Adam Teterus and Sam Abrams gave a sneak preview for the People at Work Summit 2017.

Virtual Interactions

It feels good to connect with people.  Putting together a virtual summit allows for more of these interactions that people value from physical conferences.  They made sure to allow time for people to talk amongst themselves in different Slack channels, just like they would in a physical conference during any down time.  Additionally, they have worked in a good amount of time to allow speakers to continue discussion and let attendees ask questions.

There are a lot of people who are willing to be vulnerable and learn.  The attendees are who make the summit worthwhile.

Scheduling and Speakers

Their initial approach was to have three days with a thematic spin each one.  There was a correlation between which speakers present on what day. There were at least four speakers each day with some time left open on purpose for other discussions to take place.  

Adam was most excited to hear from a members of Indy Hall, Sarah.  She is an independent entrepreneur as well as a parent. Sarah discussed ways to support parents and their work as they raise the next generation to join the workforce.  It was not something he ever considered because he himself is not a parent. However, her talk is about the long game. The children of freelancers are going to be the ones taking over.  That is why discussion on how to best support a parent is crucial.

Adam also looked forward to hearing from Robert, a longtime friend of Indy Hall and owner of a bar in Philly.  He provides a home to so many different creative communities of all ages and backgrounds. This bar creates a comfortable environment for people to gather outside of work.  Robert turned his bar into a diverse cultural headquarters. He puts more emphasis on who goes to his bar than what people can eat or drink there. His business has become a prominent place in Philly for people to get together.