SharePoint Evolution Conference 2015 – The One Event You Must Attend

There are a lot of SharePoint related conferences going on these days, from free local events like SharePoint Saturday to gigantic marketing shows and everything in between. They all offer value in one way or another but nobody has the time or resources to attend more than a few. So how do you choose? I’ve often been asked what event I would attend if I could only pick one. That’s an easy answer – the SharePoint Evolution Conference in London. Why? Because dollar for dollar (or pound for pound, as it were) there is no better source of information from real-world experts who live and breathe SharePoint every day. Period.

Need some more convincing? Fair enough. Here are some other reasons why I think you should be booking tickets to London in April no matter where you live in the world:

Content

8 tracks. 82 speakers. 160 sessions. That’s more SharePoint-focused content than even the big marketing conferences are providing. Read that again – 160 sessions in three days. The content covers everything you want to know about – administration, development, business, end user, architecture, social, cloud, and so on. Have SharePoint on-premise and planning to keep it that way? Good, because you’ll find plenty of sessions just for you (not just a sales pitch for the cloud). Speaking of the cloud, there will be a wealth of hybrid and Office 365 sessions to choose from as well, along with Yammer, Delve, Power BI, hybrid search, and a host of other topics. If you can’t find it here you won’t find it anywhere.

Speakers

A really good conference is more about the content than the people presenting it but having said that many of the best SharePoint speakers in the world will all be in London. There will also be community contributors who have tremendous insights to share but who don’t often get a chance to speak at big events. These are the people who spend all day every day working with customers of all sizes to implement, extend, maintain, migrate and manage SharePoint (both on-premises and in the cloud). You can’t get any more real-world than that. This isn’t about marketing messages or sneak peaks of new features – it’s about giving you the very best information possible from the people who know it best. Still not convinced? Here are some of the fantastic speakers you will hear from in London but won’t hear from at the super-sized marketing shows:

Production Value

The Combined Knowledge​ crew do an amazing job putting together quality content and entertainment. The venue is intimate and inviting – no long hikes down endless corridors and exhibit halls you could park a jumbo jet in. The food is top notch, the staff are amazing and the parties are legendary. You won’t find a better organized, more accessible and hassle-free conference experience anywhere.

Location

Come on, it’s London. L-O-N-D-O-N. And not out in some remote location only vaguely in the vicinity of the city – it’s directly across the street from Westminster Abbey. It just doesn’t get any better than that. The conference facility is amazing and there are endless opportunities for networking and casual conversation. And the parties? Oh, the parties – you won’t have more fun at a technical event EVER. Yes, you’ll learn a lot but you’ll also be entertained and have direct access to the speakers and organizers in a relaxed setting.

Cost

Conferences are expensive. The big ones are budget-busting expensive. But the Evolution conference is only £795 (that’s around $1,200 US dollars). Flights to London from most US cities are less than $1500 and much less from any location in Europe. Four nights in a London hotel can be had for as little as £500. That’s the entire conference, flights and lodging included, for about the same price as the cost of a single ticket to the big marketing events. Now that’s value for money you simply won’t get anywhere else.

So what’s the bottom line? It’s a no-brainer. For the best content, best speakers, best location and best price there is only one conference you should attend this spring. And that is the SharePoint Evolution Conference in London on April 20th through the 22nd. Make your plans now and reserve your spot because I guarantee you it will sell out soon.

I’ll see you in London!​

 

SmartTrack Operational Analytics for SharePoint​​