. In their early days, company-wide get-togethers were common. As their team scaled, different departments began gathering separately throughout the year. Then, of course, came the pandemic—stalling the possibility of offsites altogether.

Like many companies, the lifting of travel and social distancing restrictions meant that AppOmni’s team was eager to get back in the same room. “This event grew out of a desire from team members to get to know each other in person and a clear recognition from leadership that this is now the cost of doing business,” Malenfant explained.

For Malenfant, whose role includes a variety of program and project management duties, it became clear AppOmni would need a reliable partner to ease the burden of research, logistics, and communication associated with planning an event. That’s when they sought out BoomPop for help crafting the perfect experience.

How AppOmni partnered with BoomPop for a seamless planning process

When it came time to plan their gathering, the AppOmni team needed a trustworthy and experienced partner to help turn their vision into a reality. “We really needed the basics,” Malenfant said. “How do you find a space? Where do we meet up? What does an agenda look like? BoomPop having prior relationships with vendors was really helpful because it allowed me to take a really nebulous concept like ‘the team wants to go somewhere warm in Q1’ and turn it into something real.”

Through working closely with BoomPop’s expert Event Designers, Malenfant was able to gain a clear understanding of the systematic process for putting together an event and presenting those plans internally. “I was really the only person in my company focused on this,” she explained. “I would talk to BoomPop’s Event Designers, get options, and then curate them into bite size pieces that leadership could make decisions on.” This turned what could have been a lengthy and complicated process into a simple, digestible series of decisions that saved time for all involved.

“I felt confident having somebody to bounce ideas off of and expertise to lean on. I didn’t have to navigate hotel contracts and meals and everything on my own. I had really great options to present to leadership, and then it was just a matter of choosing between good things.”

Having an expert to focus on those external planning details allowed Malenfant to focus on the internal logistics of the event, like the team’s preferences, the content they would need to cover, and a variety of other details. “I had a great collaborative relationship with my Event Designer and it gave me peace of mind knowing that when it came to things I wasn’t experienced with, I didn't even need to worry at all.”

Creating a truly memorable experience for the team

The streamlined planning process set up Malenfant and the team for a successful, stress-free event. “Upon my arrival I was able to meet with the hotel staff and see that they had everything well in hand, so I could just be present with my team and make sure all the internal elements were handled.”

With the logistics taken care of, the team could settle in and enjoy their meaningful, rare moments gathered in-person. “Some of my colleagues and I were at a bar with the team after dinner and were just like, ‘hold on, pause—look at how happy everybody looks.’ We could really be present in that moment and soak it in.” That’s the kind of experience that’s possible when you handle all the details and potential snags in advance, leaving you with a simple, satisfying experience that facilitates connection.

Throughout the event, Malenfant received positive feedback from the attendees on the planning and organizing work to make the event possible. In an anonymous feedback survey, attendee sentiment was just as stellar. “Comment after comment said it was so well organized,” she said. “We got a lot of really helpful feedback about things that we could do in the future, but I didn't get a single comment that was not resoundingly positive, which spoke to the level of organization and the team’s need for these events.”

Looking forward, Malenfant and the AppOmni team are more prepared than ever to continue investing in meaningful in-person experiences. “The positive feedback we heard definitely validates the value of bringing everybody together, especially for a remote-first company.” Through partnering with BoomPop, they’ll be able to continue creating world-class experiences without the time and stress of DIY planning, providing more time to focus on what matters most: their team.

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