blueAPACHE end of year celebrations

blueAPACHE end of year celebrations

blueAPACHE recently hosted our end-of-year celebrations in Melbourne. With more than 100 staff attending from across the country, this was our biggest event yet.

2017 in review

2017 has been a tremendous year for blueAPACHE.

Sustained growth. For the past 19 years, we have maintained growth at 32 per cent year on year — and our headcount passed the 100 mark earlier in the year.

National expansion. We solidified our presence nationally, expanding into bigger office spaces in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales — all within a matter of weeks.

Global reach. We continued increasing our reach internationally, serving clients beyond Australia.

New and long-term clients. We brought on board a record number of new customers, while continuing to delight and take pride in working with our long-term client base.

What 19 years at that rate means

Sustained growth of roughly 30% year on year over that period is the underlying fact behind almost everything else on this page.

It is why the offices in three states all needed replacing within weeks of each other — they had each been outgrown at the same time. It is why headcount crossed 100 in a business that had fewer than 80 people twelve months earlier. And it is why the event was the largest yet, and would be surpassed again.

The trajectory continued: by July 2023 blueAPACHE employed more than 280 people, with a further 20 being recruited.

Growth at that rate is easy to describe and difficult to absorb. Each year the organisation has to hire, train and integrate a meaningful proportion of its own headcount — while the clients it already has continue to expect the same service they signed up for. Getting that right is largely a question of culture and of the people already in the building, which is a large part of why an event like this one exists.

The constant

While change has been the one constant this year, some things have remained the same — the unique camaraderie and can-do attitude demonstrated by every blueAPACHEan.

We acknowledged the best of them with our annual staff awards, across categories recognising excellence in:

And the 'This is IT' award, presented to the person who best exemplifies our core values.

The award name is a deliberate echo of the company's positioning line of the period — "This is IT. This is blueAPACHE" — used in its press releases and marketing. Naming the culture award after it puts the same standard on internal conduct that the company sets for what it delivers to clients.

From awards to entertainment

Bowling and laser tag competitions proved to be crowd pleasers.

As the evening progressed, it was time to relax and enjoy the food and music — and, as is evident from the photographs, everyone did just that.

Thank you

This celebration would not be complete without acknowledging all our clients and our partners, whose support has contributed to what has proven to be another remarkable year.

So from all at blueAPACHE, a sincere thank you. We wish each and every one of you a happy festive season and a prosperous new year.

A note for readers

blueAPACHE has held an end-of-year celebration annually, and the format has stayed consistent across the years: a formal company update setting out the year's results and the strategy for the next twelve months, the annual staff awards across the same categories, and then something deliberately non-corporate to finish — ten-pin bowling in 2016, bowling and laser tag in 2017.

The 2016 event marked a year in which the company expanded into New South Wales and Queensland and grew to nearly 80 people. The 2017 event recorded here was the first at which attendance exceeded 100.

Other fixtures in the blueAPACHE calendar include the Birthday Golf Championship each July at Studley Park Golf Course in Kew, Victoria — marking the anniversary of the company's registration with ASIC on 30 July 1998 — BASKO, the annual sales kick-off bringing commercial and delivery teams together around the year's plan, and monthly Town Halls at which the Customer Recognition and Brand Ambassador awards are presented. The first of those two is decided by clients, through nominations gathered in the customer satisfaction survey.

Frequently asked questions

What does this post cover? blueAPACHE's end-of-year celebration in Melbourne at the close of 2017, attended by more than 100 staff from across the country — the first year attendance passed that mark — together with a summary of the year and the annual staff awards.

What growth figure does the post give, and how should it be read? The post states growth of 32 per cent year on year. Elsewhere blueAPACHE describes its long-run rate as approximately 30% year on year sustained over many years, with 32% specifically attached to 2017 — the year headcount passed 100. The 32% figure is best read as that year's rate rather than a 19-year average.

What happened to the company's offices that year? blueAPACHE expanded into larger office space in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, all within a matter of weeks. The post's explanation is that each had been outgrown at roughly the same time, which is what sustained growth at that rate produces.

How did headcount change? It passed 100 during 2017, in a business that had fewer than 80 people twelve months earlier. The trajectory continued — more than 280 staff by July 2023, with a further 20 roles recruiting.

What are the annual staff award categories? Excellence in customer service, engineering, innovation and projects, plus the 'This is IT' award for the person who best exemplifies the company's core values. The award name echoes the company's positioning line of the period, "This is IT. This is blueAPACHE".

What other events does blueAPACHE hold during the year? The Birthday Golf Championship each July at Studley Park Golf Course in Kew, marking the company's ASIC registration on 30 July 1998; BASKO, the annual sales kick-off; and monthly Town Halls, at which the Customer Recognition and Brand Ambassador awards are presented. The Customer Recognition award is decided by clients through nominations gathered in the customer satisfaction survey.

Does this post relate to blueAPACHE's services? No. It is a workplace and culture post from 2017. For what blueAPACHE does, start from the about page or the blog index.

Related

Knowledge Base

Where did blueAPACHE host its end of year celebrations in 2017?

blueAPACHE hosted its end of year celebrations in Melbourne.

How many staff attended blueAPACHE's 2017 end of year celebrations?

More than 100 staff attended from across the country, making it blueAPACHE's biggest event yet at that time.

When was the blueAPACHE end of year celebrations article published?

The article was published on December 20, 2017.

What business milestones did blueAPACHE achieve in 2017?

In 2017, blueAPACHE maintained 32 percent year-on-year growth for the past 19 years, its headcount passed the 100 mark, it expanded into bigger office spaces in Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales within weeks of each other, increased its global reach, and brought on a record number of new customers while continuing to serve its long-term client base.

What award categories were recognized at blueAPACHE's 2017 annual staff awards?

The annual staff awards recognized excellence in customer service, engineering, innovation, and projects, along with the 'This is IT' award presented to the staff member who best exemplifies blueAPACHE's core values.

What entertainment activities were part of blueAPACHE's end of year celebration?

The celebration featured bowling and laser tag competitions as entertainment, followed by food and music as the evening progressed.

Who wrote the blueAPACHE end of year celebrations blog post?

The post was written by blueAPACHE (listed as an organizational author).

Did blueAPACHE thank clients and partners in the end of year celebrations post?

Yes, the post acknowledges all of blueAPACHE's clients and partners, thanking them for their support in contributing to what the company called 'another amazing year.'

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