Conference

I'm not quite sure when I started enjoying today's conference.

I mean, I was certainly quite excited when we were first mooted the idea of running our own event. That was months ago.

And I definitely enjoyed all the brainstorming, especially around the merch: pads, pencils, tote bags, jelly beans, and so on.

But then there was the (Brexit related) delay on the banners, which turned the conference date into an approaching deadline. And the fluctuating number of attendees. It all started to get a bit more tense.

This morning, at ten past eight, I was thinking "Where is everyone?" and at a quarter to nine, when the room was full, "Why is everyone here so early?"

The first twenty minutes were like being at the theatre; I felt anxious and mildly nauseous, and I wondered if I ought to just sit outside, but then our first keynote speaker, Yoannis, started speaking, and I suddenly felt calm.

And in the end it was a great success, and when we were down in the bar with the delegates afterwards, I found myself looking forward to next year.