Lotusphere-less… NOW WHAT?!?

If you are anything like me you probably had the dates for Lotusphere 2012 inscribed and blocked in your calendar as soon as they were announced last year and spend the last 11 months bugging your boss about letting you go (yes, I did). Still, not everyone gets to go….. 

DISASTER!, now what?!? How can you NOT be there where it is all happening!?!

Breath in…..ok, relax. I know it’s a disaster and I feel for you but in the incredible situation you’re actually not going, there are still ways to participate. So, to help you overcome this horrible scenario, some tips from someone who lived through it last year (and yes, that was hard!). Because you might not be able to be there physically, you can still be there online:

  • Try and find a Live feed that allows you to follow what’s going on. Last year I ended up watching the whole OGS through a LotusLive web meeting feed. With running commentary and a very active comments section with like minded people who weren’t there. It gave me the comfort of knowing I was not alone, pining behind my desk in a cold & rainy place far, far from sunny Orlando…
  • Check out the #ls12 hashtag. Anything going on at or around Lotusphere will in general be tweeted with this hashtag. Even better, check out the IBM Social Aggregator for Lotusphere site that lists tweets & blog posts about Lotusphere all in one convenient web page with link backs to authors profiles and other blogs.
  • Listen to the podcasts that are around. There are several out there like Taking Notes and This Week in Lotus for instance that are really worth listening to if you want to know what’s going on in the Lotus Community. Leading up to and during Lotusphere they tend to do lots of interviews and even live recordings from the conference itself.
  • Check out PlanetLotus. The place to go for all blog’s Lotus and during Lotusphere the place to get the latest scoops. 
  • Check out the Greenhouse Lotusphere Community (register for free with Greenhouse if you haven’t done so yet to get access). An online Connections community where people can connect, post pictures, links and video’s, search for information, post questions and get involved while at Lotusphere. But also open to anyone not there.
  • Follow and connect with people on twitter that are there. This is the best way of getting to know what’s going on. Who to follow? Well there are lot’s and finding the right ones can be difficult if you’re new to this. A good basic set of active Lotus community tweeps is to simply follow the IBM Champions twitter list. These are some of the most active members in the community and it’s an easy starting point to broaden your network. Don’t be afraid to interact with them either. These are people that were recognized by IBM for their active role in the Community so in general they are really open and willing to engage with you.

    So although none of the above really replaces the actual ‘Lotusphere experience’ itself these could be tips to get a little bit of the feeling of being there. And, if you’re smart, you can use it to get the arguments to convince your boss why he should let you go next year…. 🙂

    This list is far from complete. Any more tips I might have forgotten? Add them to the comments!

    8 thoughts on “Lotusphere-less… NOW WHAT?!?

    1. Do not forget the Lotusphere twitter account which reflect many of the events. You can follow the 2012 speaker list that the Lotusphere account shares.Also LotuspherePodcasts.com for awesome videoP.S. this tiny podcast called IdoNotes too

    2. I will be watching everything I can that week. Probably do more watching and reading than real work that week so everyone needs to say hello to me at least once a day (better yet, once an hour) so that I feel like I am actually there and not at home getting more depressed by the day.

    3. Thanks David, looking forward to listening to the Notesln9 podcasts on Lotusphere!@Roy…That sounds exactly like how I spend Lotusphere last year 🙂 I'll wave to while in the OGS.just keep an eye out for it!

    4. Great list… I think this list is also great for people who are going to stay up to date to the conference…See you in Orlando…

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