How many conferences open with a techno marching band? As far as I know there’s only one. And that’s the Next Conference, it’s part of the Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg.
I’m reviewing some of the keynotes and feeling inspired by the amazing lineup of speakers which were complemented with a splattering of soul touching music.
For shear stage presence I’d give the award to Steve Blame. He appeared 3 times a day to promote a band. Letting some music intersperse and add some perspective to the depth of technical and digital trends that were being talked about. He walked onto the stage in a relaxed and calm manner, giving entertaining anecdotes while the acts setup their instruments. If you want to see how you to introduce a band then look no further.
The Next Conference’s tag line is “Celebrating Digital Life” It’s the perfect stepping stone for developers who want to take a step back and view things from a different perspective. There are no coding sessions. Instead it’s a view of how technology trends are affecting the world. We’re talking big picture. It helps put things in context.
Apart from the music my favourite talks were by David Mattin and Claire Burge.
Here’s my take on their talks:
I hope to see you at next year at NEXT17
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