Why the Huge Turnout at SharePoint Saturday in DC?
By every measure, this past SharePoint Saturday was a blowout success. With over 1,000 attendees, it was more than twice as large as any SharePoint event held previously. Which begs the question - why was the DC event so big?
According to Dux Raymond Sy, the primary organizer of the event, there were three factors:
1. They knew the demand was there. Dux had previously organized two other SharePoint Saturdays in DC, both held at Microsoft offices. And both filled quickly - one was over capacity with registrants in under three hours. Knowing demand was high, organizers felt confident going with a bigger venue.
2. SharePoint is huge in government. It has been estimated the DC area has one of the highest concentrations of SharePoint implementations in the world. This level of demand prompted one DC based consultant to say "Want a job in government? Learn SharePoint."
3. With the economy tight, corporate training has been cut - And, as a result, free training events are in high demand. "There is a hunger out there" for this kind of training, according to Dux. The DC event definitely delivered on this count, there were over 100 educational sessions held throughout the day.
Organizers of the show relied on social media to get the word out, asking speakers to "market it as if it were their own." Both speakers and attendees blogged, facebooked and twittered about it in the weeks running up to the big day.
This happened while four unpaid volunteers worked to pull the whole operation together while holding down their full-time, regular day jobs. "You can see people's commitment to the community," said Dux.
SharePoint Saturday has seen a growth in attendance nationally and globally. Look for upcoming events in your local area by checking the SharePoint Saturday site. And if you are interested in organizing one yourself, make sure to read this.
And look for our booth!
