chore(blog): aacot'23 summary (#2558)

pages/blog/conference-2023.md

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+---
+title: "AsyncAPI Conference on Tour 2023 Report"
+date: 2024-01-25T06:00:00+01:00
+type: Communication
+tags:
+  - Conference
+cover: /img/posts/2023-summary/background.webp
+authors:
+  - name: Thulisile Sibanda
+    photo: /img/avatars/thulieblack.webp
+    link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/v-thulisile-sibanda/
+    byline: AsyncAPI Community Manager
+excerpt: In 2023, we hosted our very first in-person conference edition. Find out how it all went down!
+featured: true
+---
+
+For three consecutive years, we have hosted online conferences, and in 2023, we decided to take it up a notch and move to in-person events.
+The idea was to have a [conference tour with micro meetups in different cities](https://github.com/orgs/asyncapi/discussions/598), giving birth to the brand **AsyncAPI Conf on Tour (AACoT)**.
+
+Now imagine this: planning the very first AsyncAPI in-person conference by someone organizing an event for the first time; you would wonder what kind of faith the community had in me. 
+Being part of AACoT'23 was an adventurous, bumpy ride that came with valuable lessons.
+
+## The Planning Process
+
+We initially envisioned having five meetups per continent. For people who started the conference planning late, you would think we were being too optimistic.
+At the end of the year, we managed to accommodate and have four confirmed locations.
+
+<Figure
+  src="/img/posts/2023-summary/locations.webp"
+/>
+
+So much had to be put in place, like updating the conference website, starting with the marketing, creating announcements, doing calls for speakers, etc. We had to think on our feet most of the time.
+
+## Challenges
+
+Our biggest challenge of all was that the AACoT'23 planning started late. This meant that for every decision and effort we made, we were dashing against the clock.
+
+- Planning and marketing were complex since most venues were confirmed a few weeks before the summer holidays.
+- In terms of promoting the events, we had some challenges in certain locations as we expected some support in this regard. This would have helped boost the event's visibility, but we were partly at fault since this wasn't communicated prior.
+- Sometimes, free things can be costly! All the conference tickets were free. Of as many those who redeemed free tickets through Open Collective, only less than 50% showed up. It was very discouraging as food and resources that could have catered for everyone went to waste.
+- There was no time to rest between the events as they all happened one after the other.
+- We didn't have a sponsorship budget. By the time we thought about this, it was way too late. 
+
+## Lessons
+
+Time and money are essential! When it comes to building a brand and conference planning.
+I can't over-emphasize the importance of early planning, as we have seen in the past year, which we will prioritize for AACoT'24.
+
+Firstly, having open communication and fostering strong partnerships with our sponsors is undeniable. Before we agree and confirm the location, each venue must meet our community's minimum requirements, especially regarding support in marketing and participation in the planning process.
+
+Secondly, open up sponsorship tiers for companies and individuals who want to support us. Running AACoT requires a lot of funds, especially when it comes to swag costs, shipping, and going further to provide travel scholarships to community members who would like to participate. So, having a separate budget for AACoT is very crucial in this regard.
+
+Lastly, spacing all the conferences this year. Instead of what happened in 2023, where we had all meetups lined up a few weeks apart from each other, in 2024, we plan to have one conference each quarter. Additionally, this will give people time to prepare and plan to travel.
+
+##  Attendance
+
+Though you may have an idea of how the attendance went, the best takeaway is that we had time to network, connect, and learn during the conferences. 
+Being our first year, we did fairly well regarding attendance numbers. We had 225+ individuals who attended in person, and two of our events were live-streamed, receiving over 820+ views.
+
+In addition, during our time in Paris, we also organized an `API Specs and Standards` booth, where we held discussions with people from the API world while promoting the conference.
+
+## Who Made AACoT'23 Possible
+
+AACoT'23 was only possible with our Event Hosts and Sponsors. These organizations provided a venue to host the conference and sponsored us lunch, breakfast, and refreshments; some even provided live stream coverage for those who couldn't attend.
+
+
+
+<a href='https://www.ibm.com/' target='_blank'>
+<img src='/img/sponsors/ibm.png' alt='ibm' width='500px' /> 
+</a>
+
+
+
+<a href='https://www.sngular.com/' target='_blank'>
+<img src='/img/posts/2023-summary/sngular.png' alt='sngular' width='500px' /> 
+</a>
+
+
+
+<a href='https://www.postman.com/' target='_blank'>
+<img src='/img/sponsors/postman.png' alt='postman' width='500px' />
+</a>
+
+<a href='https://www.apidays.global/' target='_blank'>
+<img src='/img/posts/2023-summary/apidays-logo-2023.png' alt='apidays' width='500px' />
+</a>
+
+We are truly grateful to them for their contributions!
+
+## Speakers
+
+What is a conference without our star speakers? These individuals took time out of their busy schedules to share their expertise. 
+They provided valuable industry insights, and we are proud of the network we built during the events.
+
+<Figure
+  src="/img/posts/2023-summary/speaker-2023.webp"
+/>
+
+
+You can also catch up on the live recording from [AACoT'23 Madrid](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbi1gRlP7pihD-7XYb6c9wcTdkavDzF3_) and [AACoT'23 Bangalore](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbi1gRlP7pijVocLZS7FeWKA4NBzJa7_Z).
+
+## Special Shout-Out
+
+I want to express my gratitude to these individuals and many others for their unwavering dedication in assisting with AACoT'23 behind the scenes. 
+They contributed to the design of website prototypes, conference design implementation, creating promotional videos, reviewing Call for Papers (CfPs), editing conference recordings, and providing constant communication and support. I am genuinely thankful for their hard work and commitment.
+
+<Profile profiles={[
+{
+    name: 'Aishat Muibudeen',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/Mayaleeeee',
+    link: 'https://github.com/Mayaleeeee'
+  }, 
+  {
+    name: 'Lukasz Gornicki',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/derberg',
+    link: 'https://github.com/derberg'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Azeez Elegbede',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/acethecreator',
+    link: 'https://github.com/acethecreator'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Barbanio González',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/Barbanio',
+    link: 'https://github.com/Barbanio'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Iván García Sainz-Aja',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/ivangsa',
+    link: 'https://github.com/ivangsa'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Dale Lane',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/dalelane',
+    link: 'https://github.com/dalelane'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Souvik De',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/Souvikns',
+    link: 'https://github.com/Souvikns'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Karuna Tata',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/starlightknown',
+    link: 'https://github.com/starlightknown'
+  }, 
+    {
+    name: 'Jonas Lagoni',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/jonaslagoni',
+    link: 'https://github.com/jonaslagoni'
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'Florence Njeri',
+    avatar: 'https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/Florence-Njeri',
+    link: 'https://github.com/Florence-Njeri'
+  }
+]} />
+
+## Where To Next?
+
+As we plan for AACoT'24, we are excited to announce that [APIdays](https://www.apidays.global/) will be hosting us in Helsinki on May 28-29th, London on September 17-18th, and Paris on December 3-5th. 
+Additionally, we are exploring the possibility of holding the event in Lagos in early Q2 or later.
+
+If you are interested in sponsoring AACoT'24, we welcome financial sponsors or event and host sponsors. 
+
+You can check out our [Open Collective Page](https://opencollective.com/asyncapi/events/asyncapi-conference-on-tour-6b3c0aa1) to see the current sponsorship tiers or [download our conference sponsorship prospectus](https://drive.google.com/file/d/15rQ7cp-LLmxSCcAb2aBFitgJkGhYXBrd/view?usp=sharing) for more information.
+