Sitecore
Sitecore platinum partner
Sitecore DX
Samantha Goble
Vice President, Digital
POV on why attending Sitecore MN DX is important for everyone using or considering Sitecore
I’ve been to many Sitecore Symposiums and look forward to it every fall. Ever since my first Symposium (back in 2016 in New Orleans), attending the event always feels a bit like a family reunion. I love reconnecting with colleagues and getting to nerd out over our mutual love of all things digital as well as sharing war stories from projects. I always come away inspired and driven—and always come away with an insider tip or two that I can use immediately in my work. Without fail, there is a funny story or two to share from the dinners and events we get to enjoy when we unwind together at parties and dinners. And I always come home with strengthened relationships and new connections.
But I recognize that the above warm and fuzzy reasons may not be enough to convince you to attend, so let’s dig more into the benefits.
With full transparency, I hope that you attend because I and our XCentium team will be there sponsoring and presenting and I want to be VERY busy having conversations—learning about what you are working on, answering your questions, and helping you to be creative with getting more done with less.
In addition to being a presenting sponsor, I also attended Sitecore’s Boston DX earlier this year so this post also includes my perspective from that event.
There really IS something for everyone:
The cool thing that I witnessed in Boston and that is planned for Minneapolis is that the overarching theme of Composable applies to everyone. No matter your industry, company size, team skillset, or product mix, you should know (or be actively talking about) your Composable direction.
If you are already on Sitecore, you have likely been flooded with information about Composable for the past couple of years. I’ve been in the thick of it as a Digital Strategist and Account Lead with our customers, but I am still a little surprised when I talk with folks in digital who either aren’t entirely sure what Composable is or haven’t given much time or thought to drafting a Composable roadmap. If you are in either of those categories, then I HIGHLY recommend that you attend.
It's only one day (and it’s free)
I love the previous format of a multi-day tradeshow-like event, but I have to say that the concentrated one-day model has a lot to offer.
When you’re balancing having a lot going on, it can be hard to get away for several days. The agenda is full of meaningful sessions (expect a lot of actionable tips/advice) balanced with time to network and connect with others in the Sitecore community.
Sitecore is making the event as easy to attend as possible by condensing a lot of good material into only one day as well as offering the passes for free
Concentrated focus:
Let’s talk more about the Composable theme. The agenda shows that the sessions are a great balance of deep dives into Product with the Sitecore Product experts and case studies/client success stories shared by partners. In several cases (including XCentium’s presentation with Meritage Homes), Sitecore strategists are also included and give insight into how to get the most out of your partnerships and platform. Almost all of these sessions focus on the ROI and real outcomes of committing to the composable approach.
If my project budgets are limited, would I get anything out of attending?
That’s one of the big reasons you should go. When budgets are tight, doing more with what you already have can be a great way to build momentum and lay the groundwork for what might come next. Our team has helped many of our clients succeed by getting the most out of their current tech stack and even reduce running costs where we find opportunities to optimize.
You will be able to attend sessions as well as connect directly with others in the Sitecore community to get some inspiration and practical tips that you can bring back to drive forward—even if you don’t have budget for large projects. And if you come and speak with us, we can share how we have helped our clients to get executive alignment, make the right business case, and deliver value above and beyond original expectations.
We’ve been on Sitecore for years and are not ready for the “new” stuff. We’ll reach out when we are ready to make a move.
I cannot emphasize enough that I believe this is the wrong way to go. The move to a modern frontend, composable model isn’t unique to Sitecore and, at this point, it’s not new in the industry anymore. The best thing about composable is the flexibility that it provides. But, if you don’t have a roadmap and a direction, then that flexibility becomes a big risk. While you may not be ready to make major platform changes and go fully headless now, there are things you can (and should) do to incrementally move in the right direction which can also deliver ROI—either in cost savings, operational efficiencies, or increased revenue.