I’m sitting in the ICE 205, one of the German high-speed trains, traveling back home after two days in Düsseldorf at Beyond Tellerrand, Marc Thiele’s lovely conference about design, development, the Web, and creativity in general. It was the first time I went to an in-person event since the beginning of the pandemic, and to say it was great to finally meet people again would be an understatement. It was outright amazing.

We all got used to meeting and collaborating online over the past two years, and many of our favorite conferences and meetups moved online, too. But while running community events online can definitely work and might have its own unique advantages – one being that you can join from anywhere in the world – there is still something missing from all those online experiences: connecting with each other in person. All the smiles, the stories, and different personalities. All the spontaneous discussions, inspiring conversations, and relaxed chats. Listening to the talks of others together, learning together, and laughing together. Meeting like-minded people, seeing old friends again, and finding new ones. Human connection. This is what's at the heart of Beyond Tellerrand and it's what makes in-person events so valuable and special.

Once again, I am returning home full of new insights, new ideas, new memories, and new energy. It was such a pleasure to meet all of you!

~

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