Musings of a Summit Newbie….

Adobe Summit – that epic annual event, the pinnacle of all things Adobe…I have been looking forward to going to Adobe Summit for years.

What is the draw: The spectacle?  The lure of Who?? will be the Adobe Bash featured artist?  The wealth of learning sessions to hone/build my Adobe skills and knowledge?  The opportunity to network, visit current and future clients?  The opportunity to see colleagues in real life – a rarity in a geographically dispersed workplace?  Maybe all of the above – and the mix of those draws shifts a little with each year.

At one point in time it was all about sitting in on working sessions and learning opportunities to hone my Analytics skills – but let’s be honest, my time as an Omniture jockey (Yes, I dated myself there – and I can never claim the title of Site Catalyst Wizard) are past.  I can find my way around Adobe Analytics and pull together some reports in a dashboard, but I know Softcrylic has much more adept Analytics Masters.

Now I am more interested in learning about the technologies that our clients need across our engagements – (Breaking down Data Silos to Deliver End to End Customer Experience, and 5 Strategies to Execute Cookieless Marketing Now), as well as the technologies that are going to inform their choices in the future (Adobe Digital Insights from the Age of AI, and In the Winner’s Circle, Proven Leaders Share their Perspectives on Generative AI), as well as the challenges we all face (whether in the Adobe-sphere or not) relating to data privacy, personalization, marketing, etc (How Regulation Presents Challenges and Opportunities for Personalization).

The sheer number of sessions available to attend at any one time is staggering and enough to make me feel like a kid in the world’s biggest nerd candy store – and while I have my schedule filled out, I am still eyeing some options that may lead to a last minute schedule switch.  I am banking on @V.Tran and @NickR giving me the download from the D&D CJA Tips and Tricks session!

Without a doubt, I am looking forward to the spectacle and wow of Adobe’s Sneaks and Bash.  What will be the big surprise?  Who will the talent be?

The bigger draw than that, however, is the chance to be there in person – To see and catch up with client teams (past and present) that I have worked with closely; to meet our client teams whom I have only worked with from a (figurative and literal) distance in my role in Engagement Management.  To network and help connect our team of Analytics Nijas, MarTech Wizards and Data Science Masters and Data Engineering Experts with those who are coming to Adobe Summit in search of insight answers and help.

I am also looking forward to the chance to see my colleagues in person, to catch up and connect and bridge the remote work distance.  I learn from my colleagues on a regular basis and truly enjoy working with them.  The chance to break bread together, share lessons learned from Summit Sessions, as well as a good laugh about something completely unrelated makes a huge difference and helps build a team.

So there you have it – my thoughts and hopes for Summit: Learning, Connecting & Networking, and Team Building.

See you there!