As digital events have become our new (temporary?) norm, we’re working hard to bring you the best digital alternatives to our much-loved, in-person conferences and you seem to be loving it!
Read on for a 360 view of what your #mtpcon Digital experience will be like and why it’s not to be missed!
What to Expect
How does a digital conference work, exactly?
This isn’t just any old stuffy watch-til-you-drop webinar – dust off that webcam, put a comb through your hair, and get set to interact. There’s no time to sit back – #mtpcon Digital is all about getting involved!
We’re delighted to be teaming up with live event platform, Hopin, again to bring you another seamless digital experience. Just like a real conference, there’s a keynote stage, breakout and Q&A rooms, a 1:1 speed networking area, and expo hall. Your whole #mtpcon Digital experience will happen inside Hopin; you can move in and out of rooms just like an in-person event, interact easily with your fellow product peers (and speakers!) in the chat, virtual roundtables, or speed networking area, and enjoy the content at your own pace.
The Breakouts Explained
Between keynotes, you can choose from a selection of breakout activities:
Expert-Led Sessions
Take your pick from our interactive expert-led sessions, all of which are designed to be super engaging – choose from mini-workshops, talks, and more, run by over a dozen product experts. Learn more about our speakers.
Speed Networking
Hop on a remote speed networking session during the “Lobby Time” to connect with some new product people. Discuss the keynotes and any breakout sessions you’ve watched, share your stories, and help each other with problems – it’s up to you! Our virtual-speed networking was a big hit at our July event so we’ve added even more time in November! Sessions last 5 minutes each and you can attend as many as you can squeeze in. No sign-up required, just enter the Networking tab on the event platform during the event.
Roundtables
Our virtual roundtables give you the opportunity to take part in a themed discussion with fellow #mtpcon Digital attendees on various product topics, enabling you to network, learn, and benefit from the shared knowledge and experience of the group. During “Lobby Time” we’ll have a number of roundtables you can jump in on, each focused on unique challenges like roadmaps, prioritisation, getting hired and promoted, discovery, research, managing tension, and more! No need to sign up – just join the topic most interesting to you!
Virtual Expo
In our Virtual Expo, you can chat to our lovely sponsors – they’ll be available to chat live throughout the day (face-to-face using video streaming or on their booth Chat). Visit the expo to talk to their friendly teams about how they can help you build better products, hear about career opportunities, take up special offers, enter giveaways, and pick up some digital swag!
Whether it’s to ease you into the day or to help you relax once we’re done, our social hours are there to help keep the conversation going, connect with your product peers, and have some fun! Just turn up armed with refreshments of your choice and pick from a selection of fun activities on the day. There’s something for everyone! Choose from:
- Desk Yoga Class 🧘♀️ – join product manager, friend of Mind the Product, and trained yoga instructor, Iris van de Kieft for remote yoga classes, helping you find “balance in the digital age”. You can expect some simple movements, breathing exercises, and a brief meditation (this session is sponsored by Split – you’ll find them in the Expo area at the event!)
- The Pub Quiz ❓– everyone loves a good pub quiz! Need we say more?
- Coffee Session (with “Product Pets” Show & Tell) ☕️🐶 – nerd out about flat whites, macchiatos, and your fave blend in our morning social sessions. For added ‘awww!’ factor, get your pets in on the action and introduce your furry friend to your fellow attendees.
- Cocktail Making Challenge 🍸 – mix up your favourite drink and share your cocktail-making secrets with the group! A perfect way to wind down after the conference day.
- Beer Appreciation 🍻 – join some of the Mind the Product team to talk about all things beer-related and bond over your favourite breweries
- Your Home Office Set Up 🎥 – get tips on how to look good on video when working remotely, and how to make the most of the set-up you already have, hosted by Product Management Coach, Joe Leech, our very own Chris Massey!
- Fun Product Pitches 💡 – pitch The Product Experience podcast hosts Lily & Randy your fun product ideas: the one you want someone else to build so that you can use it, the one that is impossible, the one that puts the cat among the pigeons… come with ideas, a drink in hand and an open mind!
- Live DJ Set 🎧 – soundtrack your social sessions with our amazing conference DJ
- The Doodle Challenge – We’d love to see your doodles from the conference and to inspire your creations, we’ve prepared some challenges. Doodle: your favourite quote from a talk at the conference, your backlog (we’re sure it’s beautifully organised, right?) or a cartoon strip of your 2020 in product. Share your masterpiece on Twitter or in the event chat using the hashtag #mtpcon #doodlechallenge – we’ll share them too and pick 3 prize winners!
Your Mind the Product membership (it’s included!)
As part of your #mtpcon Digital ticket purchase, you’ll be given a year’s free Mind the Product Prioritised membership (worth $250). This gives you access to our premium editorial (including recordings of all #mtpcon Digital talks), even more interaction with product experts, and the opportunity to connect with peers tackling similar challenges to you – 365 days of the year! Read more about Prioritised membership.
Once you’ve purchased your conference ticket, you’ll be emailed instructions on how to access your new membership by 1st October, 2020. Already a Prioritised member or MTP Leader? Check your membership dashboard for your exclusive #mtpcon Digital 2020 offer.
What people say about #mtpcon Digital
Will Longano, Product Manager, ServiceChannel
Tina Hubbard, Sr. Product Manager, Best Buy
Adam Tarnowsky, Product Manager, One45
How does #mtpcon Digital compare to an in-person conference?
We know we can’t replace our in-person #mtpcon events (nor would we want to) but, with our first fully digital event behind us, we can confidently say that much of what we love about our in-person events is actually possible in a digital setting, plus a few additional perks which even our in-person events can’t deliver. We’ve taken everything we’re known for digital, plus we’ve learned heaps since July, so we’re confident you’re going to love it!
Things that will be different:
- The Schedule: #mtpcon Digital comes with a flexible schedule to allow for life, kids, work and the rest. In a change from our 3-day #mtpcon Digital event back in July, we’ve listened to your feedback and have spread our November event over just 2 short days. We’ve also added a few more breaks, allowing you the chance to check in with your team, grab another coffee, or just…you know, take a break!
- The Timings: The joy of digital events is that they allow a much more diverse gathering of the community. We’ve scheduled #mtpcon Digital in a way that works across multiple time zones – afternoon for Europe and morning for the US. It’s going to be a truly international event!
- The Variety: To stop you going numb from “Virtual Fatigue” (it’s a thing!), we’ve created special breakout sessions – a varied schedule of activities to keep you bright-eyed and engaged. As well as our invaluable keynotes and speaker Q&As, you can join roundtable discussions, speed networking sessions, mini-workshops – you can even join us for a relaxing coffee or beer (*BYO – we’ve not figured out how to make that bit digital yet). Learn more about our breakout session activities.
Things that will remain the same:
- Quality Curation: There’s no bigger event dedicated to product out there. Not only is our crowd the biggest, but we draw the greatest names in product too. We’re not just filling virtual rooms with anyone and anything, as always, there’s method to our madness! And booking top-quality speakers is our baseline. We’re particularly excited to welcome Founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group and author of INSPIRED, Marty Cagan to #mtpcon Digital in November! Read more about all of our speakers.
- Single-Track Magic: One of the best things about #mtpcon Digital is that it still offers a single-track keynote experience. So, no matter who you end up chatting to in the networking sessions or chat rooms, you’ll have some of the same interesting things to talk about.
- Opportunities to Connect: Getting together with your industry peers shouldn’t just be inspiring and educational, it should be fun too. As with our in-person events, we’ve made sure there are plenty of chances to connect with your fellow product peers. We’ll ensure the conversations keep flowing and help you to build great connections with your product community.
- The Community: Mind the Product isn’t just an event, it’s a content platform and community with chapters in 200+ cities, all dedicated to the art of product. We want product people around the world to come and connect with us and each other, so that we can all become the best in our field and move our discipline forward.