MeasureCamp lands in Italy at last
On October 13 2018 the first MeasureCamp in Italy took place, precisely in Milan. Most, if not all readers of this post are well acquainted with MeasureCamp; nevertheless, it’s worthwhile a brief reminder of what its attraction is.
I wouldn’t call it special per se, however MeasureCamp can be a stepping stone in one’s career and aspiration – consequently it becomes special in a way or another. Why is that? Because it provides the platform to adventures, to those who want or manage to push themselves forward – fear not! And how is that? It’s because, literally, anyone can speak, run a session, present their case, showcase their skills. This is empowering and instils confidence.
With the above in mind MeasureCamp was brought to Italy. Brought to Italy by people who believe in it. And it was a success.
With over one hundred strong attendees, the vast majority made up of locals but also a good and dedicated small group of foreigners – more on that later –, the event kicked off with the usual opening session by Peter O’Neill and the team. Then, as it typically happens, after it the rush to the session board. Session cards pinned and all came to a start.
It was great to see Paolo Raineri’s session on sports analytics – all the way from Turin. Felipe Cabral ran a session on fighting corruption with open data also worth mentioning. Alex Holman showcased Uplifter, an AI-powered tool. Enrico Pavan presented some solid use cases in which a blend of tools and methodologies were used to solve clients’ problems and deliver added value. These are to name a few. Among the ones that I didn’t see but that attest to the diversity of topics are Peter O’Neill’s analytics therapy, Elena Marchisa’s lots of data from lots of tools, Mateo Starcevic’s from freelance to business owner, Mikko Pippo’s analytics for the public sector, and so on.
Lots of chats and networking between sessions and during break. Social media channels being fed throughout the day by proud speakers and attendees. Session cards being pinned by those who had already run a session and wanted another go. Mid-way it was clear the stage was set for the event to be a success in the traditional MeasureCamp style.
The foreigners. The global Campers. The good old bunch of people who travel around to attend the event when opportunity presents. A few renowned representatives were there, too – Rasmus Christiansen, Alban Gerome, Adrian Kingwell, Nick Duddy, Mikko Piippo, Alex Holman, Danny Olsen, Robert Børlum-Bach, Peter O’Neill… Without their presence the event wouldn’t have been the same. They take pride in it. They take pride in knowledge sharing. Above all, they inspire locals and as a result give them that little push needed to take up the stage.
Could MeasureCamp Milan have been better? It certainly could. I’d love to have seen more Italians run sessions. At the end of the day, it was an event made for Italians. Just a handful of sessions had them as speakers, which is a pity. That said, the unconference format is a concept not widely spread, so one requires a change of mind and attitude that usually don’t come overnight. By talking to some Italians post event, it was evident their enthusiasm and energy, so I foresee a clear improvement on this front.
At the end of it all, after playing foosball and table tennis; after drinking, having fun and enjoying the company of the few brave souls who lingered until the small hours, I bowed out to the first Italian edition of MeasureCamp. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. On to the second edition.
Ranyere Rodrigues
2 Comments
Thanks for having me dude 🙂
Not at all – I’m the one to thank you for coming along and supporting us. Really appreciated it.
Cheers Nick!