Wednesday Evening
Wednesday is what we call our “Summiteer Party.”
Honestly, it’s not much of a party. We call it a party because we’re geeks who want to seem fun and exciting. So if you’re expecting a huge, raucous blowout with 300 of your closest friends… that’s not what this is.
By Wednesday evening, we’re all a little tired. Three days of technology crammed into our eyes and ears, and we just want to sit down and talk with some friends. Maybe get out of the conference venue for a minute.
So that’s what Wednesday is. We rent out a restaurant or tavern space, lay in some good food, and give everyone some beverage tickets — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options are always included. We bring a box of board games. Sometimes the venue has pub games like darts, pool, or shuffleboard. Everyone grabs a plate, finds a seat, and just… chills. It’s genuinely low-key, and that’s by design.
If you don’t drink or just prefer to skip the bar, you’re absolutely not alone — check #sober-summiteers in Slack to connect with others doing the same. The board games table tends to be a great gathering spot regardless.
Wednesday is also a perfect time to talk with presenters about sessions you’ve attended. Walk up to someone whose talk you liked and tell them. No presenter anywhere ever gets tired of hearing “I loved your session — great stuff.” It’s a natural conversation starter, and it leads somewhere every time. Summit presenters aren’t highly paid mega-stars; they’re community members just like you. Ask them how they came up with their idea, how they figured something out. You’ll get a great conversation every time.
And if you’re even remotely thinking about presenting yourself — ask them for tips. Seriously. Start that journey here.
As the evening winds down, some folks head out for a proper dinner. Others linger over a final round of shuffleboard. It’s one of the best chances of the whole week to spend unhurried time with people you might not have connected with yet. Try to remember a couple of names before you leave (we’re all constantly re-introducing ourselves — it’s fine), and connect on Slack later. These are the kinds of friendships that turn a job into a career.
Don’t skip Wednesday evening. Even if you just pop in for a bit, we hope you’ll stick around long enough to make it count.