By Boomi
Boomi User Groups are the fastest-growing component of Boomi’s customer initiatives. They’re where Boomi users meet face-to-face to learn, share best practices, network, and have fun.
“When you become a Boomi customer, you suddenly have access to tens of thousands of experts,” says Andrew Mishalove, head of Boomi’s community and user groups. “A few hundred might be right in your city.”
As recently as 2017, Boomi User Groups were little more than a good idea. By year-end 2018, there were 10. And during 2019 the number of groups tripled to 30, with these groups sponsoring some 50 live events, five times as many as were held in the previous year.
In addition, 2019 saw new user groups form not only in the United States, but also Canada, the U.K., Australia, and the Asia-Pacific region. Boomi User Groups can now be found in major cities including Boston, Dallas, New York, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, London, Sydney, and Singapore. Some of the user groups focus on a specific industry; for example, a higher education group operates out of Boston.
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Fast-Paced Growth
Even more rapid growth is on the horizon. Mishalove expects that over 60 user group events will be held during 2020. He also foresees new Boomi User Groups being launched in Asia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. And he anticipates the groups moving beyond just regions and forming groups based on use cases, verticals, and products.
“This is how you build relationships,” Mishalove says of the live events. “You look someone in the eye, you shake their hand, and then later, when you see them posting a question online, you think, ‘Now that we have a relationship, I’m going to help them.’” He strongly believes in a #WorkingOutLoud methodology, which encourages purposeful sharing of work with the intent of helping others, building reputations and levels of trustworthiness, and growing a network.
Live and Face-to-Face
Most of the Boomi User Groups hold at least two live events a year. Each event typically attracts up to 70 attendees and runs anywhere between two to six hours, featuring a mix of customer, partner, and Boomi speakers.
Partner speakers discuss topics including the state of the industry, new trends, specific use cases, and customer stories. Boomi speakers present on new product features and functionalities, and they also provide updates to the product roadmaps. Other topics discussed at user group meetings include product demos, best practices, tips and tricks, and techniques for optimization. Some meetings also include post-event socializing, cocktails, and shared meals.
Boomi User Groups also meet at Boomi World, the company’s annual customer and partner conference. At the 2019 conference, held in Washington, D.C., User groups met live to discuss topics that included vertical industries such as higher education and healthcare, and use cases that included onboarding new employees, chatbots, and improving the customer experience.
Leadership opportunities exist, too. While Mishalove organizes many of the events, some 30 customers have stepped up to volunteer as leaders for regional user groups. “It’s a way to pass the baton enabling our team to scale the program and enter new territories,” he says.
The Boomi User Groups are 100 percent designed around helping customers become more successful on the Boomi platform, Mishalove explains. “The community,” he adds, “is an extension of your own team.”