Attendees absolutely loved last year’s Biz Systems Magic Conference.

We’ll let them explain why:

Even though it was a uniquely valuable event for business systems professionals, we still wanted to improve it. That’s why we surveyed attendees soon after it ended and asked them questions like:

  • Which element of the event did you like most?
  • Is there anything you disliked about the event?
  • What will you like to see in the next conference?

We’ve used the responses to double down on the parts attendees liked best, as well as improve the areas they flagged. 

Here’s how we’ve revamped the largest conference for business systems professionals:

Want to attend the largest conference for business systems professionals? You can sign up for the free, peer-driven event here.

1. Attendees loved networking the most—so we’re providing a virtual speed networking session 

Despite the remote working environment, we’re committed to helping you build your network.

Our networking session will allow you to meet a number of attendees for a few minutes each. This way, you can better connect with each attendee and meet several. Also, you’ll quickly notice that even though attendees primarily work in operations, technology, or business systems-type roles, they’re employed by organizations that vary by industry, location, and size. This type of diversity allows you to uncover fresh perspectives and form connections that can open new doors for you.

2. Attendees valued learning how peers are performing their work—so we’re having technology leaders discuss the ways they’re adapting to Covid-19

Business systems leaders from companies like Atlassian, Uber, Upwork, Slack, and Zendesk, will talk about what they’re doing to help their organization get through the pandemic.

Here are just a few examples:

1. They’re embracing an agile approach to business continuity planning.

Redesigning your business continuity plan to meet today’s uncertainty is paramount. Brian Flood, Head of Business Technology at Fastly, and Rohit Jain, Senior Director of IT at Upwork, will provide some insight by sharing how they’ve successfully and quickly evolved theirs.

For Flood, this involved shifting his plan’s focus from site uptime to the 700+ employees who now work remotely. For Jain, this meant transitioning to a plan that accounts for both internal (employees) and external (e.g. service providers) parties over the short and long term.

2. They’re working diligently to uncover cost-saving opportunities.

Managing how much you spend on software is now as important as ever. Greg Paris, Director of BT & Intelligence at People.ai, will walk you through the journey he and his team have taken in cutting back their spending. Based on his experience, he’ll also offer some practical tips for doing it yourself.

Related: 5 ways to optimize your SaaS spending

3. They’re managing a hiring freeze thoughtfully.

Responding to a hiring freeze quickly and skillfully will be critical to your team’s success. Chris Blaisure, Director of Support Operations at Elastic, will talk about how he responded when it happened to him. This included readjusting his team’s roadmap of deliverables and use of existing systems and resources. 

Note: Uncovering cost savings opportunities and managing a hiring freeze will both be covered in the session, “Finding Cost Savings and Planning in this New Environment.”

3. Attendees also wanted broader, job-focused guidance—so we’re hosting a panel discussion on ways to excel in your role from home

Our panel will cover the following topics (and more!) during the closing keynote, “Adjusting to a Remote Working World:”

  • How to provide a secure work environment that also delights employees
  • Strategies for managing a remote team, from giving feedback to supporting a team member who moves to another country
  • Tactics for preventing burnout, including ways to mitigate virtual meeting fatigue

Given the situation, there’s no question that this year’s conference will feel different. But by listening to your input and addressing it, we’re confident you’ll find the event even more valuable than last year’s!

Ready to join your peers? Secure your spot today!

Jon Gitlin
About Jon Gitlin

Jon is a content marketer who's passionate about helping people get better at their jobs.