Highlights From Common Europe Congress 2023
Common Europe Congress 2023 has come to an end. After such a project there is a feeling of emptiness that everybody involved can recognize. For me, it’s not a bad feeling; it’s a positive feeling that I’ve done everything I could to make the best Congress possible. And it certainly was a great one, breaking several records: The largest number of attendees in more than 25 years is what made me most proud.
Of course, I wasn’t alone in my efforts, and one of the big reasons behind our success was the new way of working we implemented this year, with many more volunteers involved in different working groups.
A few examples: One group worked to select the sessions, and we had a completely new working group focus on AIX and Linux (we will expand this area with a second track next year). Our “NextGen” people had ideas for making the experience more appealing for our younger audience, and so on.
Our sponsors also worked hard to make their booths more attractive and fun to visit—something that gave great results, if I interpret their feedback correctly.
Highlights From CEC 2023
Based on online forums and LinkedIn, it’s evident that leaving the pandemic behind us and returning to an in-person gathering was well received. Here’s some of the feedback:
”Having a great time here at #comeur2023! Great to get back to talking with customers, and friends, in real life!”
“It has been a great event with great people at #comeur2023”
“I am excited to participate in the #comeur2023 conference in Prague and meet with many clients and colleagues.”
“We absolutely love being here together and meeting partners, customers and mostly friends.”
“What a great time at the Common Europe Congress in Prague. I really appreciate the community and all the great speakers.”
“What a wonderful event #comeur2023 was. Thank you to the organizers, speakers, Champions and attendees for making this an #IBMi event to remember!”
I must give a big thank you to IBM, who showed huge support not just financially, but with engagement on levels we’ve never seen before. More than 60 IBMers attended the Congress, and IBM EMEA arranged their Business Partner Advisory Council at our hotel giving a big number of participants the chance to see what Common is and what we do. I am quite sure most of them will join our Congress next year. Just awesome!
Looking Forward to CEC 2024
Now that CEC 2023 ended, CEC 2024 is getting all the attention to make sure we not only repeat this year’s success but make it even bigger.
The next CEC will be arranged together with our local community in Italy, led by Roberto De Pedrini. The dates are set for June 3-6, 2024, in Milan. The team has already been very successful with its own event, so we’re convinced we will break this year’s record number of participants.
Mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss CEC 2024.
Watch a recap of all the events, networking and fun at CEC 2023 here.