Networking and Making Friends at Conferences!

[Ditte Simard]

I had the amazing opportunity to attend Team '22 last year and I am happy to say that I get to return to Vegas for Team '23 this year! 

Team '22 was a mind-blowing experience in and of itself... and being able to meet with ACTUAL Atlassian folks in person along with all the different vendors was very helpful.

All that being said, I came to the conference completely on my own last year and at times I struggled with meeting new people or figuring out how to ask a group of cool looking folks if they wanted to chat.  

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions for networking or *gasp* making friends at conferences?  Is Atlassian going to have a meeting area called "People Seeking Conference Buddies"? (kidding but not kidding)

Thanks for any and all advice!  :)

[Terri Broome]

I did the exact same thing last year.  Talk about mind blowing.  I wish I was coming this year.  Sadly, I'll be in Indonesia for a 10-day dive trip that is happening at the exact same time.  

Talk to the Partners! Talk to the marketplace teams. Look for the Atlassian Community leaders. Do your best to talk to everyone.  If you find the guys from Old Street Solutions, they are a blast! I'm sure Andy will be bringing his rainbow jacket and socks back out for Teams 23! 

Attend the events in the evenings at the restaurants, even if you go alone. Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to anyone who will listen.  That kind of networking is priceless. 

I hope you have a fantastic time!  Don't forget to stay through Friday morning.  You don't want to miss the Bash! 

[Ditte Simard]

Thank you for the advice!!

Just so you know, I am very jealous of your dive trip!  It sounds like a trip of a lifetime.  My husband and I go scuba diving a couple times a year (one of the benefits of living in Florida) and we have a lot of dive spots on our diving bucket list.  :)  We have a goal of diving the Great Barrier Reef sometime in the next 5-10 years.

[Terri Broome]

I live in GA.  I'm coming down to Florida this weekend.  Want to go diving? :D 
I am debating Lake City area.  As long as you guys are at least Advanced Open Water, you can go where I'm headed.  Buford Springs or Paradise Springs. 

[CLyons]

I've been to many Teams/Summits of yester-years and after a decade (as a Community Leader, as a Consultant, as a regular user and admin alike!), this is a wonderful opportunity to begin to catch up with the familiar faces.  I'm a staunch introvert and yet I've been able to socialize so easily at the Atlassian conference. For me, its because we are all there with a common purpose - the Atlassian toolset!  That takes so much pressure off!!  I've found taking the time to randomly join tables at lunch/break time and starting conversations with 'How are you liking the conference?' or 'What brings you here?' gets the conversation flowing fast and furious.  Some people are there to find better ways for processes, others to learn, some are about to undertake a cloud migration or are looking to automate. I've yet to encounter anyone that told me to 'buzz off' which has only helped my resolve in striking up those random conversations.  Then!  By the time Bash rolls around, you already have familiar faces.  I hope this helps and perhaps we will cross at this years Teams event! =)

[Matthias Gaiser _K15t_]

@Ditte Simard, posting your topic here is for me the first sign that you're brave enough to take some action to not stay alone throughout the conference. Congrats to that 👏

When you've talked about an area for "People Seeking Conference Buddies", immediately the Atlassian Community booth came to my mind. At the community booth, there'll always be a community manager who knows plenty of community leaders. And many community leaders stop by there to say hello every now and then. If I had to name one spot, I'd name this one.

As @CLyons said, I also found it the easiest during lunch times to connect with people. Instead of grabbing an empty table, I approach a table with friendly-looking people, sit right next to them and ask how they're doing, what talks they've been to, what they think about some news which have been shared, etc.

And I can also confirm that talking to the partners is a good idea. I'm working for a marketplace partner (K15t) and would be happy to connect with you at our booth #38. Of course, my job is also to share our solutions with you there, but I'm also happy to simply chat with you about your Atlassian challenges or how you're doing at the conference.

Maybe a bit more provocative idea would be to wear a shirt or a sticker which says something like "Talk to me" - and see what happens 😁

[Andreas Springer {Actonic}]

What a lovely post, @Ditte Simard. I can relate very much with how you are feeling, I have that too sometimes.

But, as has already been said, there are many ways to approach people and I have yet to meet someone in the Atlassian ecosystem who is truly unfriendly or unapproachable.

If all else fails, I can offer you the same thing as @Matthias Gaiser _K15t_. Just come by our booth and we can have a casual chat. I'd love to hear what you are all about. 😊 We have #43, so right next to Matthias and K15t.

By the way, I love the idea of this shirt saying "Talk to me"! 😅

[Andy Gladstone]

@Ditte Simard I echo @Matthias Gaiser _K15t_ - this is a great post and demonstrates a lot about your character. I agree with his recommendation. The Community Booth is where it's at when it comes to trying to get to know people that have similar backgrounds and experiences with Atlassian products and services. It's a hub where Community Managers, Leaders and Users will be that can share a coffee, beer or just chat about the community and the platforms. I highly recommend you visit often. There will also be some great programming at the booth regarding career development, certifications and opportunities.

Looking forward to meeting you there!