May 18 2007
What I Learned From The Bloggers
I didn’t get an opportunity to post much at SAPPHIRE Atlanta and not at all during the Vienna event so I thought what I’d do here is share some of the comments from the bloggers to give you a sense of the event from behind the scenes.
What Worked Well:
David: “The executive access (couldn’t have been better) and the combination of formal presentations, separate meetings, and some people coming to the bloggers’ corner.”
Dennis: “doing Ustream TV was a great idea - that should be on the agenda”
James: “Seems like its all good. What can I say? Do more of the same.”
Sig: “For me all practical details were perfect”
What Didn’t Work So Well:
David: “I think the general press kit material is a waste of your copying and printing resources
Dennis: “For me, the noise levels in Vienna were terribly distracting which meant I couldn’t realistically write while at the event.”
James: “The working environment is cool but we need a dedicated room for discussions.”
Maggie: “A quiet area to record podcasts without background noise.”
What We’ll Do Differently Next Time:
Even though all indications were that it was a great event, here are the five things I am going to change/add.
- Add dedicated meeting and video/podcasting rooms
- No more printed materials
- Provide enough down time for the bloggers to experience the full event
- Have an agenda for myself so that I can post more
- Ask everyone to ”shush” as to not distract Dennis (so that he can post more.)
Thanks to everyone who attended! And a special hat tip to Dennis Howlett; your insights have been much appreciated.
Photo credit: Craig Cmehil.
At least I think it was Craig but since he’s in the picture, I guess the real credit should go to Craig’s camera.
Not in the picture: Dennis, Manoj, Dale and Thomas
Mike (and Stacey), many thanks for inviting me. It was a blast and I truelly enjoyed every minute of it. Travel arrangements basically killed Monday and Wednesday for me. Given that Vienna was not that far from Manchester, I could not understand why there are no frequent flights at early or late hours.
There are perhaps another 10 articles to publish, some half written and others still in my head, when I finish I will thank the team properly, otherwise its bit premature.
We spoke a lot, more perhaps about business opportunities than blogging, we need to work on them to make a success. I got so excited about the SAP Venture Fund (yet to blog about it). I have some ideas to improve this. The landscape is changing rapidly. Jonathan Schwartz is looking for the next Google. Some point in time SAP may start looking for the next Oracle (ok! next SAP). So you need to get involved with nurturing ideas. SAP’s ecosystem is great, but you need to also explore outside.
Sun Microsystems are in the process of getting involved with UK startup scene, especially from the NW. It would be great if SAP can also get involved. My next gig is on 14th June. Why not drop in or send someone. Visit http://www.nwstartup20.co.uk for more info.
Once again, many thanks for inviting me. I hope you got something out of my participation. I certainly got a lot. It was great to meet so many well known bloggers. Thank you.