Every conference that I attended gave me new inspiration, learning or experience that I took back for life. One of them was a desire to speak at Developer Conferences. I spoke at 5 conferences since, and some months back I also applied to speak at Wearedeveloepers World Congress conference at Berlin that happened on August 25-27th. Unfortunately my talk was rejected, but along came with it a ticket to attend the conference, then I didn't hesitate, I booked the flights straight away.
I flew to Berlin on 25th late evening to attend the conference the next day. I used public transport to and fro as I was travelling on my own expenses. The conference itself had an app, which was great so I could preselect the talks that I wanted to attend from the many talks that were happening simultaneously in different stages and also watch the live stream or recordings later.
The first day it took some time to find the venue from the nearest station (as shown in the DB travel app). I couldn't find the destination that Google Maps was showing this time. I was at luck when I saw an array of developer looking guys (dark t-shirts and unshaved) with conference tags sand blue wrist bands walking towards a certain direction, who registered a day before and so they knew the way. I followed them and finally reached the venue (years later, there was so much walking, totally regretted the choice of my shoes). Then I saw the Messe Berlin South Entrance with a huge poster written World Congress.
I was amazed by the sheer number of people entering into that huge building. I was afraid that I will miss Sir Tim Berners Lee's keynote speech (the main reason that I really wanted to attend) looking at the queue in the registration counters. Luckily I made it on time. Finding the way around the stages that were located at different building and floors were itself a task. I wished at the time that they had a map of the building in the app that they built for the conference.
When I reached the main stage where the keynote was to be held, the seats was already getting filled with thousands, and the many were standing. I managed to find a seat in the middle at a side row while the hosts were giving the welcome speech.
I learned about Sir Tim Berners Lee in my computer lessons at school in age 10 and the child in me was so eager to meet the legend in person....
(To be continued..)
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