I thought I was just hosting an event… but that plan changed: My journey as a Champion
I wanted to share a bit about my experience becoming an Atlassian Champion, so here it goes... I hope you're ready for drama:
It all started after, as a partner representative (Deiser), helping to organize an Atlassian Community Event (ACE) in Madrid, in January 2023, in the end, I basically did it by myself with the support of José Luis Gaitán (main leader of Madrid at the moment).
This event came to life following the initiative of Mr. Andrew Barker (better known as @Fun Man Andy -he was working with Old Street Solutions at that time, now he co-founded Fun Inc.).
I can say, despite it was a small event, the energy of the process was contagious, it wasn't just the agenda or the snacks (lie, the snacks are always a motivation!), it was bringing all these people together, making me think: I could do this. Actually, this is something I always enjoy doing.
Fun Man Andy at that ACE Madrid 2023 (Deiser feat. Oldstreet Solutions)
That moment planted a seed...
By that summer I applied to the Atlassian Community Champions program, and before I knew it, I was hosting my first official Atlassian Community Event (we establish a record with this one! More below...😉⬇️) alongside Juan Jesús Blanco a.k.a. Txus, who, by chance, also applied to the program in the same timeframe as I did (he was also at that January event!). From there, lots of things changed...
You see, long before Jira work items, Confluence pages, and Rovo, I had another dream: Event production.
Back when I started studying Business Communications back in Venezuela, my goal was to create live, meaningful experiences for people, especially focused on entertainment and music. Which, in my professional career, I've developed, but not exactly focused on events.
Anyways... midway through my degree, that specialization was pulled from the curriculum, so I had to take another path (Corporate Communications). I never stopped craving that initiative of bringing people together. And many years later, after professional activity in advertising, editorial, and marketing, I've finally grasped some of that. Not even being aware of that.
Before becoming a Champion, I felt like I was constantly building something alone. My job as a marketing professional in Deiser has been great, but I was still craving that previously mentioned gap. I wanted to make something related to creating in-person and human experiences. After I started contributing very shyly in the online community (because of my technical lackings), sharing different stories, I started connecting with different people at different events (such as @Teodora V _Fun Inc_ (Atlassian Summit 17, I think), @Yuze Li- Communardo (ACE Rotterdam 2022), @Celina Kuziemko - Appsvio & @Daniel Ballabas - catworkx_STAGIL (Unleash 2023), @Hye-Jin Kim (Team 24 Barcelona), Ian Gil Ragudo (ACE Barcelona Unleashed 2024) and I could keep going... those interactions eventually, also brought me to join the ACE community.
With Celina & Kate after Unleash
Since becoming a Champion, right after hosting our very first worldwide CLC (High-Velocity ITSM), breaking the record of most attendants ever in this chapter, at that moment, we got motivated, so we came with the idea of making activities beyond just that typical corporate presentation about apps/solutions (which yes, sometimes it's necessary).
After a partner's recommendation of doing the event in another city, I presented the idea of having a summer party at the beach.
As for geographically reasons that's kinda difficult to do in Madrid, the closest was to do it in Valencia, so we did it: A great event by the beach with great weather, delicious paella (See? Food is important!), and of course, a great turnout: More than 80 people came.
Right after that, by following the lead of Elvis (Frank) Cachari, we did the same, in a similar format in Malaga, having a turnout of 60+ people. Co-founding the chapters in Malaga and Valencia has been ga reat experience. And we might keep bringing that energy to other chapters in Spain by the end of the year.
First ACE Malaga group photo
These community gatherings aren't just meetups; they're lifelines for newcomers, something I learned from a person I met at our last event hosted in Madrid. Also, it's a great way for ecosystem professionals to have great experiences: from getting started in speaker roles, battling their fear to network, and for expats (or displaced immigrants from leftist dictatorships like myself) looking to keep growing professionally and personally by networking. The idea of the ACEs isn't just about rewards; it's about experiences to share as a group, a community.
My proudest moment? They are not the big names or packed rooms. It has been those short interactions with people coming up to me and expressing how an event has helped them in one way or another, how much they enjoyed it, or how good the food was. That said, the networking moment is for me the most important part. Each of those interactions hit me. Because that used to be me every time I attended a concert, a festival, or even a local punk rock band concert at a bar. I appreciate those bonding moments.
This last prompt was proposed by @Loren Siegel to inspire this blog, and I liked it: If I had to sum up this journey in three words, those would be: Growth. Sharing. Fun.
In the end, why did I become an Atlassian Community Champion? Because I knew this was a piece missing in my professional self (except when I need to organize events for work, of course!), and who doesn't like to have fun while doing it?
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Huwen Arnone _Deiser_
About this author
Product Marketing Manager @ Deiser Apps
Deiser
Madrid (atm)
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