Boondoggle is such a funny word. Generally it means anything that is frivolous or a waste of time while having the appearance of having value.
I was first introduced to the word as it related to a work trip that someone else was taking to a far-away exotic land. It was said in a friendly jest mostly born out of jealousy. But as someone who has attended my fair share of conferences and work events, I will be the first to admit that some are just that. With our own Qlik Qonnections 2016 coming up quickly (May 1-4), those of us that have been involved in the planning owe it to you to prove that our event is NOT a boondoggle. So below I will share with you some of the things that I think make our event worth your time.
#1 - Cool People
This is BY FAR the most important item. If you got stuck in a room full of lame people for even an hour (let alone days) any event would be a waste. At Qlik, we are all about people: we believe that the power of data isn’t about the data at all. It is about the collective human intelligence across an organization which can be harnessed and magnified by leveraging your data. At Qonnections 2016, you will find:
#2 – Hot Topics
A conference shouldn’t be just a glorified training session. You can do that from your laptop in your bunny slippers using the Qlik Continuous Classroom.
#3 – Great Session Content
Much of your time at any conference will be spent in breakout sessions. We already mentioned the importance of quality speakers. But you should also think about both the breadth and depth of the content as well.#4 – Ample Networking
Honestly, some of my most memorable conference memories come from my conversations with other attendees.#5 – Awesome Food & Entertainment
As if that wasn’t enough, Qlik will also be inviting attendees to apply for an opportunity to join us this July for a life changing trip to Tanzania in support of one of our charitable partners WeSeeHope! You can learn more about this trip as well as our corporate social responsibility (CSR) program Change Our World at the Qonnections 2016 Discovery Expo.
See you there!
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments!
By NASA/Scott Kelly [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons