The 2022 BirchStreet Customer Conference: A Memorable and Impactful 20th Anniversary Celebration

Every year, the Birchstreet team and, more importantly, our partners look forward to the BirchStreet customer conference. As a technology provider, we know that there is no forward momentum without continued innovation, and the strength of our partnerships with our valued customers and suppliers acts as an undeniable catalyst to ongoing hospitality procurement excellence. The BSS Customer Conference is an opportunity for celebration and connection that not only allows us to reminisce on the success of the year past but sets the stage for what’s to come.

This year’s conference was especially monumental, as it marked the first post-pandemic conference following a two-year hiatus and, more importantly, BirchStreet’s 20th anniversary. From November 7th until November 9th, BirchStreet’s customers and suppliers, along with our customer success, sales, and leadership teams, came together in Fort Lauderdale to eat, drink, network, and learn from an impressive line-up of industry leaders throughout memorable breakout sessions and discussion. Not to be forgotten, this year’s conference also featured an incredible keynote speaker – the one and only Anthony Melchiorri, the creator and host of Travel Channel’s Hotel Impossible, Five Star Secrets, and Extreme Hotels.

Now that the BSS Customer Conference has officially come to a close, we caught up with our leadership team to discuss the (many) highlights of this year’s event.

The BirchStreet Customer Conference was the highlight of my year. I was especially impressed hearing our keynote speaker, Anthony Melchiorri, share his unique industry insights, shares Brendan Reidy, BirchStreet Chairman and CEO. It was wonderful to hear @Adam Butts of Aimbridge Hospitality detail the extremely positive results derived from deploying our newest product, sometimes referred to as BirchStreet Lite to over 800 select service hotels. We also found it incredibly enlightening to hear how Anne Hanch from Hyatt Hotels and Stephen Harrington from Delaware North Companies view their partnerships with BirchStreet as an opportunity to enable change management across multiple locations in the United States and abroad. Finally, thank you also to Montage International for your reinforcement of our Gold Standard implementations. I came away from the conference energized to hear our clients' and partners' overwhelming support and enthusiasm for the changes we have implemented at BirchStreet.

Chief Commercial Officer Paul Rantilla whose marketing team oversaw the organization of the conference said,Joining our customers and prospects for the 2022 BirchStreet Customer Conference was an absolute privilege. Not having convened in person since 2019, it was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with our customers and learn how their businesses have shifted as hospitality continues to evolve through unprecedented times.

The BirchStreet team was able to share our direction and strategy and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. It was fantastic to hear that our customers are aligned on where our company is heading. Additionally, it was great to hear their immediate feedback and give them an opportunity to shape the future of BirchStreet. All in all, it was an awesome experience and we look forward to the 2023 event.

It was amazing to see our customers talking, with us and each other, about the value BirchStreet software provides their businesses, shares John McCaffrey, Chief Customer Officer at BirchStreet Solutions. Interest in our future roadmap was very high, and we really appreciate the engagement and feedback. Not to mention – it was great to see everyone in person again.

According to Gareth Fraser, VP of Sales & Marketing Enablement, the conference's ultimate highlight was the feedback from some of BirchStreet’s top executives. To hear from some of our top executives that this event was the most successful customer conference of their careers spoke volumes of the organizational effort from our team, he shares. I also want to express my gratitude to the efforts put forth by our partners at Four Seasons, Encore, Bonomotion, Hawp Media, Puzzle Partner, Hospitality Net, Amanda Ron photography, and Music with Ruth. The support of our conference sponsors, Hilton Supply Management, Amazon Business, Dragonfly Strategists, and Workday, also highlighted the quality of networking and interaction from the 120 in attendance.

The impact of our new ownership of Serent Capital and Parthenon Capital, new leadership, and new direction of the company also shone through in every aspect of the conference, adds Fraser. Our goal was to make our customers see and feel our care for them and their use of our solutions at their properties. The quality of the conference aligns with the quality of BirchStreet as we go onward together from our 20th anniversary year.

SVP of Solutions Consulting Kim Huff notes that this year’s conference was especially meaningful to her. This year's Customer Conference marked BirchStreet's 20th anniversary, and the stars of the show were our dedicated clients and employees who helped make BirchStreet what it is today, she explains. Celebrating this historic event in person was particularly important in the wake of COVID. I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and connecting with those I hadn't been able to see in so long. One of the experiences that stands out the most is hearing our clients present on topics that have made them successful using BirchStreet over the years. They have such an incredible amount of knowledge and expertise. Our event planners also did an excellent job pulling together a fantastic experience in a beautiful location.

SVP of Customer Experience Karla Kannan shared why this year's conference was particularly special. It brought together our clients and partners in a more intimate setting marking our first-time meeting since the pandemic. The topics were tailored to cover best practices and trends in the hospitality space with presenters that work directly with our accounts. Having some of our clients participate as guest speakers ensured that we had audience interaction. Overall, this conference's customer-centric approach directly reflects how we partner with our customers in daily interactions.

Christi Schoepke, Director of Sales & Marketing Events noted that, This was the first time we came together with our customers and suppliers for an in-person event since pre-Covid and it was a huge success! I heard from quite of a few of our customers that networking with fellow clients and meeting their BirchStreet contacts face-to-face was extremely valuable to their relationship with BirchStreet.

Our customers were pleased with everything from the content provided, the location, the investment in creating networking opportunities and having a little fun in between with our evening events. It provided a platform to build upon relationships with new clients and strengthen the bond with existing customers, partners, and sponsors, as well. I look forward to working together towards an even better experience for our customers in 2023.

All presentations and associated events were filmed to be shared with the global customer based in mid-December as an online streaming Customer Conference event.

There is no denying it; the 2022 BSS Customer Conference was one for the books, and the buzz and excitement shared throughout the event are still palpable. With 2023 just around the corner, the BirchStreet team is looking forward to next year's conference and another 20 years of success and innovation shared with our clients.

Media Contact

Gareth Fraser

Vice President of Sales & Marketing Enablement [email protected]