We have a great problem: Too many JMP employees want to attend Discovery Summits. That’s great, because this conference series is very important for growing our business, connecting with our users, and championing statistical excellence. It’s a problem, though, because we can’t invite every employee to attend every Discovery Summit.
Simply put, it would be irresponsible for us to send too many employees. There is a financial cost and an opportunity cost for every employee we send. Travel, lodging, food, and other expenses add up when hundreds of employees are deployed. And, of course, every seat taken by an employee is one that can’t be taken by a user; every day spent traveling is one that an employee can’t spend doing their job.
Demystifying Discovery staffing
At each event, we have many goals: to answer user questions, gather product feedback, showcase best practices, champion statistical excellence, foster cross-industry collaboration, deepen customer connections, and solidify JMP’s position as a statistical powerhouse. And each event has plenaries, papers, posters, opportunities to meet experts, and strategic networking. So, it does take a lot of people to pull off an event with so many moving parts.
How do we decide who goes? We start by looking at the specific event needs and the regional talent pool. We seek to staff the events with people who can wear several hats and fill multiple needs. Things we consider:
- We start with who we need on stage to deliver our message and build credibility for our company.
- The Global Events team is responsible for planning and running Discovery Summits, so you can expect to see some or all of them at each event. And when you don’t see them, it’s because they’re running the show from behind the scenes.
- Additional Global and Field Marketers work together to cover communications, speaker care, transportation support, and all kinds of event logistics.
- User Enablement manages pre-conference education, Steering Committees, and paper/poster sessions. You’ll obviously see them supporting Discoveries, beginning to end.
- Product Management/Marketing is responsible for collecting product feedback from users, both in formal and informal settings.
- Local Systems Engineers and regional members of the Global Technical Enablement Team bring software expertise and experience, taking care of users – many of whom they already have relationships with. Among other things, they staff Meet the Experts stations and host breakout rooms.
- Members of R&D with specific product expertise are invited to staff Meet the Experts stations. We recognize that reviewing papers and posters, as well as hearing directly from users, provides a valuable perspective.
- Even though Discovery Summits are known to grow accounts, Sales professionals are few and far between. Why? Because, unless they’re actively working on a deal, their time might be better spent focusing on sales. We have plenty of helpers on hand to ensure every attendee is hosted well.
- Company directors, regional sales leaders, and strategic new employees may also receive invitations to attend when the business case is justified.
If you’ve staffed a Discovery in the past, thank you! If you hope to do so in the future, stay tuned and be patient. And if you’re still reading, that means you’re curious about Discovery Summits. Hopefully, this level of transparency will help you understand why Discovery staffing always seems more complicated than you might think.
