Bigger and better than ever!
Scottish Summit 2022 was held on the 10th and 11th June 2022 at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. This would be the 3rd time I attended in person and my 4th Summit. The first time had been my very first Dynamics and Power Platform Community event. The second time I had volunteered. The third time I had volunteered and presented a remote session. This time I was volunteering and speaking in person!
For the 50 volunteers, the event started some months before the day of the Summit. One of the key tasks for volunteers, is to help evaluate the sessions that have been submitted.
This time was no exception, there had been almost a thousand submissions from 400 different speakers. Only 200 of those could make it through, and it was a very hard job picking between them!
Customery Lego ...
On the day volunteers help with lots of tasks that help the Summit go smoothly. The key task is to man the arrivals desk, and with 1100 attendees, that can keep you busy for some time!
This year however, the desk was very ably manned by the Weaver family who had travelled all the way from the US! Meanwhile, I could focus on my voluntary ‘side hustle’ …
Some months prior to the Summit, I had been contacted by Neil Benson, who was unable to attend. At previous Summits, Neil had given out Lego figures to attendees and they’d become quite a tradition. Neil had asked if I could help carry on that tradition and I was delighted to say yes!
The figures were very popular with attendees, particularly as they were wearing kilts! Dressing the figures was quite fiddly though, and I was glad I had help from Sharon Weaver and Sara Fennah.
Friends old and new
I absolutely love volunteering at Scottish Summit. It’s a fantastic opportunity to meet all sorts of people. This year I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people that I’d never met before. This included many of my online friends, like the wonderful Eric Sauve, pictured above.
On the second day, I also got the opportunity to spend quality time with some very special Community friends. Chilling with Michelle Wong and her daughter Rochelle, Triparna Ray, Tim Leung and Franco Musso was just great!
If you’re wondering what it’s like to volunteer at an event and are unsure whether to put yourself forward, go for it! I promise you’ll have a really fab time, and are likely to get the Community bug, just like me!