Friday Fun: have an interesting Atlassian conference tradition?

[Dave Liao]

Naturally, many of us have attended Summit (now Team). At conferences, we meet others, we learn from each another, and we appreciate each other for our quirks. We also develop traditions!

Have any conference traditions? Examples:

• When you go to a city, are there favorite restaurants or cuisines you have to try? I have a friend who orders huevos rancheros everywhere she goes. 🥓🥞
• Do you organize meetups with teammates to trade swag?
• Do you collect hotel "Do Not Disturb" signs?

Me? I organize dim sum. It's not always scheduled for post-Bash, but it usually is. 😉🥟

Above: a dim sum cart at Orchids Garden in Las Vegas. I took this blurry-cam shot using a potato camera. The lady pushing the cart was confused.

There's almost always a dim sum place near the event venue, and who doesn't like dim sum?

Until we all can meet together in-person again. 🙏

[Susan Hauth [Jira Queen]]

After 11 Summits - Traditions:

1. Pull out all my Atlassian shirts, hoodies, hats (and now shoes) and wear a different set each day

2. Replace the Ribbon with my name tag on it, with the one covered in flare buttons from many years of collecting them at Summits

3. Round up the leaders for dinner prior to the Summit.  This use to be 12 of us it has kind of exploded over the years.  Luckily Atlassian has now stepped in to set that up.

4. Network with the other leaders to find and secure invites to the best Summit parties (e.g. Adaptavist beach party). 

5. Finally dig up my 2010 - Atlassian summit Rockband Champion t-shirt and find the most appropriate time to wear it.

Unfortunately some of these will not be happening for virtual Team 2021, but promise to find all my swag, flare, t-shirts, hats and hoodies!!

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

@Susan Hauth [Jira Queen] what A legend you are! 👸🏼💙

#4 is difficult to achieve this year for obvious reasons but you could still attempt all the others virtually 😊 

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

Oh, and are you not part of the pre-summit Road Trip crew? Is was that just the once?

[Susan Hauth [Jira Queen]]

There have been 2 pre-summit road trips.   San Diego --> San Jose 2017 - 8 attendees: 5 leaders, 3 partners.  @Beejal Nagar arranged that one.  LA, Hurst Castle, Santa Barbara.

The 2nd one was San Diego --> Vegas 2019 - 4 attendees all leaders.  Mark Livingstone was key organizer on this one.  Grand Canyon was the highlight.

The 3rd one was all arranged for 2020 - 8 attendees.  San Diego --> Vegas with a stay over in Pahrump, Death Valley hiking was going to be the highlight.

Still hoping for a 2022 road trip and let me know Andy if you want in!!!

[Dave Liao]

@Susan Hauth [Jira Queen] - I love the drive between Southern California and the Bay Area. Drove from Oakland to Long Beach - stopping in Santa Barbara! - and it was a delight.

I've heard Death Valley hiking is worth it - the name along freaks me out!

[Esther Strom]

Wow! That's amazing. I know you didn't invite me, but I'd be up for a road trip if 2022 is in-person.

[Sarah Shoop]

Susan, you've created some awesome traditions! This year is my 1st Atlassian Summit; I'm so thankful it's fully online accessible! 

[Darryl Lee]

Eat.

I eat way too much free food at Summits. Like even when I'm already full.

[Dave Liao]

I can relate...

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

The three of us will be best of buddies once Team goes back to be being In Person!!!!

🥘 🍱 🍲 ❤️ 👍 

[Darryl Lee]

@Dave Liao Oh man, since I live in the Bay Area, I'm always tempted to bring food home with me, so that GIF rings so true.

When Summit was in San Jose, I was like, YES! I might have snuck out a few Bash cookies or cupcakes in napkins. You know for my wife and kids. :-}

I guess a real pro would bring their own Tupperware™.

I'm reminded of a photo I saw of somebody who packed an empty suitcase (soft duffel?) just to pack swag - mainly t-shirts. Flying Southwest, I presume?

[Susan Hauth [Jira Queen]]

Darryl, Everyone comes to Summit with an empty suitcase or a empty duffel to bring back all the swag!!!

[Dave Liao]

@Darryl Lee - ha! After events, organizers that know me usually give me food since they knew I have (had?) a lifestyle that was not conducive to cooking. 🤣

[Dave Liao]

@Andy - PTC Redundant - my body is ready

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

I have two standard conference protocols that I consider my traditions and one brand new ACL specific one:

1. Take a bucket of sleeping pills with me! 🛌 💊 I never take sleeping pills, but when I go on a two day+ conference I get giddy like a kid who got their birthday, Easter and Christmas all on the same day. And then the Adrenalin is spiking through me so hard I just don’t sleep and I need me some pilliez. Crazy!!!

My last Atlassian event was Vienna Open 2019.... and I forgot to take them 😳😖(it had been a while since my last conference and I wasn’t in the mode)

I couldn’t sleep the night before due to the excitement of the anticipation, then lost sleep during my stay in Vienna. Three whole days and nights without sleep. SWOOSH!! 🌈 

2. DO NOT GO to the talks. (Yes, I can hear you all screaming “WHAT! That’s the whole point of a conference!?”)

True that, but my reasoning is simple, and in my opinion quite ingenious: the expo hall is EMPTY AF during these moments, and then it is the best time to go round all the stands and engage properly with the standees.

I also notice, that in these moments, the peeps are totally more chill and our chats are so much more effective than if the hall is horribly rammed and busy.

I will go to a talk if it is super unique, like this year’s Team 21 key note (not to be missed!!!) but if I get a sense of “I really know that subject” or “it’ll be online later” I skip

3. THE DODGEMS!! I don’t know if we can call it a tradition yet as it’s only been the once (due to Corona) but at OpenVienna, we had ACL dinner at the famous Vienna Ferris Wheel 🎡 and the fair there had dodgems.... OMGoodness it was #AMAZABALLS. 

Solid plans were made for Summit 20’ to do it again but alas... we all know how that turned out. I really hope there’ll be a next time to truly turn this into a tradition!

[Dave Liao]

@Andy - PTC Redundant - good call on the sleeping pills. I might have to bring melatonin gummies instead, since I'm not sure how sleeping pills would mess with me? 🤣

What in the world is a dodgem? Checking ye olde search engine...

[Linda Milne_Togetha Group_]

My first conference this year. But I like the idea of dim sum!.... mmmmm yuuuuummmm love the custard tarts

[Dave Liao]

@Linda Milne_Togetha Group_ - yay, welcome!

Where's your favorite spot in the world for custard tarts?

[Linda Milne_Togetha Group_]

Well... Ive only had them in Sydney. 😁 But I believe the best ones were meant to be at the Marigold in George St - and yes, they were indeed lovely. I always made sure I left plenty of room for a few (a number I'm not prepared to admit🤣) at the end. Not had any (anywhere 😢) since I left Sydney a few years ago so I cant vouch for the currency of this information!

.... been meaning to try making them. Perhaps it is time. I can do remote dim sum!

[Flavien Gache]

First conference this year too.

Usually, when I worked in other fields, I used to go to the restaurant and treat myself because I love food. Especially cakes. :)

[Dave Liao]

Ooh, any general recommendations once we're all generally traveling again?

In the States, if I can find a Cheesecake Factory, sometimes I'll indulge.

In Philadelphia, there's an Italian bakery that makes an ice cream doughnut. Oh, and it's covered in powdered sugar. A dentist's nightmare? 🤣

[Linda Milne_Togetha Group_]

I did a short trip to San Fran and discovered Wetzels Pretzels - do you still have them? Went totally mad for them. We don't have them in the land down under.

[Valerie Palmer]

Food is a great idea.  I go in with the mindset of:  

[Dave Liao]

@Valerie Palmer - taking over the world, one meal at a time? I can get behind that!

When things are better, I'll host a food crawl - probably safer than a bar crawl for a multitude of reasons. 😅

[Esther Strom]

I've only been to two Summits (San Jose 2017, Barcelona 2018), so I don't know if I'd call it a tradition. But since both were cities I'd not been to before, every day I got up early - and I'm NOT a morning person! - to walk around the city before things got busy. 

[Dave Liao]

@Esther Strom - Sounds like a tradition to me! 🚶‍♀️

I've only been to Barcelona's airport, but it was lovely when I poked my head outside. ☀

[Esther Strom]

Oh, it was! I wish I had spent more time there; I stayed near the conference center so I could walk to the sessions, but it was out on the edges of the city in a pretty new neighborhood. I'd love to go back and spend more time in the more historical areas.

And isn't their airport amazing? I haven't traveled extensively, but compared to what I'm used to (O'Hare and DFW, mostly) it's so clean, and their shopping is more like a luxury mall than touristy traps like Chicago sweatshirts.

[Martin Bayer _MoroSystems_ s_r_o__]

I've been to Barcelone on AtlasCamp 2016. I remember we had a beer walk in the evening. Tens of people started but only few of us survived :D. I will always support this type of tradition :D

[Gonchik Tsymzhitov]

My main tradition was in Atlassian conference a conversation with Atlassian's employee. 

Directly ask the roadmap, review cases and beering :)

[Justine Violante {Appfire}]

Dim Sum with Dave is actually the best hangover remedy to an EPIC Atlassian Bash the night before. @Dave Liao will actually actively remind you not to fill up on baos (filling bread buns) so that you have space for all the other delicious food that the trolley ladies come around with. Being a resident of Zurich for the last 5 years, with very limited and disappointing access to Dim Sum, his sage advice was followed and my dim sum fix was well and truly next -level satisfying. Can't wait till we can do this again!

[Daniel Ebers]

I haven't been to so many conferences so I have never considered something as a real tradition but having a nice Dim Sum meal sounds very delicious and something to consider (haha!).

Networking and listening to the shows is something great, but I would not call it a tradition :)

Oh boy and I should not mention eating too much and having too less sleep - but hey, it's not a every day's thing being on road on a conference :)
Did I mention Bash?

While the online conference was just great I hope to have the chance for going to an in-person event near time soon.

[Gonchik Tsymzhitov]

@Daniel Ebers Would you like to setup a in-person event?