FileMaker DevCon 2018 (Tuesday): A Workplace Innovation Platform is born

Did anyone try the bread pudding at lunch today? That was some dessert goodness right there!

Today (Tuesday) began the first full day of DevCon and with it a days worth of sessions and other scheduled activities.

The highlight of the day was the special morning session where FileMaker, Inc. unveiled the Workplace Innovation Platform. Whether you saw it live or watched the live stream, you learned from Product Management and Product Development about the company’s new inititive which incliudes:

• Making the complex simple
• Solving unique workplace problems
• Embracing new technology

More details about this exciting new direction can be found on our Workplace Innovation Platform website.

…AND WITH IT A T-SHIRT

No DevCon would not be complete with a t-shirt giveway and this year we made you all wait until after the special session on Tuesday for this year’s edition. As you can see, it ties in with the messaging that was delivered during the special session.

I apologize, but the lighting in the “FileMaker office” I am holed up in this afternoon washed out the logo on my t-shirt despite numerous attempts to retake the picture. In other words, I do not have a special black and white edition of the shirt.

TODAY’S SESSIONS

Due to commitments in Tech Support Central and needing time to write today’s blog, I did not have a lot of time to check out sessions today. But I wandered about when I could and, as expected, saw some amazing things from the community. You all never cease to amazing me.

• I got caught up in the “wave” of attendees heading to Texas A at 1:30 for the “Use JSON to Get Arrays” session. Exciting to see so many interested in this topic and technology.
• I did not get to personally attend “FileMaker Relationships from the Beginning” but an attendee stopped me in the hall this morning to ask me about something else and mentioned this was one of the best sessions he has ever been to so I figured it was worth a mention.
• Layout context always trips me up so I wish I could have spent more time in “Speaking Your Context: Tips for Gaining Mastery over Context” as I am sure I, and the rest of us, could benefit from the information provided.
• Same holds true for using themes and styles so it was good to see “Understanding Themes and Styles” as well attended as it was. I feel like this is a feature more users and developers would embrace if they understood the full power of them.
• I saw Wim Decorte practicing for his “IoT and the FileMaker Data API: Sending Sensor Data to FileMaker Server from a Raspberry Pi” session. Other than this topic being extremely cool, Wim’s session probably holds the record for the number of wires used in a single session at DevCon.

WOMEN OF FILEMAKER LUNCHEON

I did not get a chance to stop by this afternoon but the Women of FileMaker are definitely worth a mention as it is such a great effort.

Starting as a breakfast meeting in 1999 and spear-headed by Joyce Lillemon Boschert, the WoF have morphed and grown into a major annual event at DevCon.

To paraphrase from their website:

“Women of FileMaker exists to provide visibility, community, and resources for women involved in FileMaker development, services, and business. Women of FileMaker (WoF) is a community group of volunteers, with the support of FileMaker, Inc., that seeks to advance women who are interested in learning and working with FileMaker technology.”

To learn more, visit their website at https://womenoffilemaker.com

It is here where you can also read about their DevCon Buddy program. In a nutshell, this program provides someone new to DevCon with an experienced “Ambassador” to show them the way and make their first DevCon experience a memorable one. An idea so simple yet so impactful — it is amazing it has taken this long for it to happen.

So kudos ladies!!!

HOTEL TIP O’ THE DAY

From talking to and overhearing others, I think it is safe to say that the Gaylord Texan is one of the most unique and beautiful hotels / locales DevCon has ever been held at. There is something fun and interesting to discover around every turn. This holds true for the many different depictions of the hotel I have encountered during my travels — including one built out of legos:

and another model showing more of the grounds.

So my tip today is to just explore and “smell the roses” if you get a chance. While I get many of the things at the hotel are geared toward kids, perhaps it is my kid-at-heart attitude that has me intrigued. After all, it is always cool to see detailed miniature train sets anywhere one goes.

And here is a fun “fact” bestowed on me by the wife of a FileMaker employee who heard it from from her Lyft driver. Rumor has it that the Gaylord Texan is where the Dallas Cowboys (American professional football team) stay before all their home games. So, who knows, perhaps your room or the table you are sitting at right now reading this was once used by a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

WEDNESDAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

Much like the Opening Keynote, the Attendee Partyis always a highlight of any DevCon. I heard that there is going to be a life size Battleship game there — as if you needed ANOTHER reason to attend. The party kicks off at 7PM in the Tate Ballroom.

Wednesday is also another full day of sessions. Schedule permitting, I am hoping to be able to duck into…

• “FileMaker + Tableau, a Match Made in Data Heaven!” at 9AM in Texas A
• “FileMaker Data API in Action: Real-World Examples” at 10:30AM in Texas 5–7
• “Salesforce FileMaker Integration” at 1PM in Texas C
• “Exploring FileMaker Server Admin APIs” at 2:30PM in Texas A (if for no other reason to see my co-worker Connor Brock onstage. Go Connor!)

And if you are new to DevCon and/or new to the FileMaker platform, might I suggest a few sessions for you all:

• “Behind Every Cloud” at 9AM in Texas 1–3
• “Scripting Opportunities” at 10:30 in Texas 1–3
• “Who Moved My Admin Console?” at 4PM in Texas A

See ya around!