Why I Love Dreamin' Events

After attending my first Dreamin’ event in 2019 (not surprisingly it was True North Dreamin’ 2019 in Ottawa/Gatineau) I’ve been to a lot more Dreamin’ events over the years in addition to running this one.

They’re not all the same, but there are a few things that tend to happen at each one, and they’re usually the reason I go back.

Some of it is practical. You hear how other people are actually solving problems — what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently. That’s hard to get from documentation or release notes.

Some of it is just getting a better sense of where things are heading. Not in a big, abstract way, but how tools, AI, and day-to-day work are actually changing.

There’s also a piece that’s harder to explain until you’ve been there.

You start to figure out where you fit.

Whether that’s in your current role, what you want to learn next, or even what direction you might want to move in. Those conversations tend to happen more easily in person than anywhere else.

And then there’s the format itself.

Events like TND are smaller and a bit more contained than the larger conferences. You can actually find people again after you’ve met them. Conversations don’t get lost in the noise.

There’s also time built in to have those conversations without feeling like you’re missing something important, or standing in line trying to get into the next session.

And everything is in one place. You’re not moving between buildings or trying to figure out where you need to be next.

It sounds like a small thing, but it changes how the whole experience feels.

A lot of the value comes from the parts you didn’t plan — the quick conversations between sessions, or the “we’re dealing with the same thing” moments.

That’s usually what sticks.

If you're on the fence about attending TND26, I hope this helps you decide to come. We’re ready to welcome you if you do.