Agile Event Session

The Big Agile Conference turns 20: Why did we make it? What should it become?

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Abstract/Description

Marking the 20th anniversary!

The first “big agile” conference was in 2003. Unusual for that moment, it aimed to include all job titles in all methodologies, “big tent” style.

Also unusual, it began with a detailed vision statement: Why should we create another conference? Who should it serve? Why does each track exist, what is its differentiator? And after the conference: How did we do on that, and how should be adjust it going forward?

For fun, Alistair Cockburn and Todd Little will go over the original paper napkin design for the conference, how it was adjusted, how it went, and bits of trivia history from before and after.

More seriously, not to have just two talking heads, we want to show you that original vision statement and have you, the audience, consider what the answers should/could look like in the 2020s.

The 2003 conference was designed by Alistair Cockburn and Todd Little. This is a rare joint appearance by those two, telling a few stories about that first conference (Todd actually still has the original napkin on which the conference design was drawn!), and then finding ways to involve the audience, including live tweet streams, voting, and other forms of showing audience responses on the screens.

We hope that you will have some fun participating, and come away with thoughts about both the current state of our industry and on this and other conferences around agile.


Learning Outcomes:

  • Why was the first big agile conference started in the first place.
  • What was the purpose and goal of the 2003 conference.
  • What could be an updated set of purposes for this conference.
  • How might I (audience member) use this information for a conference of my own.
  • Have fun discussing these topics with other people in the audience and seeing other people’s responses.

Additional Resources

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Speaker(s) may be willing to present this session at local group meetings and other events.

Agile2023
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