In conversations with people around the scene, Social Tables is usually talked about as a young, hip office—and that office is set for some rapid growth thanks to its traction in the area of software-enabled hospitality. VP of people operations Samantha Cicotello now tells DC Inno that the company plans to increase the size of its staff by 60 jobs—a 50-percent jump—within twelve months.
At a Vinetta Project pitch competition last week, early Social Tables investor and current LifeFuels CEO Jonathon Perrelli mentioned his investment in the company and a quick golf clap followed. He smiled. “Of course, you know them… Everybody likes them.”
Cicotello, who joined the company after 14 years working at The Motley Fool in senior positions, said that a number of factors influenced Social’s fast rise. A few key elements, however, were obvious. “We are in that special place of right people, right customers, right product, right moment. You can only create growth at a certain speed with your people and your product,” she said.
Social Tables’ VP added that,“true growth” came when customer acquisition, sales and industry potential all simultaneously increased.
In December 2013, only months after Social Tables was founded, the company had already grown from a core group of individuals to have 20 professionals on its payroll. By the end of 2015, Social Tables will have a team that is six times the size of its team that first year.
"We are in that special place of right people, right customers, right product, right moment."
“We are growing quickly to make sure that we can capture the market share early and use those relationships to solve more of the big problems for the industry,” Cicotello told DC Inno.
In comparison to its competitors — companies like Newmarket Inc. — Cicotello said that her company was “the largest from a headcount perspective” and “growing the fastest in adding new customers.”
In large part, this headcount growth has been fueled by the impressive clients that the company has attracted, including Hyatt Hotels International, the Dallas Cowboys and Twitter.
Locally, the Washington Nationals, Newseum and National Gallery of Art use Social Tables’ software to help plan, coordinate and eventually put on events.
Between 2013 and 2014, Social Tables was able to triple the size of its customer list — adding about 1,000 new clients from approximately 500 during its first year. Recently, that figure has seen a dramatic rise. Social Tables currently services about 3,000 customers, according to data provided to DC Inno.
Being just three years old, and already being named to the Washington Post’s Best Places to Work annual rankings, may be further illustrative of their growth potential. And Social Tables says it expects to continue to grow in these rankings by adding even more new clients and team members.
