I've long been a fan of conferences, seminars, and other networking events as a mechanism for reigniting the fire in my work. Although the field I'm currently spending much of my time in falls outside of my specific areas of marketing and writing expertise, last year I had an experience that jump-started my idea-machine just the same—KATACON.
To quote a description a theKataSummit.com website, a KataCon is, "... more than a conference. It’s where the practicing, or soon to be practicing, Kata Community gathers to share what they’re learning and the experiments they are running." I'd say that's spot on.
Register for KataCon7 | Virtual “Pajama Pants” Summit, March 15-19
I was fortunate to attend last year’s gathering in awesome Austin. The fantastic group of people I met included experienced Kata Geeks—those well-versed and longer-practicing than most—Kata Novices—those with little to no knowledge or experience—and everything in between.
With its "niche" focus on Kata, KataCon is smaller than many other operational excellence/continuous improvement events, creating a more close-knit, collegial atmosphere. This created the opportunity to speak to people multiple times, dig into their stories, and enjoy a lot of great in-depth discussions during, between, and after sessions.
Among my favorite sessions from KataCon 6 were:
Of course, in the midst of the pandemic, an in-person conference drawing travelers from around the globe became impractical. Never to be daunted, however, Lean Frontiers, organizers of the annual KataCon events, has adapted the annual Kata Summit to Virtual KataCon!
For the first (and they hope, last) time, everyone from the Kata-curious to full-fledged Kata Geeks will gather online to network and learn (and maybe even party a little … I hear tell of some fun giveaways and prizes during the sessions!). Sessions will take place daily March 15-19 and include a variety of fantastic topics! Here are a few that we’re especially looking forward to . . .
Kudos to Lean Frontiers for adapting to current conditions and planning what looks to be a fantastic “Pajama Pants” Summit! We hope you’ll join us. KataCon starts March 15, so sign up soon, so if you haven't already, CLICK HERE to sign up for KataCon7.