Twenty hours and 6 times zones later I’m finally back from Prague. I had a fantastic time at the first ever Kentico Connection. Tons of great information and topics combined with one of the most beautiful cities in the world made for a fantastic week. Here are just a few highlights from the conference.
Meeting the Team
One of the best parts of the entire conference was getting the opportunity to meet many members of the Kentico team. Having used Kentico for 3+ years I’ve often exchanged emails/calls with several Kentico employees on a variety of topics. It was a great experience to finally put faces with the names and personally thank them for the hard work of so many great employees. Kentico went above and beyond my expectations with the event organization and production. Kentico hired a professional videographer to document the entire week and several expert-led activities throughout the week.
Great Topics
The first Kentico Connection was packed with great topics and speakers covering a wide range of areas. Some of my personal favorites were Kentico Optimization & Performance, Using Kentico CMS API, and Macros in Action. With so many great sessions it was difficult to attend them all. In addition to Kentico-led presentations, several Kentico partners presented on a variety of topics allowed for real-world demonstration of Kentico CMS in action. I highly recommend downloading the sessions to see all of the great topics.
Ask the Experts
The Ask the Experts session was one my favorite parts of the Connection. Kentico had over 10 Kentico employees/developers available to discuss all areas of Kentico development and functionality. Talking directly with Martin Hejtmanek, CTO of Kentico CMS, provided invaluable information about the internal workings of Kentico. Martin was exceptionally receptive to my questions/input and I truly believe he listened and respected my suggestions as a consumer. Allowing consumers to have direct input on the direction and development of Kentico CMS is exceptionally beneficial. Kentico is one of the most open and approachable vendors I have ever encountered.
Great Location
Having the first ever Kentico Connection in Prague was a great benefit for the attendees. Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is full of rich history and culture. The Czech Republic has some of the friendliest and most welcoming people I have ever had the pleasure of visiting. With medieval clocks and bridges, world renowned churches, cobblestone streets, and Baroque architecture abound it’s easy to see why Prague is quickly becoming a top destination for tourists around the world. Kentico choice of such a fabulous city only added to the appeal and provided a fabulous venue for the conference. Luckily I had the opportunity to tour several parts of the city, including the Church of Our Lady Victorious, the Charles Bridge, and the impressive Prague Castle. After a mere 287 stairs to the top, the South Tower of the Prague Castle afforded a phenomenal view of city and surrounding countryside.
The first Kentico Connection was a resounding success and fantastic compliment to an already impressive company. Kentico CMS and their fantastic engineers continue to produce an excellent product and company culture. Kentico recognizes the efforts of its development community and is constantly reshaping itself to provide the premier content management system on the market. I can’t wait until next year to see what exciting changes are in store.
See you there!