That which is called Atlassian Summit, by any other name would still inspire.
Thank you for the inspiration Mr. William Shakespeare.
To Summit or Not to Summit?
“What is Summit?” you may ask. My official answer is; the Atlassian Summit is an annual conference that takes place in California, USA, during the autumn.
Summit is an experience like no other. When I attended my first one, I was not prepared for my three-day journey. I had my first experience in September of 2014. That year, Summit was held in San Jose, California.
Unofficially and just between you and me, and anyone else reading this blog post; The Summit is just too much fun to call it work!
Summit or Conference
One of the first things that struck me was the use of the word ‘summit’. I thought to myself, “Why not simply call it a conference?”
When I think of ‘summit’, I envision tops of Mountains. I also envision a meeting of people engaged in conversation; a sharing of thoughts and ideas to arrive at a solution. So what makes this gathering of people each year a ‘summit’? I ventured to understand.
My journey began
On Tuesday, September 9th of 2014, at O’dark thirty in the morning, I made my way to the airport; waited for my flight to begin boarding for San Jose, and grabbed a bite to eat. Many hours later, I disembarked from the airplane, collected my luggage and shared a cab to my hotel; thank you Uber. Once the hotel check-in was completed, I headed out to the AUG (Atlassian User Group) Leader luncheon and training.
I need to state here, as an AUG Leader, the Summit experience is just a little different than the typical attendee’s experience.
It turns out there several reasons to attend.
Networking – You are not alone. You will meet others that do what you do and use the tools that you use.
Be the first to know – Keynotes are not something to miss. They deliver up-to-date news in an exciting format.
Develop your skills – There are training sessions available Tuesday morning and afternoon. This allows you time to train with Atlassian developers, building your knowledge and more.
Let Loose – We have all heard the statement; ‘too much work makes for a dull person’. Okay, that may not be an exact quote, however, even so, the Summit provides plenty of opportunities to let loose and enjoy one’s self.
- Tuesday evening - There is the welcome dinner,
- Wednesday evening - the Summit Bash, and oh, there is … lean in… there is something called the Post Summit Bash. I heard rumors of there being an After Post Summit Bash… I never made it that far. Maybe this year (October 2016)!
- Thursday afternoon – After Ship-it there is a Social right outside the convention hall. Wow, I was glad I didn’t have to go and catch a flight right after; Let the Hops and Barley flow.
The last one is not hard to anticipate. Can you guess what it is?
Leaving Motivated – When you leave Summit after Ship-it, you will have spent three days of fast learning curves, networking, speaking directly to Atlassian developers and product experts, being wined and dined, and building international relationships with product users from around the world. You will leave Summit motivated to return back to work and begin building on all the new ideas you learned during the previous three days.
On a personal level
Just the simple act of attending will have you expanding your circle a little wider. I fail to recall how many people I added to my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts during my summit experience or just after I returned to Virginia.
Remix
Summit or Conference
So what makes this gathering of people each year a ‘summit’?
- People gathered discussing software documentation,
- People gathered discussing Software development,
- People gathered discussing Trouble Ticket Tracking, and;
- How one can use the software outside of the world of IT.
Why did I explore the use of this word? Why did it matter to me? I guess it is my love affair with words that drove me to gain understanding.
To Summit or Not to Summit?
So, as you hear the soft conversation taking place in the halls or just outside your cubical as to whether or not one is attending ‘summit’ this year, don’t simply dismiss this question as idle chatter. Instead, consider what challenges this person might be faced with to force them to choose. This should not be a question to agonize over. If you are the one with the choice, you are one of the fortunate people.
The answer should be clear and easy. Choose wisely.
