If you are going to TechEd Berlin, you will have already studied the session schedule to make the best of your time there and planned your days. While doing that, you might have missed to put some less obvious events on your calendar; events which have the potential to make your experience in Berlin unforgettable (Note: this list is based on my personal opinion).
- Community Clubhouse
- No, this is not an exclusive club. Anybody attending TechEd is invited to come by, enjoy a cup of Espresso, have informal meetings in comfortable seating areas, and stop by a number of pods with community and partner information. If you have not been involved with the SAP Community Network so far, this is your chance to learn how you can collaborate with your peers all year long. At TechEd Las Vegas, a woman walked up to me and said: "This is the best experience I have ever had at a conference. You walk into the Clubhouse and immediately feel like a part of the community".
- The Clubhouse TV Theatre
- There is a theatre area in the Community Clubhouse, where you are invited to listen in to 15-20 minute interviews, conducted by the community team around SAP and partner themes. On Wednesday, the participants of the Demo Jam will present their inventions from the night before. Check out the schedule at http://sapclubhouse.com .
- Networking Lounge
- While you are looking at the schedule, direct your eyes to the Networking Lounge section. Here you can find informal PUBLIC meetings for 5-6 people in one of the reserved lounges. If a topic meets your fancy, don't be shy and join! That's the idea.
- Business Process Expert (BPX) Community Book Signing
- Meet Marco ten Vaanholt, the co-author of "Process First" and get a free copy of the book (while supplies last). "Process First" describes the evolution of the business process expert, and is a book written by the BPX community in a wiki. Meet Marco on October 15th, at noon, in Networking Lounge 3.
- Earn Cash Rewards for Solving a Problem
- In the Community Clubhouse, at the "Power of Communities" pod, you can learn about SAP & InnoCentive. Wanted: "Solvers" = people who want to earn cash for solving a problem, and "Seekers" = people who have a "Challenge" that they would like to "crowdsource". Ask for Martin Raepple, and enter to win a flash drive. If you are not at TechEd, find out more online here.
- Walking on Water - Marketing for BPX'ers: TechEd Berlin: Walking on Water
- Marketing? You are thinking "marketing? Is she crazy"? Seriously, I would love to have you come to my session with Dennis Howlett about Web 2.0 marketing. Dennis is a just newly converted marketing fan, and wants to share with the world how mouth-to-mouth marketing can work - with very little investment. I would also like to brainstorm with you on some marketing ideas for BPX. If you are game, meet us on Wednesday, October 15th at 3:00 PM in Networking Lounge 1: "Walking on Water - Marketing for BPX'ers: TechEd Berlin - The Marketing Value (Lively Discussion!)".
- Community Day
- This is the day before the regular TechEd starts. It's where the community meets, and many more great sessions are offered. Find out more here. (You need to register!) As one attendee (Ed Herrmann) said in Las Vegas: "This Community Day is worth the TechEd event fee alone. Meet friends and make new friends to hang out with during the remainder of the week."
If you decide to come to the Clubhouse, I hope you get a chance to say hello!