Why Hybrid?

Every year for HybridConf, we make a fun little sister to our main website explaining why you absolutely, totally have to come. We call it Why Hybrid? and we list out all the awesome happenings you’ll be missing out on if you’re not there.

This year we thought we’d try something a little different though. We’re going to tell you a story… not just about why you should come to Hybrid but about why we run it.

Shall we begin?

Chapter One: The Little Seed

Once upon a time, in a land across the sea, there was a designer and developer called Zach Inglis, and he was fed up.

It seemed like every time he happened across a web conference, it was as if he were looking at the same event over and over and over again. The speakers were the same. The topics were the same. Everything was painted a boring shade of grey.

For a while he got mad. He huffed and he puffed, he grouched and he groaned:

“Why must it all be so dull?” he sighed.

Then one bright, shining morning, he leapt out of bed with a brilliant idea : “What if I put on my own conference?!” He hopped with excitement and set off on his journey of planning before he’d even had time to eat breakfast.

He dreamed of speakers from far and wide. Young speakers and old speakers. Male speakers and female speakers. Speakers with curly hair and straight hair and spotty shirts and stripy jumpers. People with fun jobs, and lots to share, and friendly, smiling faces. All joining in a festival of learning and bonding, where everyone was welcomed like an old friend.

He enlisted a comrade for his quest, his trusty companion Laura Sanders, and together they dove right in. They wanted to make a ginormous splash. They researched and they brainstormed and they organised. They sweated and they bled and they cried. They were busier than they ever imagined as the followed along the windy path. But before they knew it, they arrived at the gates of HybridConf.

Chapter Two: The First Bud

Very, very early in the morning, before the sun had even risen, Zach and Laura entered the cinema. They were both the most nervous they had ever, ever been. They couldn’t concentrate on one single thing as they had so many worries whizzing around in their heads.

Would everyone have fun? Would everyone make friends? Would everyone have just as lovely a time as they wished?

Soon enough their worries were floating away on a cloud. The speakers were speaking about the most wonderful things. There was bowling and eating and dancing and meeting. It flew by in a flash and all of a sudden it was time for the final talk. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. There were thank you and hugs and without a doubt the slide went up. “See you next year”.

Chapter Three: The Blooming Rose

From that day forward, Zach and Laura gathered a merry band of loyal followers who spread the good news throughout the land, crying of happy times and welcoming folks. They journeyed to the distant realm of Sweden and then to the Emerald Isle, to bring HybridConf to cities new and allow many more people to join in the celebration.

For their third, they wished and they worked to make it bigger and better and lovelier than ever. They appointed their ambassador Carl as the master of proceedings, and assembled a varied squad of vivid voices. They started a scheme to help more people come, got guests to give talks of their own, and put together the most special presents.

And now they sit and they wait for the best days of the year to begin all over again.

Epilogue

Fairy tales aside (as fun as they are to write), the moral of the story is that we run HybridConf because we care. We really care.

We work hard and constantly push ourselves to put together a genuinely inclusive event which is fun, welcoming, useful, and good value for you. The community atmosphere we create is what drives us to put Hybrid on, and to try and outdo ourselves every year.

None of it would be possible without our amazing attendees, speakers and sponsors, and we can honestly recommend coming along just to meet some of those thoroughly lovely people — though hopefully you’ll enjoy our awesome talks, bowling, parties, lunches, snacks, and all the rest too!

We can’t wait to see you there!

Zach & Laura

HybridConf 2015 is taking place in Dublin, Ireland on the 20th & 21st August. There are still a few tickets available which you can purchase on the website. We hope to see you there.

A massive thanks to Virgina Poltrack for the amazing header image, and Carolyn Wood for some fantastic copy help. And Cat Noone and Lucie De Lacy for some great last minute reviews.