Welcome Wednesday: Are you going to attend virtual conferences this year?

[Jimmy Seddon]

Welcome Everyone!

With the Atlassian Team Tour Government Symposium happening early next week, and the Team 2021 event just around the corner.

I thought this was the perfect time to ask if virtual-only conferences has you excited to attend of if you are put off by the idea.

I know a number of people who feel that you don't get the same experience in virtual of being able to connect with other like-minded individuals, as you do when you are actually there.

On the flip side, I also know a number of people that are extremely excited for virtual events. They wouldn't have been able to travel to a physical location, and this give them the opportunity to experience something they might not have otherwise.

Personally, I can understand both sides.  I was at the 2019 Atlassian Summit and words can't describe how awesome that experience was.  At the same time, I will be checking out BlizzConline this year which I never would have been able to do if it weren't virtual.

Where do you sit on this topic?  Tell me below in the comments and have a great rest of the week!

[John Funk]

I will attend no matter what. I certainly prefer in person, but this is one I would not miss. 

[Jimmy Seddon]

I'm right with you @John Funk!  I'm fortunate enough to work for a company where I wouldn't have any issues getting approval to attend a physical event, and as much as I would prefer to do so, I'm still just as happy to attend a virtual one!

[Taranjeet Singh]

@Jimmy Seddon I have never been able to attend any Atlassian Summit physically. Getting an opportunity to travel for physical conferences has always been an issue for me, given that I never got so much free time approved during my consulting jobs with all my previous employers.

So, for me, it is a great opportunity to get the same amazing experience by means of virtual Team 2021 event. So, I am very excited for it.

[Jimmy Seddon]

That's awesome @Taranjeet Singh! I hope you are able to get everything you want out of the virtual event.

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

Hey @Jimmy Seddon  Hope your week is going well.

I am so totally with you - Summit 2019 was AWESOME! I felt that the virtual Summit 2020 was somewhat, let say, "technologically challenged." You couldn't chat with people unless you were in the same session (keynote or other) as they, etc. But 2020 has sure brought a lot of improvements to Zoom, M$ Teams, etc. so hopefully Team 2021 will reap the benefit of those advancements. I'm signing up for Team 2021 so yes, I will be attending virtual conferences this year even though I do like the in person better. Mind you, virtual conferences do cut out the travel days, which is a bonus...

KGM

[Clark Everson]

Hi @Jimmy Seddon ,

Hope all is going well!

I will be attending Team 2021!

I have been to Summit physically once. And do look forward to getting back there. I have tried a few different conferences virtually and most, besides Summit 2020, I didn't find useful. Though hopefully they are better this year as more people are prepared.

Best,
Clark

[Jimmy Seddon]

@Kristján Geir Mathiesen @Clark Everson  - What I can say is that I echo that Virtual Summit 2020 definitely didn't have the feel I was looking for.  That being said for Atlassian to shift to all virtual in such a short time, I'm super impressed with what they accomplished.  Also, I attended the Team Tour event in November, and it felt much more polished and remote friendly.

A number of the sessions were "at your own pace" so I was able to look at what I was most interested in and simply worked my way through the content.  I will be interested to see what changes are coming for Team 2021.

Hopefully there will be some means or method for us to connect! 

[Kristján Geir Mathiesen]

@Jimmy Seddon  I agree, Atlassian did the very best they could with the time and technology they. It was a short notice. COVID being new and wreaking all kinds of havoc everywhere. So Summit 2020 was as good as it could have been under the circumstances. Totally agree and totally supported Atlassian in going virtual last year. 

Yes, it will be interesting to see what new technology will be deployed for Team 2021. 

[Sharon Helms]

I attended Summit 2019 as well, and can't wait for a future year to meet up with Atlassian friends again! that said, I'm excited to see what Atlassian will have for Team 2021 -- I think we've all learned how to do remote events more effectively this year!

While I prefer conferences in person, I've been able to attend *more* conferences virtually, since no travel or lodging expenses are involved. I also appreciate the flexibility that virtual conferences provide (more recorded sessions, usually).

[Jimmy Seddon]

@Sharon Helms I think you hit the important part!  Recorded sessions means I don't have to choose between two session that I really want to see that are happening at the same time :D

[Martin Bayer _MoroSystems_ s_r_o__]

I will attend. I was in Barcelona two times and Vienna once, but now I have children so travelling abroad would not be so easy... or I'd have to bring some great gifts :). So I'm totally ok with virtual events for now :)

What I find as the best attribute of virtual events is playing videos faster/slower, I can skip when it is boring or I can watch again when it is interesting theme with great speaker.

[Erica Moss]

@Jimmy Seddon This is such a great topic! I think we'll definitely see more hybrid approaches to conferences post-COVID — it really does democratize the knowledge-sharing when geography isn't an issue. Though, I am looking forward to seeing all of my people IRL as soon as I can! ☺️

[Daniel Ebers]

Yes! And while in-person events are really great, from my opinion the virtual conferences have also gained a reasonable popularity during the last year.
What I really like about Atlassian (virtual) events is that they are entertaining and not that stiff - despite having a serious business background.
Recorded sessions that allow watching the content later are useful and come in handy.
Especially if a demand for a specific topic arises some days after the event or if there is just too much interesting content, impossible to watch everything the same time :)

[Veronique DUFOUR]

I would love to attend but usually most event are very far from where I work and live.

The good thing about virtual events is that it is easier to attend only part of it if you don't have time to attend to everything.

[Kat Warner]

So far I have found it is too easy to miss out on virtual events because other last minute tasks come up or earlier meeting overrun.

I like attending sessions "live" where I can interact using the chat tools but virtual events also come with time zone complexities.

[Dharma Ramos]

I was so excited to go on my first summit in 2020, then it got cancelled.

Then I had a list of virtual sessions I wanted to attend and half way through the first one I got called into my manager's office to be informed I was being furloughed, I spent the next few days feeling sorry for myself and did not attend anything. 

So I will be attending this one, but I have nothing to compare it to, not a live summit or the hastily put together virtual one from last year either.

I do hope they put together an in person event again when it is safe to do so. I really would like to experience that.

PS What did you think about Blizzconline? I watched some of it. Anything piqued your interest?