Teams Community & Conferences

Everyone has a reason for attending a conference… Some are paid to be there. Some are curious about the competition. Some network for opportunities. Some want to learn.

Comms vNext offers all that (and affordably)… but most importantly, like any good conference, it also offers a pilgrimage to community and motivational inspiration.

And I needed this conference, especially for the inspiration.

With all the buzz about remote vs in-office (hybrid) work, employers are not capitalizing on the employee inspiration - that materializes with all-company, in-person events.

With employee gatherings omitted from the corporate agenda/budgets (and our calendars), routine-hybrid work leaves me with an anemia of deep, immersive, community connection. And so,,, I took discretionary time off from my (mostly) physical isolation and attended this conference on my personal account.??It was a pilgrimage to see the people I trust and follow.

It was also my agenda, admittedly, to see if there were still embers of innovation in this niche layer of my industry.

I needed calibration against my own demons…

Are the massive industry layoffs impacting the morale of our partner ecosphere???Is the shine of AI eroding the worth of our competency???Was there anything left for this niche-yet-commoditized-technology-domain to be innovative about? Was anybody else feeling an irrelevance and passion-drain that historically made this industry so fun and exciting?

I needed more than inspiration - I needed a reality check.

Coincidentally, I ran into inspirational empath Karuana Gatimu and confided in her - the essence of these dismal concerns and how they were impacting me. She contrasted my perspective by pointing out how Comms vNext reminded her of the electricity she felt in her SharePoint Saturday events (and to take notice of that electricity in our present moment). Pulling a page from her recent article on change, she reminded me that our destiny still has purpose.

This brought me to the present moment.

I also took solace in noting the attendance of clairvoyant Heidi Elmore ; reinforcing my gamble that (if it was worth Heidi’s time, then) this event was at least worthy of an analytical visit…

The demon questions relented, but there were still nagging concerns…

Would there be any yield of indicators that our industry could still disrupt status quo and serve relevance to our customers?

Were there still partners obsessing over solutions to business challenges and creating ways to find/add/offer value to our customers?

Were we just here to trade memoirs of customer solutions gone by?

…

In two days I realized things are only getting more exciting…

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The turn-out was great. The keynote was great.

The presence and power of partner community set in early and held for the entire event.

I could go on too long about forward-thinking solutions I got to pontificate over with aspirational leaders like Katrin Henkel , Jonathan McKinney , Tom Morgan , Barend Visser , and more…

But true inspiration for me came from magic beyond the realm of untapped business opportunities…?

It came from reminders that can’t be witnessed in meetings (remote or in-person) or even in conference sessions. Reminders that come from ad hoc experiences with individuals that are still ‘switched on’ and lead in their own way…

Like:

• Seeing the room of brilliant minds being worked by Tom Arbuthnot .
• Relentlessly hunting the secret of overcoming challenges with Justin S. .?
• Cutting to the meat of ambiguity with the fidelity of Aaron Steele ?????? .
• Catching the hunger for innovation empowerment with Daryl Hunter and Nate Loback .
• Basking in the unrehearsed genius and devotion of Traci Herr and Michael Tressler .
• Seeing the service commitment to all attendees in the prep + 48 hr non-stop action of Adam Ball , Josh Blalock , Pat Richard , Eric Marsi , and all of the event volunteers, exhibitors, and sponsors.
• Soaking up the cutting-edge academic content in sessions written and delivered by thoughtful speakers.
• Meeting new entrepreneur faces, anxious to add their compelling value to our ecosystem.

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This conference gave me exactly what I needed:??

Evidence that innovation is not slowing down. The Microsoft Teams partner eco-system (ISV’s, OEMs, Operators) are still producing products and services that help customers maximize the value of their communications platform - with fury.??

AND… evidence (as depicted) that brilliant people in the world are willing to stop and share a smile when you need one. Not a single person scoffed at my request for a selfie… (Yes, my camera compulsion makes me a contender for being that annoying selfie guy… And inversely, sorry if I didn’t snap you - my selfie arm was getting worn out ;)

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My takeaway/call-to-action tip is not a techie one… rather, it’s to find a conference or event with a topic you are passionate about - then find a way to attend. Have a convo. Follow someone you meet on LinkedIn. Share your obstacles with someone. Even take a selfie. Your community needs you.?

You are not alone.

Thank you #commsvnext

#microsoftteams

#community

#partners