Making connections at TechDays Vancouver

Day one is about to wrap up for TechDays Vancouver. Lots of people, lots of technology and probably the coolest part – LOTS OF CONNECTIONS.

We brought back the designated “Ask The Experts” area, based on feedback we got from the other cities. We encourage the speakers to spend time in this area to connect with people who might not have been comfortable asking questions in a large room or who weren’t able to ask them in the designated 15 minute Q&A timeslot at the end of each session or at the informal Chats with the speakers that take place at the end of day one.

I decided to sit in on a session that was a bit out of my comfort zone and see how our newest team member was doing. Joey DeVilla was delivering a “deep dive into ASP.NET Ajax” session with his usual flair. He’s adjusting well to his new role since joining the team and he is quite happy that he’s passed his 3 month probation without any major incidents.  After his session there was a lot of people who were milling about and having conversations in the back of the room, up with Joey or just outside the doors.

These connections and conversations that happen between sessions or at lunch time are the golden nuggets you get by attending these types of conferences. We’re doing everything we can to facilitate them. It’s really up to YOU to participate and reach out and talk to people when you attend. Sometimes it is not the easiest thing to do if you’re not the type of person who likes to mingle and introduce yourself to strangers. We’ve got colour coded ribbons to identify areas of interest and have marked out areas at lunch and breakfast where you can sit with other “birds of a feather”.

If that isn’t enough - Joey has stepped up and provided some of his signature “social hardware”.

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