Accelerate23: Innovation in Action

At Google Cloud , we start each year with our sales kickoff, Accelerate - a time to bring our GTM team and partners together to share ideas, network and rally behind our strategies. This year we took a new approach, leveraging a combination of in-person and digital mediums in the “Beyondverse”, with content focused on supporting our people and business.?

2023 was my fourth Accelerate with Google Cloud and the fourth time I walked away filled with inspiration and anticipation for the future of our business. Accelerate23’s theme was Build Beyond -? going beyond the expected to best support our customers. Although we gathered in a hybrid environment, the spirit of collaboration was certainly in the air as our teams worked together to share forward-facing ideas that will modernize and transform our customers’ businesses.

Our teams were able to explore a variety of topics from Sales Excellence to Transformation Cloud to Partnering with Digital Natives. But across all of our sessions, one thing remained constant - our desire to bring new ideas to life with our customers and partners.

Innovation for our Business, Customers and People

For the Google Cloud business, this means creating solutions that address the needs of our customers and implementing strategies that will help them reach their goals.?

This year, I participated in Accelerate as a leader of both the Cloud GTM S&O team, as well as our SMB organization. It was great to join the team and Sharon Prosser for their kick-off to discuss the major part SMB plays in bringing new business to Google Cloud and using innovative technology to establish ourselves as a trusted partner to our customers across their business.?

On top of this, our SMB segment exemplified exactly what it means to innovate with our customers during the planning of Accelerate23 and the creation of the platform we used to share content.

When it comes to our people viewing and interacting with Accelerate23 content, virtual accessibility was critical. We wanted to include as many stakeholders around the world as possible, with a new and fresh way for people to feel connected and excited. And when we found a way to innovate hand-in-hand with one of our customers to create the “Beyondverse” where Accelerate content was housed, we jumped on the opportunity!

Beyondverse Case Study

As we pivoted our virtual approach to focus more on collaborative and innovative experiences, we were looking for a platform that matched our goals. Enter Eventfinity, an SMB customer and full-service production company that connects people through virtual experiences with hybrid event platforms. Google Cloud and Eventfinity partnered together to create an optimized and personalized experience for our stakeholders.?

Accelerate grows its audience more and more every year and 2023 was historic in size for Google Cloud. Because of this, we knew we needed a partner that could provide innovative solutions and handle thousands of attendees at once. With Eventfinity, we worked together to build an interactive platform that hosts content as well as facilitating user interactions in a variety of different virtual spaces. Not only were we able to find a solution quickly and efficiently, going from concept to launch in less than four months, but we also saw a variety of benefits.?

Of course, the main benefit of our “Beyondverse” platform was the capability to bring our people and our partners from all over the world together in one virtual space. In addition, the platform was created with accessibility in mind, accommodating for a wide range of devices and recreating each experience in a 2D mobile environment that removed the difficulties many that disabled people face with complex, multilevel interfaces. And it didn’t hurt that we saved millions in the process!??

The “Beyondverse” platform itself was built for our people to have an interactive and engaging experience. Through five different spaces, we hosted spontaneous networking sessions, holographic videos, and showcased keynote content. Each space was filled with collaborative features, specialized sessions, and opportunities to earn Beyond Points and digital swag. Plus, gamification incentivized team members to engage directly with interactive content like social posts, surveys, and selfie videos.

Personally, I would have to say my favorite space was the “Transformation Trove”, where we hosted key enablement conversations, interactive learning pathways and a library of success stories. I also loved all the team meetings and networking opportunities in “Café Beyond”!?

With more than 10,000 participants, 73,000 visits across the Beyondverse spaces and 3,000 social posts, it’s clear that Accelerate23 was a success. And as we build off of the incredible content shared and look towards the rest of 2023, I know that the spirit of building beyond will resonate.

Whether it’s working with our customers and partners to create brand new experiences or identifying new ways to grow our own business, the power of innovation is evident. I’m excited for the opportunity to disrupt the industry with our best-in-class solutions and, ultimately, pave our own path forward toward a brighter future.