Virtual or in person

[mcrapo]

Which do you like the most?

I was surprised when I wrote everything down.  Not the things that are the same between the two.  Only the difference.

Virtual

• Comfort of my chairs
• Can go to a LOT of sessions
• More people can go to it
• Free
• No Travel
• 24 hours

In Person

• Meet a lot of fun people
• Run from session to session
• Total concentration on the sessions (Work Email)
• Late fun programs
• Sometimes deeper into subjects

I've been listing these out and thinking - Now my mind is changed.  Virtual is the way to go.   PLEASE think of other ones that I've forgotten after very little sleep.   

Some of you  like me might have decided on virtual.  Let us know, what do you think?

[vsp4btp]

Even though we miss the person-to-person interaction with In-person sessions.. but YES, virtual is the way to go!!

We save lot of time and money on registration, travel, accommodation, going from one room to another, etc.

We can plan / attend more sessions and gain lots of insights on various things at SAP.

[lak_sh_mi]

Virtual one is best for many more reasons along with what is already posted by others:

1. one could plan out the agenda very well
2. is much comfortable to concentrate without lot of noice around..Yes the party end of the first day and even during the day the booths are crowded.
3. the auditorium, huge TV screens, tents are energy guzzlers.,
4. Lecture halls can't be a good to go place anymore even before when we have head phones who go any more
5. Good options now to pause the recorded sessions and take notes..
6. ....the list goes on and on.

[BaerbelWinkler]

I prefer virtual and one big factor is that it doesn't involve travelling by thousands of people, so - even considering the production team assembling in (e.g.) Frankfurt, the production itself and people watching online - my guess is that it causes orders of magnitude lower carbon emissions. I'd however be interested to see a calculation of "avoided emissions" for that. 

[raeijpe]

I prefer a hybrid Teched event. You can for example enrich the Devtoberfest event and position it as a multiple weeks Virtual Teched event and close it with one real face-to-face Teched event. This face-to-face event should be held every year in different region with combines work (teched) and pleasure (holiday, culture). For example next year in Berlin (Europe), then Austin (North America), then Tokyo (Asia), then São Paulo (South America) and Sydney (Oceania) .

[Bernhard]

I agree with the Virtual option, for many reasons.
But - I´d think of offering _also_ a F2F option, with some different features. So a hybrid model with anyone who wants, attending virtually and for free. And the optional F2F with networking events, discussions with executives, chilling, celebrating in person - coming with a price tag then.

[TammyPowlas]

I can't decide

I miss seeing everyone in person, but the "joys" of travel are surely diminishing.  It opens it up for more people if it is virtual.