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ReportAs part of the Summit EMEA Social Series, the Summit EMEA team has talked to several influencers from the industry about their experience with conferences such as Summit EMEA and why they will be attending Summit EMEA in Dublin this year. In this blog, Sarah Chritchley from PowerObjects, who is also a Microsoft MVP and a speaker at Summit EMEA, gives us an insight on what she is most excited about and why she values attending this conference so much.
Why is content one of the top reasons to attend this conference?
Sarah: “I think that there are so many ways one could answer that, but my favourite would probably be that, it inspires people. Conferences such as Summit EMEA help to get people excited about the products they work with. They leave the conference with a renewed passion and energy. Most people don’t get that excitement in their day-to-day role, which is why I think it is one of the most important reasons to attend this conference.”
What sessions do you look most forward to attending and why?
Sarah: “I would probably have to say Customer Showcases are my favourite, because they actually give you an insight into the real life application of the technology. So whilst I work on implementations and delivery, I love hearing about different opinions and thoughts. User adoption is a hot topic at the moment, so having the Customer Showcases is a real benefit to the conference.”
How important is it to stay on the cutting edge off technology for you and your business and how does this conference help you to do that through content?
Sarah: “It’s quite an intimidating thing as a professional in the field to feel like you need to know everything. Summit EMEA gives people a taste of what’s around without actually having to go too deep into the actual topics. So you can be aware of something, but no one expects you to be an expert on everything.”
How does having access to this community support the Microsoft thriving business?
Sarah: “It’s the fact that we’ve got users talking to and helping each other. In the grand scheme of things, Microsoft doesn’t want all these support tickets, questions or issues that are being driven to them. They want to be able to nurture this community and support one another. It gives them the time to focus on building the product rather than dealing with issues and questions. Being able to manage things as a community without needing the help from Microsoft is very self-empowering.”
How does having this network positively impact your day-to-day role?
Sarah: “Having a network from attending conferences such as Summit EMEA impacts my role immeasurably. It actually feels like have a support network, but it also means that I can be there for them. Especially as a Microsoft MVP, it means that I can help them with ad hoc questions, tell them what is going on in the community or inform them about upcoming events.”.
Thank you so much, Sarah! Secure your tickets for Summit EMEA today and join us 24-26 April 2018 in Dublin!
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