The excitement of Day one bled over into Day two, as if we all were dreaming about the great things happening in the FileMaker platform. As I joined the rest of the 1,600 attendees, I could feel the excitement of the day ahead. It did not disappoint.
I woke early to get ready for the day. I wanted to attend some sessions and prepare for my first session, “Web Viewer Integrations.” The hawks outside my hotel deck greeted me with their cries, giving a perfect zen-like atmosphere to the morning.
I ventured down to the conference area and joined the community for some breakfast. Many people, arrived at breakfast close to the end of the hour. It seems we all stayed up a little late the previous night! The food was good, plentiful, and healthy. After downing some oatmeal and bacon, I ventured into the classrooms.
Day 2 Sessions
Day two’s lineup of sessions promised to be full of great content. There were both beginner and advanced sessions showcasing innovation and great insights for attendees. One even included a demo of a great product by one of the conference’s exhibitors. I enjoy the beginner sessions, and how many of them overlapped in topics. I used to be a teacher, and the more a student is exposed to the same idea, the more the idea will be internalized.
I started my day by attending Anders Monsen’s session on JSON parsing and then the beginner session, “Relationships Thoroughly Explained.” Both were excellent in scope and great for attendees.
I also attended Wim Decorte’s session, “External Authentication Options: EA, SSO, AD, OD, OAuth, LDAP” as well as a session titled, “Increasing Code Quality While Staying Lean” with John Sindelar of SeedCode.
I popped into Mike Duncan’s session, “FileMaker and AWS: What You Need to Know” and Martha Zink’s session, “Get the Right Answers from Users – UI Tips and Tricks” to support my colleagues. Both seemed very popular; the content resonated well with attendees.
This is my first year presenting at DevCon, so I spent part of the morning focused on preparing for my session. I had to clear my mind and make sure I was ready to go. I tested my computer many times, backed up my demo files, and recharged my clicker. I wanted to be ready. People say I “overthink” it, but I know how I need to get ready. As a teacher, I always had to take a moment before the kids burst through the door. Leading a session at DevCon is no different. (Although, I guess, the attendees are a bit better behaved.)
I enjoyed the new “FileMaker in Action” sessions, during which users of FileMaker are invited to speak on their successful use of the platform in their daily business. Martin Williams and another person from Volvo spoke of how their use of FileMaker has transformed the way they can respond to machine breakdowns out in the field. When a machine reports an issue, FileMaker picks it up and immediately tells the dispatcher the nearest dealer to that machine. All of that would be hard to do in a basic spreadsheet.
Women of FileMaker Luncheon
Day two also included the annual Women of FileMaker luncheon. I, obviously, did not attend, but I heard from my female colleagues that it was fun and empowering for the women who did. My coworkers got to network and meet wonderful women while discussing how to propel more women forward in the FileMaker community. Gillian Gentry, one of my team’s Managing Directors, stood up to discuss the Women of FileMaker scholarship program, which helps send more women to DevCon every year. Ladies, if you couldn’t make it this year, I highly suggest getting involved with the group and attending next year!
A Relaxing End to the Day
And, of course, the day finished with a pool party. Food and drink stations were scattered around the huge pool complex, and all of us FileMaker people, in our name tags and swimsuits, stood around and talked, ate, and drank. Some of us even swam.
Day two of DevCon was full of learning, people, food, and community. The sessions were strong and informative, and the people were excited and engaged. I can’t wait to see what day three brings!
