.. post:: 2015-10-16 12:00:00 The Importance of Being Welcoming ================================= Conferences have been a fundamental part of me becoming a professional developer. Having a network of people you know personally in a professional context is a huge advantage. It helps getting jobs, they help you think through problems, and it's important to help you identity as a member of the community. There's a problem though. It can be hard to integrate into these groups when you first show up. Even with a huge amount of conference experience, going to new events with new communities is nerve racking. A few years ago, I learned a really important thing that conference organizers can do to make this easier. Encouraging Courage ------------------- The hardest part for me is walking up to a group of people that I don't know, or that I do know, and respect. I will generally default to sitting by myself or staring at my phone, instead of joining a conversation that would likely be quite interesting. This all changed at `XOXO `_. In the opening address, they **explicitly gave me permission to join and interrupt groups of people**. This turned the interaction model on it's head. I now boldly joined new groups, knowing that it was my job at the conference to do this. As a *proper* conference attendee, it was encouraged and expected of me. As a member of a group chatting, it also made it much easier to welcome someone into the conversation. **It set the tone and expected behavior for everyone at the event.** 3 + 1 = <3 ---------- Similar to a Code of Conduct, giving people permission to act in ways that makes the conference more valuable is a fundamental role of the organizer. I now `do this `_ at every conference I organize. Telling people how to act, and giving them permission to interact, fundamentally changes the conference experience.