We love our hybrid workforce, but there’s something truly special about seeing each other face-to-face. Last year, we kicked off a new tradition of bringing everyone together, and this year, we turned it up a notch with a new name and an even bigger celebration: The ITS Bark & Bond Weeks!

The Barking

With our beloved ITS pups in attendance, the office was full of joyful howls. But the real highlight was the addition of our conference-style sessions. Our very own Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) took center stage to share their wealth of knowledge in hour-long sessions. Whether it was sharpening communication skills or diving deep into advanced developer tools (hello, AP-level Fiddler class!), the energy was electric.

The rooms were packed, the conversations were riveting, and the collaboration made us proud to have so many smart cookies on our team.

The Bonding

No ITS gathering is complete without epic food and fun activities! We brought back some crowd favorites like axe throwing, escape rooms, and cooking classes (zero kitchen fires this time, we’re happy to report!) But we didn’t stop there—we also added delicious breakfast snacks, sip & paint classes, happy hours at a local brewery, and even a visit from the legendary Taharka Brothers ice cream truck. Let’s just say it was impossible to be bored or hungry.

The SWAG

This year’s SWAG was all about Baltimore pride! Our welcome bags were clear, stadium-approved totes (Let’s Go O’s!) and packed with local goodies like Berger Cookies, UTZ crab chips, and a loud luggage wrap (an airport hack.) We even included a 3D-printed ITS magnet, courtesy of our talented team member Kris D. and a laser engraved King Crab Orange YETI mug that took swag to a whole new level. Trust us, this was a coveted SWAG bag!

The Magic

As if all that wasn’t enough, our July Bark & Bond Week also included our annual Kickoff event, with a magic theme. We talked about our goals for the next year and the magic we create in test delivery every day. We gave out the softest long sleeve T-shirts on earth*. And, of course, our creative team brought their magic with a hilarious skit video full of inside jokes. It was the perfect addition to an unforgettable week.

We’re already scheming about next year’s Bark & Bond Weeks, and one thing’s for sure: it’s going to be even bigger, better, and more fun!

*As judged by the author.

About the Author

Maili joined the ITS team in 2010. She is our Employee Event Planner, Creative Lead, and People Person. Maili holds a BA in Visual and Performing Arts from UMBC and maintains the SHRM Certified Professional certification. (We aren’t sure how she does it, but she somehow uses both of those accreditations in her role at ITS!) When she isn’t designing one of our famous ITS T-shirts, you can find her helping our team with their benefits. Outside of ITS, she is a professional photographer and a mom to one tiny human and two tiny cats. Maili loves coffee, CrossFit, and meeting new people.