{"id":78671,"date":"2020-09-30T15:54:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-30T12:54:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/my-thoughts-before-hosting-our-15th-flagship-event\/"},"modified":"2020-09-30T15:54:59","modified_gmt":"2020-09-30T12:54:59","slug":"my-thoughts-before-hosting-our-15th-flagship-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/my-thoughts-before-hosting-our-15th-flagship-event\/","title":{"rendered":"#My thoughts before hosting our 15th flagship event"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#My thoughts before hosting our 15th flagship event<\/strong>”
\n<\/p>\n

\n Boris is the wise ol\u2019 CEO of TNW who writes a weekly column on everything about being an entrepreneur in tech \u2014 from managing stress to embracing awkwardness. You can get his musings straight to your inbox by signing up for his newsletter!<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Tomorrow I\u2019m hosting the 15th edition of our yearly flagship event, TNW2020.<\/p>\n

For every previous edition we\u2019ve done, hosting meant being there in person, opening the conference with a show and welcome talk, and then walking around to shake hands with as many guests as possible. This year is different, but I\u2019ll still be doing all of that \u2014 only now it\u2019s online and virtual.<\/p>\n

And the good thing about being online is you can still sign up for a free ticket and join me tomorrow \u2014 no need to book a last minute flight to Amsterdam. Send me a DM through the platform as soon as you\u2019re in so we can chat!<\/p>\n

Whenever I open a conference, I try to get the audience into a certain mood, or mindset, to help them get the most out of the event. I\u2019ll talk about how much love and attention every speaker will put into their talks. But also how important it is to have those serendipitous meetings that events like these are famous for.<\/p>\n

So in addition to thanking the crew and welcoming guests, I usually tell a story that helps put things into perspective. One year, I talked about taking risks. I quoted Grace Hopper: \u201cit\u2019s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission.\u201d<\/p>\n

My point wasn\u2019t for the audience to start stealing drinks and apologize later, but to emphasize that rules and habits can limit your thinking. Sometimes, it\u2019s good to let go of your preconceptions and try to look at the world from a different perspective. And what better place to start doing that than at this conference?<\/p>\n

A few hours later, as I was making the rounds in the conference area, I bumped into my 10-year-old daughter.<\/p>\n

I was surprised to see her because she wasn\u2019t supposed to be at the conference at all, but at school. In fact, she had pleaded with me to take her to the conference, but I had told her she had to go to school, and that was final.<\/p>\n

I asked her what happ<\/a>ened and why she was here and not at school. She shrugged and said, \u201cI really wanted to be here, so I decided to skip school. I know you wouldn\u2019t allow that, but apparently, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission.\u201d<\/p>\n

If only I could\u2019ve seen my own face at that moment. It would\u2019ve shown a weird combination of anger, frustration, and paternal pride, all at once.<\/p>\n

Tomorrow I\u2019ll open our flagship event once again, and I\u2019ll close it on Friday. In between those two moments, I\u2019ll be manning the helpdesk, and chatting to speakers and partners, and hopefully you\u2026 and probably my own kids, who are supposed to be in school tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t get enough of Boris? Check out his older stories here, and sign up for TNW\u2019s news<\/a>letters here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n Published September 30, 2020 \u2014 12:54 UTC\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n