Clark Sell, Founder THAT Conference: How to Organize a Large Multidisciplinary Tech Conference

Links Codecrafters (sponsor): https://tej.as/codecraftersTHAT Conference: https://www.thatconference.com/Clark on X: https://x.com/theclarksellTHAT Conference on X: https://x.com/thatconferenceTejas on X: https://x.com/tejaskumar_ Summary Clark Sell discusses the origins and purpose of THAT Conference, a multi-day conference for software engineers and their families. He emphasizes the importance of human connection and the need for conferences to provide a space for engineers to learn, grow, and connect with others in the industry. Clark also addresses the challenges of balancing technical and soft skills in conference programming and the value of attending conferences for personal and professional development. This conversation explores the challenges and complexities of organizing a large conference, focusing on the specific example of That Conference. The chapters cover topics such as the difficulties of booking venues and the long-term contracts and financial commitments involved. Takeaways Finding your why and being clear about your motivations is essential when starting a conference.Conferences should prioritize the human side of tech, offering a balance of technical and soft skills talks to help engineers become better individuals and professionals.Attending conferences can have a significant impact on mental health and well-being, especially for remote workers who may feel isolated in their careers.Companies should recognize the value of conferences and allocate budget for employees to attend, as it contributes to their personal and professional development. Organizing a large conference involves challenges such as booking venues and dealing with long-term contracts and financial commitments.Sponsors play a crucial role in supporting conferences and their involvement can be both sought after and initiated by the organizers.Building a tribe of organizers and engaging with other conference organizers can provide valuable support and insights. Chapters 06:49 Starting That Conference 15:40 The Purpose of That Conference 28:53 The Importance of Human Connection 33:18 The Value of Attending Conferences 37:21 Agent Conf and the Importance of Tech 39:13 Organic Panel Discussion and Open Spaces 40:04 Exploring New Conference Formats 41:02 The Importance of Open Spaces 41:59 Blowing Up the Conference Format 44:03 The Challenge of Selling White Spaces 45:33 The Role of Hackathons 46:27 Building a Custom Conference Platform 48:07 Motivation Behind Building a Custom Platform 50:07 Using Google Sheets as the Front End 51:52 The Stack and Open Source Nature of the Platform 55:19 Refactoring and Rebuilding the Platform 59:05 The Challenges of Organizing a Conference 01:01:31 Encouraging Speakers to Put Effort into Submissions 01:05:40 The Financial Challenges of Organizing a Conference 01:09:52 Considering Dropping Food from the Conference 01:11:06 Exploring a Kickstarter-like Model for Ticket Sales 01:12:11 Challenges of Booking Venues 01:12:54 Long-Term Contracts and Financial Commitments 01:14:35 The Ugly Side of Contracts 01:17:03 The Entrapment of Venue Commitments 01:18:00 Financial Struggles and Commitments 01:18:56 The Role of Sponsors 01:20:27 Sales and Sponsorship Relationships 01:24:08 Starting a Conference: Find Your Why 01:25:39 Building a Tribe of Organizers 01:26:33 Engaging with Other Organizers 01:28:19 The Importance of Balance and Sustainability 01:32:44 Contributing and Getting Involved with the Conference Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.