I was thinking of writing this note for a while, but then got engaged in some COVID response projects with our state government. Finally got down to writing this one.
Pause Fest is called the ‘Woodstock for digital natives’ and with good reason. Attending events is anyway a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to get a pulse of the industry while making invaluable connections along the way. But Pause Fest was not just another event – my experience of it turned out to be one-of-its-kind. No wonder it has been a roaring success for the 10th year in a row!
One of the reasons behind its consistent success is that it is not focused exclusively on technology, instead, the organizers balance it out with equal measures of business, technology, entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership. I always look forward to events that are not solely technology-centric, thus allowing me to interact with numerous fellow entrepreneurs as well. In this context, Pause Fest emerged as a clear winner right from the start.
Besides, from the event messaging it was clear that Pause Fest 2020 focused on great themes like Authenticity, Purpose, the Importance of Community and its Role in Entrepreneurial Success. It was a fresh change of pace from cold, hard statistics that other business conferences focus on.
When I decided to attend Pause Fest, I had only 30 days to plan, pack, make reservations and get there. 30 days may seem like a good amount of time on the face of it, but arranging a visa within such a short time frame is often an uphill task. So, I was in two minds about going ahead with the plan. Eventually, I got in touch with the Pause Fest organizing team to discuss my options and was pleasantly surprised when the founder of the event, George Hedon, personally responded to me. He assured me that if my visa were to be an issue, they would let me attend the event next year instead. Luckily, Australian visa authorities came through and I received my visa just in time.
I reached Melbourne a day before the event as I wanted to avoid being jet-lagged during the fest. Melbourne’s warmer weather was a welcome break from the freezing temperatures of my hometown Dharamshala in India. Pause Fest 2020 was held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition center this year and the first thing I noticed upon arriving was the stunning architecture of the venue.
The organizing team made meticulous efforts to manage the fest down to the smallest of details. One of the key highlights of the event was their Dealroom app. This application was a wonderfully thought-out tool which helped people seamlessly connect during the fest virtually as well as physically. It helped us see what the attendees were seeking from the event and what they could offer.
As the event picked up momentum, each workshop I attended left me with out-of-the-box ideas as food-for-thought. I especially enjoyed Christina Canters and Aaron Heath’s workshop on “The Next Big Thing: What Drives a Good Podcast?” The session was inspiring and made me think about starting a podcast soon. Kathryn Williams conducted a knowledge workshop called the ‘Money Wheel’ which detailed the various modes revenue generation and pricing models.
In a creative business, we often overlook how best we can charge for our services and this workshop offered several pieces of actionable advice in that regard. On the networking front, I could not have expected better value for my money. I must have easily met over 70 people during these 3 days and even though it was a tad hectic, I was thankful beyond words for all of it by the end of the event.
Pause Fest took up most of my time in Melbourne, so I couldn’t explore Melbourne as much as I would have liked to, but I still managed to visit the Melbourne CBD area. I also got the chance to interact with a fellow Global Shaper – Matthew Edward Taylor – who works with the Victorian Government. In the little time that we had with each other, he shared with me several trivia about Melbourne’s culture and the various ongoing efforts and initiatives to boost the startup ecosystem.
While Pause Fest was an unforgettable experience and easily the highlight of my Australia trip, but I also squeezed in a visit to another day-long event in Sydney towards the end of tour. Unfortunately, the day I landed in Sydney, the city was flooded with heavy rains and thunderstorms. Even though the weather was less than ideal, I had a chance to attend a couple of digital marketing workshops at the event and reconnect with a few old acquaintances.
Overall, Australia delighted with everything that it could offer in less than a week and I came back with a tons of learning and experiences to fuel my plans for the year. In fact, my school and college in both the cities hosted me and I hope to reciprocate their hospitality soon.