TechEd DemoJam 2012: We have our finalists!

Update: the list of DemoJam finalists for TechEd Las Vegas can be found here.

The finalists for TechEd DemoJam in Las Vegas, Madrid and Bangalore have now been chosen! The selected teams will now receive coaching from SAP experts on how to turn a great piece of software into a great on-stage show. Great tech and a great show are the two sides of the TechEd DemoJam coin!

TechEd DemoJam will take place on October 16th in Las Vegas, Nov 13th in Madrid and Nov 28th in Bangalore. Each DemoJam will showcase about seven demos competing for the coveted title of SAP TechEd 2012 DemoJam Winner!

Each demo is presented live on stage by two members of the team who created the demo. Demos are limited to 6 minutes, only running code, no slides allowed, no mocked-up back-ends, no fake UIs, just plain running code demonstrated live. It’s a high flying trapeze act with no safety net, and with the ropes of the trapeze untested. Lots of sweat and stress on stage, lots of fun for the audience.

This year we received 84 submissions across all three locations. In addition to submissions from SAP partners and customers, we also received a good number of submissions from SAP employees demonstrating jointly with customers and partner. All submissions were assessed by a selection committee sourced from across SAP. We are very happy with the quality of the demos that will be shown on stage and very excited about seeing the final result on stage at TechEd!

The winner of the InnoJam event that takes place at each location (InnoJam Las Vegas, Madrid and Bangalore) right before TechEd will also compete at each DemoJam with a demo that did not exit one week before. If you did not submit a demo to DemoJam, here’s your chance to compete and shine: join your local TechEd InnoJam event, build an app in 30 hours non-stop using Design Thinking and a range of SAP technologies presented to you by SAP experts, and win!

Each DemoJam will also feature a demo from SAP, lifting the veil on exciting new technology and applications being worked on at SAP.

Expect to see lots of demos based on HANA, but also NW Cloud, SAPUI5, ABAP, CodeExchange, Sybase Brand Mobilizer and SAP Business Objects technology. Also expect toy trucks, 3D goggles, and presenters so young we had to create a new role: the TechEd chaperone!

Make sure you do not miss TechEd DemoJam! This is an experience that no online video replay can match or even come close to.

6 Comments

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Former Member

September 18, 2012 at 2:35 pm

Participating in a DemoJam can be easily placed among the most stressful things I have done so far. Yet, it is definitely among the most fulfilling ones. And on top of that, as many presenters from the past years can confirm - it is highly addictive! Good luck to all participants this year, looking forward to the exciting shows around the world!

Former Member

Blog Post Author

September 18, 2012 at 3:23 pm

Thanks Marek for sharing your experience with us! For those who do not know him, Marek is the man in the middle in the photo above and a multi-winner of TechEd DemoJam. Hey Marek, what about you share with us what you think makes a great DemoJam demo on stage? Dos and don'ts? Either here in the comments or as a separate blog post maybe?

Former Member

September 27, 2012 at 8:18 am

Julien - this is definitely a topic for a longer post! But let me at least try to list a couple of points. Let's call it a decalogue of a demojammer:

Remember, the DemoJam is a fun event - people want to have fun or be amazed by your demo. Technical proficiency is not enough - add fun and excitement to your demo.
If it breaks on stage: (1) in most cases the audience will not notice unless you tell them, (2) if it breaks, they notice, and you fix it - good for you - you have an even better chance of winning than if it didn't break!
You have probably worked on your idea for a long time. And you want to show everything. Don't! People will barely remember one, at most three things about your demo. Chose carefully and show only the best parts!
Practice, practice, practice. Make sure you know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. The demo is a lot of stress, and you will forget the most obvious things, unless you practice, practice, practice.
Prepare for every possible problem. The more you practice, the more problems you will encounter, and the better you will know how to avoid them. And I am not only talking about your code crashing, I am talking about cables being disconnected etc.
Don't plan for typing on a mobile phone keyboard during a demo. Your hands will shake so much, it will be impossible to write anything. At least that's the case with me.
If you're giving a mobile phone demo, ask your mom not to text you during the demo (yes, I received a text from my Mom - "where are you, Marek?" while on stage). Consider asking your ex the same. Or maybe not.
Before the demo - relax. Talk to your fellow DemoJammers, plan for a few beers after the demo jam, the world doesn't end with your demo.
Have fun - you have already won the contest by being selected to show your demo on stage. It doesn't matter whether you win the DemoJam or not. You still get to show your demo to thousands of people!
After the demo, whatever the result is, go and have fun with TechEd participants. Network, meet new people. This is your night. Don't go back to your hotel to have rest. I once did that, and I still regret it.

Christopher Solomon

September 19, 2012 at 1:07 pm

Are the Australians gonna sweep the Vegas one again? 😆

Former Member

Blog Post Author

September 19, 2012 at 1:41 pm

Australia has one man in the race in Vegas, but not the same as last year!

Christopher Solomon

September 19, 2012 at 5:42 pm

It only takes one Australian......

TechEd DemoJam 2012: We have our finalists!

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