Sunday, March 24, 2024

Leaving on a Jet Plane

   If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways. 

John Denver wrote and recorded “Leaving on a Jet Plane” in 1966, when he was just 23 years old. 

Denver, then a relatively unknown 23 year old musician in the Los Angeles folk scene, wrote the song during a layover at Washington National Airport in 1966. In one of his BBC Radio specials, Denver said about the song:

"This is a very personal and very special song for me. It doesn’t conjure up Boeing 707s or 747s for me as much as it does the simple scenes of leaving. Bags packed and standing by the front door, taxi pulling up in the early morning hours, the sound of a door closing behind you, and the thought of leaving someone that you care for very much."

This week is Enterprise Connect. March 25-28, 2024. For over 30 years, Enterprise Connect has been the leading conference and exhibition for enterprise communications and collaboration in North America. Enterprise Connect brings corporate IT decision makers together with the industry's vendors, channel partners, analysts and consultants to focus on the issues central to enterprise communications and collaboration. Translation: it's a big deal. Looks like 5,500+ have registered to be LIVE in Orlando.

And this week is Adobe Summit 2024. March 26-28, 2024. Adobe Summit is an annual conference organized by Adobe Systems, a multinational software company known for its creative, marketing, and document management solutions. Adobe Summit typically focuses on digital marketing, advertising, e-commerce, customer experience management, and related topics. The event gathers industry professionals, marketing leaders, technologists, and digital enthusiasts to discuss emerging trends, share best practices, and learn about Adobe's latest technologies and innovations in the digital experience space. Adobe Summit often features keynote presentations, educational sessions, workshops, networking opportunities, and product demonstrations. It serves as a platform for attendees to gain insights, collaborate with peers, and explore strategies for driving digital transformation and business growth. Translation: it's a big deal. Looks like 6,000+ have registered to be LIVE in Las Vegas (sold out). Attendance for the Adobe Summit Online experience is unlimited - and free for everyone.

Because I am not Travis Kelce, I cannot borrow Taylor Swift's jet plane. So, TAC Sr. will go to Orlando, and TAC Jr. will go to Las Vegas. And, TAC Sr. will also attend Adobe Summit Online, for free, from Orlando. Done

But what really hit me this morning is how Online is free and unlimited, and attending LIVE is not free, attendance is limited and expensive (travel, hotel, event pass). Adobe Summit sold out fast - the conference rooms only hold so many people. Same goes for Enterprise Connect. The Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando has around 1,700 guest rooms, not 17,000. 

As I write this Sunday Blog I reflect on these two events. Adobe Summit is all about experience-led growth. Digital Experiences. They give you a template letter to send to your Boss, to convince them to pay for your trip to Las Vegas (LIVE): 


To: D. Bigboss

From: Bigboss N. Training 

Subject: Attending Adobe Summit LIVE in Las Vegas

Dear [insert supervisor’s name],

As our focus on delivering personal and meaningful experiences to customers continues to grow, I want to prepare myself as best as I can to create the future of experience-led growth for our business. I’m writing to ask your approval to attend Adobe Summit, the premier digital experience conference, in Las Vegas from March 26—28, 2024.

Adobe Summit is a conference designed for the leaders and creators behind the world’s best experiences. Summit offers unparalleled opportunities for growth and development, including exclusive skill-building sessions, trainings and credential exams, and networking events with experts and leaders in digital experience. 

Here are ways our company would benefit from my attendance:

• Insight into all things customer experience: I’ll gain valuable skills for keeping customers engaged and driving brand loyalty and growth. 

• Staying ahead of upcoming trends: During the keynotes, sessions, and customer success stories, I’ll find out what’s new and next from industry leaders who are creating breakthrough customer experiences. 

• Making the most of our Adobe investment — With more than 200 sessions and labs, I’ll learn time-saving techniques and best practices.

• Brainstorming with the best of the best — I’ll have the opportunity to connect directly with peers and leaders from the world’s top brands and collect ideas for our next great customer experiences.

• Exploring the full customer experience ecosystem — In the Community Pavilion, I’ll have opportunities to talk with Adobe partners about their newest products and services that support experience-driven companies and expand the capabilities of our current tech stack. 

After Summit, I’ll submit a post-conference report with key learnings and takeaways so I can share everything I absorbed at Summit with other members of the team and the larger organization.

You can learn more about Summit at summit.adobe.com.

Me, TomCapone.com - I am very spoiled. I run the Distance Learning Association, and we are all about "remote" and technology and virtual experiences. Digital Experiences. Adobe is all about digital experiences. Enterprise Connect is all about well, connecting the Enterprise (the people) via technology. The Titanium Sponsors at EC'24 are AWS, RingCentral, Webex and Zoom

The reason that I am very spoiled is that I live in North New Jersey, around 28 miles West of NYC - you know - the Center of the Known Universe. So, at the drop of a hat, I can be in THE BIG APPLE in less than an hour, and attend events at places like Javits Center with almost no planning. And certainly no airports are involved. If I wait long enough, sooner or later, THE WORLD comes to me, in NYC. Round trip on the bus, BOONTON USA < > Times Square, less than $20. And 5G and/or WiFi the entire time. 

But now, this week, money will be spent. Time will be invested in traveling to Orlando, and to Las Vegas. Because even with the best technology in the world - people still want to do business with people. Live. In person. Humans want to work with other humans, not robots. Not yet, anyway. People still want to meet people live, over adult beverages. 

My son Tommy will be hanging with Shaq. In Vegas. You cannot do that online. 

And now I have that John Denver song in my head like an earworm... and so do you. 







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