ITx 2018 delivered fantastic keynote speakers, great food, many talks, and networking opportunities for the TechTime team.
Here you can see Ed working hard supporting our customers while Simon multitasks with a drink as the offical photographer captures an image of our booth.
The dominant themes throughout the talks were:
- AI is a growing reality in our world - and this is not something to be scared of! We should think of AI as augmenting human intelligence instead of thinking about AI as replacing human intelligence.
- Looking out for the mental health and well-being of ourselves, our teams, and everyone in our organisations is essential. This ranges from strengthening resilience in our volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world to making working a 40-hour week (or less) normal and using Agile for it's humanist potential (people not resources).
- Recognising authors of customer communication and users guides are designers of trust. Plain language provides clarity and feels genuine to read.
One of these ideas was captured by the on-site cartooner Jim. (also known as Brendan Boughen).
ITx 2018 fed our bodies as well as our minds! Here is an example of a non-stop snack table - chocolate and fruit which was available in addition to daily welcome hot drinks, morning teas, lunches, afternoon teas, and late afternoon sugar fixes. We can't forget the networking drinks and snacks on Wednesday night and a 3-course gala dinner on Thursday night!
Here is Irina, Kat, and Simon representing the TechTime team at the gala dinner.
Over the three days, TechTeam members listened to over 50 speakers, took part in 10 unconferences, visited 29 booths, and posted 1 letter to their future self (which Software Escrow will post in 3 months' time).
By Friday evening we could identify with this tweet from the IT Professionals New Zealand team:
We left #ITx2018 exhausted, inspired, and full of ideas for ourselves as individuals, the TechTime team, and for TechTime as an organisation.
Now let's prepare for Atlassian Summit 2018 - Barcelona in September. If you are interested in joining us there we have a code for 30% discount off the ticket price - TECHTIME30OFF252.