Garden-Level Study Rooms (B2544, B2536, B2532, B2562, B2564, B2576, B2580, B2582, B2586)

If you enjoy open, unstructured conversations with colleagues about topics that matter to you, the IT Professionals Conference will be hosting an Unconference this year. The event will take place in person on Thursday, May 28.

Event details:

• Format: 30-minute time slots
• Schedule: 10:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (excluding lunch and breaks), for a total of six sessions
• Venue: Garden-level study rooms, each equipped with a screen and a whiteboard

What is Unconference? Unconference is an attendee-driven experience that creates space for the conversations that don’t fit neatly into the main IT Professionals Conference agenda. This intentionally unstructured avenue invites anyone to propose topics, ask bold questions, and even step up to lead a discussion—no prior speaking experience required. Expect spontaneity, creative energy, and a little productive chaos as ideas emerge organically, and discussions evolve in real time. Whether you have a topic in mind or a problem you would like to pose to the rest of the community, there is no wrong way to lead an Unconference session. The Unconference embraces flexibility and curiosity, making it the perfect place to explore emerging challenges, untapped opportunities, and perspectives you won’t find anywhere else on the schedule.

Here is how it works:

• After registration, if you have a topic in mind, put your topic on the poster-sized sticky notes to reserve a spot.
• Topics can be anything from “Your favorite tech podcasts” to something like “Asset management beyond hardware.” If you want to talk about your personal interests, that’s great, too!
• Some examples of session formats include:
  • Group discussion on a particular topic or issue – Pick a topic and talk about it
  • Show and tell – Show off your latest project, a new tool, or anything else you are excited about
  • Q&A – Offer a chance to participants to ask questions and learn about your topic
  • Anything between
• Whoever joins are the right people. Everyone has a chance to participate as they want.
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have happened. Even though the session starts out with a topic, keep an open mind to the discussions that occur, and you might end up with a totally different outcome.
• When it’s over, it’s over. The time slots help organize the sessions, but you can finish early if that’s how things develop. If a group wants to continue the conversation after your time slot is over, it’s up to the group to organize its own session to continue the conversation.
• A Google Doc will be provided for note-taking so that if you miss a conversation, you can review the notes after the Unconference.