San Diego

TwitchCon and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon at the SDCC

THIS past quarter was bookended by two major shows, TwitchCon and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon, at the San Diego Convention Center. These shows ended up being much more similar than expected. Both events were highly technical and extremely bandwidth-intensive. The exhibitors at both shows needed dedicated lines to handle their booth needs. In addition, there was the sheer number of exhibitors who placed orders as well, putting critical pressure on both the tech and the customer service teams, which allowed them to display their strength.

TwitchCon filled four halls, the Sails Pavilion, and a large ballroom with exhibits completely dedicated to video games and streaming. The ballroom showcased a pyramid stage dedicated to a FortNite tournament and a “Hackathon.” The key to ensuring Twitch was successful required plenty of discussion with the customers ahead of time to find out what download speeds were necessary for each booth. Understanding the customer’s needs helped guide them to the best services for their presentation. The customer service team in San Diego was hard at work from the start, following up with exhibitors, making sure they had a clear idea for what they were going to be doing in their booth and then making sure their order reflected that. The amount of alterations to each exhibitor order –whether it was the speed of a dedicated line or the number of patch cables in their booth– kept the San Diego team on their toes the weeks leading up to the show. There were still a few exhibitors who changed their order once move-in began, but the amount of advance prep work that went into the show kept these exhibitor changes to a minimum rather than adding more strain to a show’s rapid move-in.

“As this was my first time working with Twitch and TwitchCon, there was bound to be a slight learning curve, and the Smart City team was always patient and quick to respond when things needed to be changed. This is integral to the production of any event and was much appreciated!” Scott Weinberg of BaAM Productions

If TwitchCon highlighted the customer service team’s abilities, then KubeCon highlighted the strengths of the San Diego tech team. KubeCon + CloudNativeCon was based in the Sails Pavilion and ballrooms on the top floor of the convention center. Due to this location, our technicians were able to get a head start on hardline drops and VLAN programming. The extra time was especially crucial considering the number of drops and the show’s somewhat complicated floor plan and movein process. Being that this is a rapidly growing show, the installation brought out new challenges never encountered by the KubeCon team. Working closely with KubeCon technicians, the SCN San Diego tech team was able to respond to every need rapidly. They were able to anticipate issues and fix problems before they materialize. Trouble tickets were kept to a minimum, and the exhibitors and show management were pleased with the success of the show.

While the customer service and tech teams in San Diego are always operating at a high level, it’s shows like these that highlight how important communication is between the two.