SharePoint Evolution Conference 2013

As another new year begins it’s a great time to look ahead and start planning for all the great learning opportunities in the SharePoint community. In addition to local events like user groups, code camps, weekend gatherings and the like, there are also a number of regional and international conferences on the schedule. Everyone has their favorite events but the one I look forward to the most is our annual shindig in London. In keeping with past tradition for years in which a new version of the product is released, the International SharePoint Conference will be re-branded as the SharePoint Evolution Conference for 2013. For three days in April, from the 15^th through the 17^th, we’ll be taking over the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre with dozens of top-notch speakers and tons of engaging content.

This year the schedule contains no less than seven individual tracks, including two dedicated just to information workers, with over a hundred unique sessions and endless networking opportunities. While many conferences focus only on technical content, this event includes dedicated tracks for business-minded individuals as well. No matter what your place is in the SharePoint ecosystem, you’ll find hours of quality information targeted to your particular niche. And what better place to bring all the best and brightest together than the west side of London, just a stone’s throw from Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament?

I often get asked by those who have heard about it but never attended what makes this particular conference so special. I think the most important reason is that it’s really a labor of love by Steve Smith and the Combined Knowledge crew with tremendous support from the global SharePoint Community. Unlike commercial events that are driven by the bottom line, and usually run by folks who don’t live and breathe SharePoint, the International/Evolution conference is put on by SharePoint people for SharePoint people. It’s a community event on a much larger scale with all the professionalism and polish of a big conference but none of the fluff. It feels like a community event and not a stuffy corporate affair – the venue is moderately sized, the number of vendors is manageable, the presenters are approachable and the knowledge sharing is organic not marketing-driven.

If you live outside the US and can only attend one SharePoint event each year, I honestly believe that you should pull out all the stops to make sure you’re in in London come April 15th. The wide range of speakers, variety of topics, quality of content, networking opportunities and location simply cannot be beat. And the attendee parties are the stuff of legend. So get out your calendars, mark off the dates, and be sure to join us in London for SharePoint Evolution Conference 2013 – you’ll be glad you did!