Summary
In this opening session of Enterprise Experience 2020, Lou Rosenfeld introduced the sixth edition of the conference, now fully virtual and featuring a new website with innovative elements like attendee cohorts and sponsor-led sessions. Lou highlighted the conference's history since 2015, the community's resilience, and the importance of advancing enterprise UX despite challenges. Lead curator Lata Gorlenco and longtime contributors like Dan Willis and Gajandar were acknowledged for their roles in content curation and workshops. Cheryl Platte, the MC, shared insights about transitioning to virtual events, emphasizing self-care during extended online learning. The program's structure was explained, including timezone switching, centralized Slack channels for engagement, and the thematic breakdown over four half-days covering transformation of industries, startup to enterprise growth, outsider perspectives, and partnership strategies. Attendees were encouraged to take advantage of detailed notes, recordings, and sponsor sessions while embracing community values grounded in kindness and respect. Sponsors like Miro, Vision Critical, and User Testing received recognition for their crucial support amid uncertain times. Overall, the session set a positive and practical tone for a thoughtful, collaborative, and engaging four-day online conference experience.
Key Insights
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Enterprise Experience 2020 pivoted to an enhanced virtual format, introducing attendee cohorts and more active sponsor-led sessions.
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Lou Rosenfeld emphasized the steady resilience of enterprise UX practice as a core theme since the conference began in 2015.
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The conference brings together long-time contributors like curator Lata Gorlenco and Dan Willis, highlighting growth within the community.
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MC Cheryl Platte underscored the importance of pacing and self-care for virtual conference attendees, acknowledging the challenges of online learning.
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The event is structured with thematic days: transforming legacy industries, startup to enterprise scaling, outsider perspectives, and partnering for transformation.
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Slack channels are centralized to build a unified community space while providing clear segmentation for help and general discussion.
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All talks are recorded with professional note-taking and sketchnotes to reduce participant cognitive load during sessions.
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New website features like timezone switching enhance accessibility for a global audience.
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Sponsor sessions are integrated meaningfully, requiring registration to manage access securely, reflecting concerns about online security like Zoom bombing.
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The conference maintains a strong code of conduct to create a safe, inclusive atmosphere, emphasizing respect and kindness in a virtual setting.
Notable Quotes
"This is the same conference in so many good ways — good ways are that it’s resilient and there’s a certain steadiness."
"Enterprise is kind of sexy because big, hairy, hard problems of scale and distribution live at the enterprise."
"Learning is a marathon, not a sprint, especially in the context of online conferences."
"We made a very intentional choice to build in five minute breaks after every talk based on feedback and experience."
"There will be session notes and sketch notes so you don’t have to take notes yourself unless you want to."
"The themes this year include transforming century-old industries, startup to enterprise, the outsider’s perspective, and partnering to transform."
"We'll have a centralized Slack channel for all discussion to come together as one community."
"Sponsor sessions may require registration by email to prevent Zoom bombings and protect session integrity."
"We are obligated to treat each other with kindness and respect; this is a safe and inclusive space."
"If something makes you feel unwelcome, the code of conduct explains how to engage with staff to resolve issues."
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