Must do's while at the Summit?

[edwin vasquez]

Hello Atlassian family!

This will be my 2nd summit and I want to make sure I maximize my experience. In your opinion, what are some of the must do's during the summit?

One of my suggestions is to make sure you review the summit schedule and plan out your days based on the breakout sessions you want to attend, instead of just winging it.

Cant wait to hear the other suggestions. :-D

[Jimmy Seddon]

@edwin vasquez I 100% agree with all the answers provided thus far!

There are only two other things I would add:

1) @Poorvi Jhawar already covered asking the question here, figure out why you are going to the Summit in the first place what goal(s) or objective(s) are you looking to accomplish be it networking, learning about a product you aren't currently using, etc.

2) Download and make use of the Summit Mobile app!  This was extremely valuable for me last year.  It was made available about a week before the Summit even started, and people were already asking and answering questions before people even arrived.  I was pointed at a couple of vendors and knew where their booths were before I even made the trip. 

It allows you to set your agenda and get push notifications of things that are coming up in your schedule. 

Lastly, it was a great way to communicate and co-ordinate with other Summit attendees to meet up for dinner or sight seeing later in the evening.

[edwin vasquez]

Oh, yes! I forgot about the app. That was a great resource last year. It is a must for those going to the summit.

[stacey lovelace]

Since you mentioned the app... I tried logging in recently and it's not working. Says I'm logged in but it's just a header "select event" and blank screen.

Does anyone know if ti's undergone an overhaul and old is/has been replaced with something new? 

[Jimmy Seddon]

I'll be honest I uninstalled the app shortly after the Summit was finished as chat stopped working for me on the last day there and I didn't have any other reason to use it at that point.

I'm not sure if the plan is for the same app to be used and they just haven't made the new event available or if there will be a new app.

I do  remember there were email notifications when it was time to get it installed so keep an eye out for those!

[Manon Soubies-Camy]

Interesting topic @edwin vasquez!

This is going to be my 3rd Summit and I would say:

• Plan ahead: which talk do you want to see, which hands-on labs do you want to attend?
• Reach out to app vendors and partners you want to meet to schedule quick meetings. Better than going back to the same booth every 10 minutes to check if someone's available!
• Summit is a great opportunity to meet with people: prioritize meetings rather than attending all the talks. You can watch the talks later on YouTube.
• Stop by the Community booth to learn all about special Summit badges 🏅

[Fernando Bordallo]

Scheduling in advance! Smart

[edwin vasquez]

Great advice! I hadn't thought about scheduling meetings with the vendors.

[Danny]

Hey @edwin vasquez

Make a list of every talk you want to see (even if you cannot). Break it down by day for ease. As you mentioned plan your schedule with this in mind. After Summit you now have a list of talks you can watch on Atlassian’s YouTube channel. 

Take with you all your Atlassian related questions and make some time to hit the booths to speak to Atlassian’s and partners, they are great for finding solutions or pointing you in the direction to someone who may have a solution for you. 

hope this helps,

Danny 

[edwin vasquez]

I agree! Having the partners and Atlassian engineers at the summit is a great opportunity to ask questions.

[Kat Warner]

Eat, drink plenty of water, pace yourself (take time out to rest during the day and at night). There is a lot going on, heaps of incoming information, long days, and the party continues into the night on Thursday.

[Fernando Bordallo]

Tips for taking notes? (in terms of tools ... paper, tablet, ...) Also, tips on what to have with you all the time? (similar to 'how to pack for camping' sort of list) 

[Kat Warner]

Atlassian is really good at feeding and watering Summit attendees. They even give booth sponsors early access to the snacks and meals while sessions are running so we don't miss out.

I had my phone to use the Summit app which I used to arranging meetings, chatting, tracking the timetable etc.

Last year I was I was temporarily Chief Swag Officer collecting on behalf of the team who were back in the office. This meant is was easiest to collect brochures or preferably business cards for the things I wanted to look at later. 

I experienced significant information overload so I did not try to remember anything using my organic brain. I also had a small notebook and pen to record details.

[Fernando Bordallo]

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

Pace yourself indeed.... especially if going to THE BASH. #Epic

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

This is a great discussion topic @edwin vasquez !

It is my 1st ever Summit and I’m lucky... I get to go as both an ACL as well as a Speaker. Insane. 🤩

A lot of feedback from others I’ve heard over the years is to be really selective of which talks to go to. Don’t try and get to everything as it will cost one time in the expo hall and networking, which are major highlights of summit.

Look forward to what other veterans suggest.

[edwin vasquez]

Awesome! Please post the details of your session so we can attend!

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

Just busy finalising the title and abstract with the copywriter but will share the link when ready!

[Andy - PTC Redundant]

@edwin vasquez 

April 1st, 11:00 am in the room: Mandalay H.

Hope you can make it!

https://www.atlassian.com/company/events/summit/schedule?sessionid=626814

[stacey lovelace]

Love all these suggestions! I'll be a 2nd year solo attendee... year one was a blast and a quick learning curve all the way around. Solo attendee is an odd experience, but a great one none-the-less!

Get to the mini training sessions (they were in the expo hall last year, the technical name of them is failing me now) early to snag a seat! Some of them are standing room only depending on the topic which makes it hard to do the lessons whilst standing and holding a laptop :)

This year I have a bit of a lighter training schedule so I'm going to make a point to spend more time in the user groups area / super smart power users area to get some solutions tips and tricks. 

I had FOMO for much of the time, there is just so much great info and knowledge share going on. I'm sure my FOMO will kick in again this year too. 

And the app... the app is a must! 

[Dharma Ramos]

This is my first year and I will be a solo attendee as well, glad to hear you were still able to have a good time.

[Frieda Tang]

Same here. Thanks for sharing your experience :D

[edwin vasquez]

I dont recall if there was a group or meetup last year, but with so many solo folks going, there should be one. :-D

[Jimmy Seddon]

@edwin vasquez the mobile app had both a "First Timers" and a "Summit Buddies" groups which is where I met up with other solo attendees.  One other thing that can help is if you know of solo attendees before getting to the summit, once the mobile app goes live add them so you can start a group conversation to arrange meeting up some where.  Just a thought.

[Mickie]

It's my first time attending & glad to hear all the tips!  I've been to Vegas a few times & definitely echo the comments on getting to see something outside Summit!  Vegas is the best!

[edwin vasquez]

Glad others are enjoying the tips as well!

[JP _AC Bielefeld Leader_]

Summit is all about ONE thing: Networking... Get to know your community fellows, how they work with the tools, share your experiences with Atlassians, partners and community friends.

Be there & register Sunday before Summit (for ACLs). It's great to meetup & have dinner before Summit.

Take a rest before Bash... Own experience ;-)

Do some stuff outside Summit: Visit a Vegas show, do some shopping, make a trip to the Red Rocks together with other ACLs. It's the only time a year you meet them.

Visiting the exhibition hall is exhausting, believe me: LOTS of people to meet, lots of topics, lots of fantastic new apps/addons. Don't overestimate your power as there is always two parties at night...

[edwin vasquez]

I remember last year I passed out the 2nd night as soon as I got to the room. lol

[edwin vasquez]

Thanks for the suggestions!

[John Funk]

Hi @edwin vasquez  - I would say take plenty of time in the Exhibit Hall, especially with the Atlassian product/development teams. Have a list of questions prepared before you go so you can spend everyone's time more wisely.

Talk to vendors and build relationships with folks you already use as well as scout out potential new vendors. 

Pay attention to where each talk is held in addition to the list of talks you want to see. Then map your route for the best time optimization. 

Finally, if you are going to any of the training sessions in the Exhibit Hall, get there EARLY! They fill up very quickly in advance. 

[edwin vasquez]

I agree. The training sessions were very popular last year.