Scenes from Behind the Scenes: Your SAP TechEd Events Team

Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at SAP TechEd with the team that plans the whole shindig? We’re known around these parts as SAP Global Events, and I thought it might be fun to give you a snapshot of the 2019 SAP TechEd production meetings we held in Barcelona this month. Spoiler alert: it’s not glamorous. But, we’re a team of creative, hardworking people who work around the clock to bring you a compelling, organized, informative, collaborative and heck…downright fun SAP TechEd each year. Enjoy this glimpse behind the marketing curtain.

So, can we bring puppies?

We arrive from around the globe to meet at “the venue” and scout out the work in progress. There are maps and renderings and floorplans and spreadsheets. We talk about your feedback from last year (really…we do!) and try to find answers to questions that will make things run better. “Why did lines bottleneck at that spot last year? Remember how we ran out of pasta salad at lunch? How can we schedule more repeats of that popular session?” We sit in a big room at a big conference table and go around-the-horn with questions, comments and hifalutin’ ideas (“Can we have puppies on the showfloor?”)

Your SAP TechEd Barcelona Events Team.

Sweat City

Picture the size of the SAP TechEd event space and then imagine it empty – with no signs, screens, tables or theaters. Then imagine that space in mid-summer with dim lights, cement floors and no ventilation. Yep – that’s the scene at our showfloor walkthrough, where we consider rigging, electricity, crowd flow and accessibility. Every floorplan suggestion brings consequent results. (“If we run those cords across the aisle, won’t people trip? Yes, we better drop them from the ceiling instead.”) We try to see the space through your eyes and make it easy to navigate from all angles. We consider things like seating and networking space and coffee. Always coffee.

Walking the showfloor. Wishing we brought water. So hot!

Dreaming up a new idea.

Dig Deeper…in the sand

On Day Three, our motley crew breaks into smaller groups to double down on specific tasks. Session schedules are revised. A/V requirements are reviewed. Menu options are finalized. As with any team, we set deliverable dates and action items and timelines. SAP TechEd will be here before we know it. We pack up and get ready to head home, but not before a glorious walk on the beach to dip our toes in the warm Mediterranean. Come to SAP TechEd this fall, and if you see us, tell us how we’re doing!

Ahhh…surf and sand.