14 Top Tips for the Return to Face-to-Face Events

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No, really, you have to wear pants.

And Shoes.

Here are 14 Top Tips for Your Return to Face-to-Face Events!

So it’s probably been quite some time since you’ve been face-to-face at an in-person event. Since CloudFest features the best networking in the cloud computing and internet infrastructure industry, we want to be sure that you’re at your best once you get to Europa-Park. Here are some tips to help you ease back into person-to-person conversation.

1. YOU HAVE TO WEAR PANTS.

People can see you from the waist down. Whether or not you choose to wear undergarments is your call. We won’t judge, and we definitely don’t want to know.


2. DISTANCE EXISTS AGAIN.

If you have a meeting with someone, you have to get dressed (see above) and actually meet them in a … place. Meeting rooms are three-dimensional spaces with walls, furniture, and doors. Plan accordingly. Oh, and you’ll need shoes on your feet to help you get there in comfort. (VIP attendees have access to shuttle service via our fleet of cars, but still. Shoes.)


3. IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES MID-CONVERSATION,

… you won’t see who you’re talking to—but they can still see you. That’s how that works in the real world.


4. THERE IS NO MUTE BUTTON.

Whatever you say aloud will be heard.


5. BRINGING PETS INTO CONVERSATIONS RANDOMLY

… is much more distracting in person than it is via Zoom or Teams. Also, imagine if each of the thousands of attendees also brought a cat or dog… CloudFest is the top Cloud event in the world, not the top veterinary event in the world.


6. WHEN SOMEONE STICKS THEIR HAND OUT AT YOU,

… it’s not a sign of aggression: this thing called “a handshake” is meant to convey friendship.


7. HUGS.

Yeah, hugs are a thing again. You may need time to adjust to when and with whom these are appropriate. CloudFest is not a rave in the Nineties, so don’t go around hugging everyone you see—it’s just creepy and odd.


8. CHAT ABBREVIATIONS DON’T WORK IN SPOKEN CONVERSATION.

Don’t say stuff like “el oh el” or “bee are bee” aloud. Alternatives include actually, you know, laughing at whatever your conversation partner just said.


9. RECORDING AN IN-PERSON CONVERSATION WITHOUT LETTING EVERYONE KNOW…

… just isn’t cool, and in some jurisdictions it’s even illegal. When in doubt, ask a journalist what they’d do: CloudFest has a few amazing media partners who will be instantly recognizable by their fancy-looking equipment.


10. ADDING PEOPLE TO CONVERSATIONS STILL WORKS!

CloudFest is a friendly event, so make room for serendipity.


11. RAISING A GLASS IN PERSON.

Carefully bring your glass together with that of your friend or new connection and enjoy the clinking sound. It’s quite different from tapping your glass against your webcam, and it’s much more satisfying. Cheers! Salud! Prost! 乾杯!


12. NO EXTERNAL VOLUME ADJUSTMENT.

If the person you’re talking to cannot hear you, you’ll have to speak up. If they’re wincing in pain, you’ll have to speak more quietly.


13. NO BACKGROUND FILTERS.

Fortunately, CloudFest takes place at a European amusement park with a Wes Anderson-like attention to detail, so you won’t need one.


14. PAUSES ARE LESS AWKARD IN PERSON.

Something magical happens when people connect in real life. The natural ebbs and flows of conversation feel good instead of weird. Just enjoy it!


No, really, you have to wear pants. This point cannot be overemphasized.

This should be enough to get you started. Feel free to practice with your pets, or even real-life people as you prepare to re-enter the world of in-person events.

YOU’RE READY FOR THIS!

And we’re ready to welcome you to CloudFest 2022, happening March 22-24 at Europa-Park in Rust, Germany. Make the connections that will shape the year ahead: join the key decision-makers in the internet infrastructure industry and take over an amusement park in Germany’s Black Forest! This is what awaits you:


Find out more about what we have planned at www.cloudfest.com. You can use this link for a free registration!

And remember… pants.

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