Microsoft Build 2022 LATAM: Return to In-Person Events

It was March 2020, and I was in San Francisco, United States. I had a feeling, but didn’t know for sure, that a global event was about to change everything and put an end to all in-person gatherings. Beyond the fear and uncertainty, once I was back home in Buenos Aires, my first feeling was relief, followed by a strong sense of motivation: the opportunity of virtuality. And that’s how this blog was born.

But I wasn’t the only one — 2020 was a year flooded with virtuality: events, conferences, talks, even online meetups. So much so that it became exhausting. I won’t deny that I had some great experiences, like organizing the epic Xamarin Assemble 2020 and speaking at dotnetconf. Everything seemed to be going well in 2020, but something happened the following year. All the plans I had for 2021 — to continue the blog, to record the podcast, to upload videos to YouTube — slowly faded away. It was a kind of burnout I noticed in many of us who had the privilege of working remotely from home, caused by the very thing that had worked so well for us in 2020: an excess of virtuality that led to exhaustion. The virtual meetups and events we organized for 300 people in 2020 dropped to gatherings of 50 or fewer. Virtuality began to lose its meaning, and we needed a little push to get back into action.

Recently, I gave the blog a visual refresh. It looked like it was covered in dust and cobwebs, and I had never really liked how it looked. As I browsed through the content from Microsoft Build 2020, it felt like finding an old family photo. Those posts transported me back to that era of “good” virtuality — and also to the time before that, the time of community and in-person events. And as if it were all scripted, just a few days later I found out that Microsoft Build was going to have an in-person edition in Latin America — and not just anywhere, but in the very city I live in.

The event was wonderful. Without going into technical announcements or content (which I’ll cover in other posts), returning to in-person events brought a complete shift in energy. Reconnecting with beloved people, being in contact with others again, and being able to communicate face to face really helped fill the tank. It was just what I needed, and I don’t think I was the only one. It’s worth noting that the event was what’s known as a “hybrid” event, meaning its content was also available to follow virtually — and I think that’s great. I believe that’s the right way to handle this transition and… Could this be the future of in-person events?