Celebrating 7 Years at SevenRooms: Bianca Esmond

At SevenRooms, 7 is a magical number. So, when a Roomie reaches their 7th anniversary, we help them celebrate their accomplishments with the 7 Wonders of the World experience. What’s that? A 7-day, 6-night vacation to anywhere in the world, sponsored by SevenRooms.

This year, Bianca Esmond, Director of Experiential Marketing & Communications, hit her 7 Year milestone and spoke to us about her SevenRooms journey, the lessons she’s learned, and the Roomies that have had the biggest impact on her.

Justin Stevens (JS): So let’s start by taking it back to the start of your SevenRooms journey. How did you find out about SevenRooms and what was it like working here back then?

Bianca Esmond (BE): In 2016, I was looking for a new role and uploaded my resume to underdog.io as part of my job search. Joel Montaniel, our CEO and Co-Founder, spotted my resume – he noticed my background was in both hospitality and tech — and reached out to me about coming in to interview with SevenRooms. At the time, I’d never heard of SevenRooms and had no idea what the company did.

So, as you do with any good interview prep, I started by jumping on their website… and could not figure out what the company did. I saw a lot of buzzwords on the homepage – CRM, guest data, connected platform, open API – and then noticed the logos of some of the hottest NYC nightclubs. As a nightlife aficionado at the time, I knew I had to take the interview, so I responded to Joel and scheduled a time to meet with him to learn what the company was all about. After walking into the original SevenRooms office on 24th Street, I met Joel and he started talking all about SevenRooms and the value it provided to hospitality clients. I was sold. The rest, as they say, is history. 

When I was hired, they didn’t have an open role for me so they created a new one. I started as the Senior Manager of Brand Marketing, but as the first marketing hire, I did just about everything in those early days from product and customer marketing to PR and social. It was really exciting to be a part of SevenRooms in those early days because we were the number one platform for nightlife and had begun a rapid expansion into restaurants and hotels. But one of the coolest parts of hitting seven years at SevenRooms has been watching the company innovate market-leading tools that have set the standard for the hospitality industry. So much of what has been created by this team is now considered the industry standard, and it’s been incredible to be a part of that story.

JS: You mentioned that you’ve seen SevenRooms grow exponentially over the last seven years. What has it been like for you to see that growth and be responsible for some of it?

BE: I feel so lucky to have joined the company at the time I did, playing a small role in helping SevenRooms expand globally through our marketing and PR efforts. But one of the things I value most about being around for all these years has been getting to meet and learn from the incredible people that sit around the table building and creating at SevenRooms. I always say that one of my favorite parts of working here is that I get to work with people who are so much smarter than me and who have taught me so much over the last seven years. I get to work with people who push, challenge, and don’t take no for an answer, and it’s truly helped me learn and evolve within my discipline. We would not be where we are today – a global company with offices and clients all around the world — without this incredible team. 

I also believe, and this has not changed in all my years here, that we have the best product on the market today. No one even comes close. So few companies within the hospitality or tech sectors are able to achieve what our company has been able to achieve. I’m fortunate that Joel took a chance on me in 2016 and to have grown my role into what it is today.

JS: That’s awesome. I can confidently say I’m glad Joel took a chance on you as well! Can you name some of your biggest lessons during your time at SevenRooms?

BE: I think the first lesson is the power of people. I’ve never seen it work as well as I have at SevenRooms. Specifically in terms of how quickly people can orient themselves around a problem and solve it in a quick and efficient way. It’s really apparent in how we approach new challenges. We always have the right people in the room to solve the problems that are in our way or have come our way in the past. So I think the first lesson is the power of people, and really, the power of how many amazing things can happen when you bring smart people together around a common challenge. 

The other lesson is that there is no task that’s too small and that details matter. Throughout my career, I’ve always been good at focusing on how the little details level up into the big picture, and I find that the SevenRooms team is very good at focusing on the details to achieve the bigger picture or goals that we set for ourselves. It’s honestly not too different from how we think about the product itself, right? The SevenRooms magic happens when small details are used to create magical moments, and I think the same philosophy has very much been applied in building the business. 

JS: One common theme in your answers has been how amazing the people are at SevenRooms. Can you shout out a couple of folks that have had the biggest impact on you over these past seven years?

BE: I’ll start with the founders because they’re the key to this whole story. Allie, Joel, and Kinesh have built a world-class company and I’m just so proud and privileged to have learned from each of them over the last seven years. The way that they approach problems and challenge the team to be better has strengthened so many employees across the company.

Along with the founders, I’ve also met some of my best friends in the world here. Alexa Parisella, who’s our VP of Strategic Sales, was a bridesmaid at my wedding in 2020 and I was a bridesmaid at her wedding in 2023 when she married my husband’s childhood best friend. She and I have been able to travel together all over the world for SevenRooms and it’s been a really exciting journey. You could really say that SevenRooms has become my family in a lot of ways.

We also have the OG’s of SevenRooms, who I have been in the trenches with throughout the last seven years. Hunt, Tim, Jeremy, Alexa D., and Austen are just a few of the people who have had an immense impact on me during my time here. 

I also want to shout out my marketing team in general. I’m so fortunate to get to work with a group of people who are so smart and good at what they do. They have taught me so much in the verticals that they’re experts in. I feel really fortunate that I get to work side-by-side with them in building this company.

JS: I’ve also made some great friends here so I know what you mean. I want to transition a little bit and ask you about your 7 Wonders of the World experience. Where are you going?

BE: I’m very excited about my 7 Wonders experience. I’m going to Bermuda in October to celebrate my babymoon! SevenRooms has seen me through a new job, a marriage, and now a baby as my husband and I get ready to welcome a little girl in December 2023. So before that, we’re going to Rosewood Bermuda to sit by the pool, relax, and enjoy the beautiful white and pink sand beaches.

JS: That’s so fun. Before we wrap up, is there anything else that you want to share?

BE: I’m really fortunate to have been a part of the SevenRooms story over the last seven years. Getting to work with awesome people and traveling all over the world to talk about SevenRooms is kind of amazing. My experience has far exceeded even my wildest dreams of what this job could have been when I started. Back then, it was a tiny start-up in Chelsea with a couple of restaurant clients and now we’re working with global hospitality leaders. My job combines my love for food and travel and my deep admiration and respect for the hospitality industry, making my role a dream come true.

In the beginning, data was a dirty word for hospitality, and trying to get operators to understand why data was so important felt like such an uphill battle. Now, it’s on the tip of everyone’s tongue when it comes to how they want to approach their businesses. I really believe that SevenRooms has played a huge role in changing those perceptions across the globe. So from my perspective, I’m really fortunate to do what I love and to do it with really cool people.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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