Internal tech conferences can make a significant impact on an organisation's level of sharing, learning, and communication by accelerating multi-team learning across technology departments. An increasing number of enlightened organisations are using this powerful approach to spread and embed new ideas and practices. In this talk, the authors of the book Internal Tech Conferences - Victoria Morgan-Smith and Matthew Skelton - share practical advice on how to prepare, run, and follow-up on an internal tech conference, together with some case studies from several organisations showing the approaches in common and the adaptations for each situation. What makes a good internal tech conference? What are the key success factors? What things should be avoided? And what works best for online conferences versus in-person conferences? Find out in this talk from the people who have literally written the book on internal tech conferences! Key Takeaways - What makes a good internal tech conference? - What are the key success factors? - What things should be avoided? - And what works best for online conferences versus in-person conferences? Audience Anyone involved in creating and sustaining a learning culture within the technology division: - Team Leads - Architect - Team Manager - Project Manager - HR - L&D - Head of Department - CTO/CIO

1. Boost cross-team learning
and engagement with
Internal Tech Conferences
Victoria Morgan-Smith and Matthew Skelton
Authors of Internal Tech Conferences
InternalTechConf.com | @IntTechConf

2. What we’ll cover in this talk
What makes a good internal tech conference?
What are the key success factors?
What things should be avoided?
What works best for online conferences
versus in-person conferences?
2

3. Who we are
Victoria Morgan-Smith
Director of Delivery,
Internal Products at
Financial Times
@Victoria_JMS
3
Matthew Skelton
Director and Head of
Consulting at Conflux
@matthewpskelton

4. Introducing:
Squiggle
Victoria’s new co-worker
😻
4

5. What is an internal
tech conference?
5

6. “An internal tech conference is a
technology conference run by and for
the staff of a single organisation.”
6
Internal Tech Conferences, p.2

7. 7
Financial
Times,
2015

8. “...a shared celebration and
examination of the current practices
and approaches within the
organisation, accelerating learning at
a time of rapid technological change.”
8
Internal Tech Conferences, p.2

9. Why run an internal
tech conference?
9

10. Connect people
10

11. 11
Photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash
Remote-first

12. 12
Reflect, share

13. Accelerate learning
13

14. 14
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash

15. 15

16. Enable “eventual consistency”
16

17. 17

18. 18

19. What makes a good
internal tech
conference?
19

20. Well-planned
20

21. 21

22. 22

23. 23

24. Well-promoted
24

25. 25

26. Well-executed
26

27. 27

28. 28

29. Well-reported
29

30. 30

31. What are the key
success factors for
an internal tech
conference?
31

32. 1. A clear goal
32

33. 33
Promote
learning?

34. 34
Shift the
agenda?

35. 35
Build connections?

36. Celebrate
success?
36

37. 2. Plenty of planning
37

38. 38
It takes time

39. 39
The best things in
life aren’t free

40. 40
www.huggg.me

41. 41
The venue

42. 42
Assembling the
schedule

43. 43
Catering

44. 44
The right team

45. 3. A well structured
schedule
45

46. 46
Manage the energy

47. 47
Varied mix of
content and formats

48. 48
Represent diverse
voices

49. 4. Well supported
speakers
49

50. 50
Choosing
your speakers

51. 51
Before the
event

52. 52
During the
event

53. After the
event
53

54. What things should
be avoided?
54

55. 55
DON’T:
let mgmt set the agenda

56. 56
DON’T:
leave speaker
selection too late

57. 57
DON’T:
forget to feed people

58. 58
DON’T:
forget the tech

59. DON’T:
forget the follow-up

60. Online vs in-person
conferences - what
is different?
60

61. “Zoom fatigue”
61

62. 62
8 hours of
Zoom calls :-(

63. 63
Shorter, more
frequent events

64. 64
? 2 hours each
day for a week

65. Live interaction and Q&A
65

66. 66
Less formal
- more chat?

67. 67
Good live
moderation

68. Take advantage of online
68

69. 69
Live captions for
accessibility etc.

70. 70
Filter and prioritise
questions

71. 71
Online conference:
2020 case study

72. 72
Red Gate software

73. 73
LEVEL UP WEEK 2020: HOW
WE EVOLVED OUR INTERNAL
TECH CONFERENCE FOR A
REMOTE-FIRST WORLD
https://leadingagileteams.com/2020/12/15/level-up-week-2020-how-
we-evolved-our-internal-tech-conference-for-a-remote-first-world/

74. 74
Key learning from Red Gate:
1. We could deliver the conference content at a more sustainable pace
2. We could open the event up for our global Redgaters
3. We could record everything to allow people to catch-up at a time that
works best for them
4. We could provide something to suit a wider variety of learning styles
5. We could bring Redgaters together at a time when we really needed it
https://leadingagileteams.com/2020/12/15/level-up-week-2020-how-we-evolved-our-internal-tech-conference-for-a-remote-first-world/

75. SUMMARY
75

76. 1 - Mentor speakers
76

77. 2 - Dress rehearsal
77

78. 3 - Follow up
78

79. 4 - CHEAT:
buy the book!
79

80. Try it. Evolve it.
80

81. 81

82. Buy the book!
Amazon / Bookshop.org /
BookDepository / Leanpub
and more ...
InternalTechConf.com
82

83. 25% discount
for this WTFinar via
Leanpub!
https://leanpub.com/InternalTechConferences/
c/WTFinar25
83

84. Training:
4-hour live online / self-paced video
InternalTechConf.com
84

85. Questions?
85

86. Praise for the book
“Running an internal tech conference has made a big
contribution to changes in culture and approach at
the Financial Times. ... if you want a practical guide to
how to do something similar in your organisation, this
book is for you!”
-- Sarah Wells, Technical Director for Operations and Reliability,
Financial Times
“... Victoria and Matthew’s book provides valuable,
practical guidance that will help you plan, run and
capitalise on your own brilliant conference”
-- Chris Smith, Head of Product Delivery, Redgate Software
86

87. Resources
InternalTechConf.com
87

88. Thank you!
InternalTechConf.com | @IntTechConf
Victoria Morgan-Smith and Matthew Skelton
88