Agile Gatherings (AG) interviewed Nina Dötzl-Freisinger (ND) and Wolfgang Richter (WR), organisers from the Agile Austria Conference 2025, that will take place in 30 & 31 January 2025, on-site in Graz and also online by livestream! Learn about the challenge of organising a hybrid Agile conference and create or improve your own Agile event with their expertise:
AG: What were the biggest challenges while organising the previous conference?
ND: Of course, it was the Corona Pandemic that changed everything. This period of restrictions and deprivations turned out to be the perfect moment to rethink and reimagine the AAC. We had to postpone the AAC 2020, and in response to the challenges, we made the decision to organise all following Conferences as a Hybrid Event. We also decided that the net income should go to a charity organisation, and we wanted to ensure that the AAC is an event affordable for everyone. That’s why we lowered the prices, making it more accessible compared to other agile conferences. As organisers, this filled us with pride—it gave the event real purpose. It felt so rewarding to work towards such a meaningful goal. Everyone shall now benefit: the participants, the organisers through increased visibility, and the charity organisation. It truly is a win-win for all!
AG: How did you select the themes and topics for the conference?
ND: We are a team of four organiser companies (JIPP.IT, BearingPoint, APUS Software, Ascent), working together remotely! For smooth communication and collaboration, we rely on tools like Slack and Google Docs, making sure our workflow is always efficient. You could say we’re truly cross-functional team! When it comes to deciding on a topic that fits everyone, we kick things off by brainstorming on slack, and then we prepare a voting process to select our next exciting focus.
AG: What moments stood out to you during the conference?
ND: For us, the unforgettable moment was during one of our last conferences when you could truly feel the enthusiasm of the participants. Seeing them post about the event on social media, sharing their excitement, and then coming up to personally thank us for the organisation—it was absolutely inspiring! Moments like these remind us why we do what we do.
AG: How did you handle any unexpected issues or changes in past conferences?
ND: The most unexpected challenge, of course, was the Corona Pandemic. It brought so much uncertainty. For some of us it was tough to juggle both personal life and all the responsibilities surrounding the AAC. While some colleagues suddenly had more time on their hands, some found themself with even less, because they had the children permanently home-schooled. Balancing it all was incredibly difficult, but it also pushed us to find new ways to adapt and manage everything.
AG: What impact do you think the conference had on the Agile community?
ND: In Austria, several events are centered around Agility, with well- organised meetups and a thriving community. The AAC, while a regional event, has gained significant recognition in neighbouring countries. It offers a fantastic opportunity for the community to be present and visible beyond borders. By bringing together passionate individuals from various countries, the AAC helps foster cross-border collaboration and exchange, strengthening our community even further!
AG: How do you ensure inclusivity and diversity at Agile Austria Conference 2025?
ND: The upcoming conference will be held on the ground floor of Hotel Novapark, offering fully barrier-free access for all attendees. We are committed to inclusivity in every aspect of the event. We make a strong effort to achieve a balanced gender ratio when selecting speakers. To create an environment where everyone feels represented and valued is very important for us!
AG: What role do sponsors and partners play in the success of Agile Austria Conference 2025?
ND: Our sponsors and partners play an incredibly important role—without them, the AAC wouldn’t be possible! Thanks to their support, we all benefit from increased visibility, valuable networking opportunities, and the chance to build new connections within the community. But the most rewarding outcome is, the donation we’re able to make to a charity organisation. This gives our event real purpose, enthusiasm and motivation to make a difference together!
AG: What role does technology play in enhancing the experience of Agile Austria Conference 2025?
WR: Technology is nowadays a vehicle to successful collaboration. It helps to connect across borders. This is nothing new, but the importance of it changed. Especially during the pandemics. Our kids had to learn from home, teachers had to teach from home, people had to work from home, etc… So we required technology to continue. Imagine, we would have had no tools for video conferencing, or no digital whiteboards to collaborate, and such. It would have been nearly impossible to fulfil our daily working tasks. Even social contacts would have been reduced to zero for some. Not the best situation to be in. Using technology to help us, makes absolutely sense to me. And that’s the same for conferences, and other agile events. We can use technology to our advantage. As long as we understand, it is just a tool and should support us, we can benefit by using it.
The risk on the other side is that we run into some kind of addiction. This would then exceed the limits of what is healthy. And that needs to be avoided. We are still analogue creatures, not digital ones. The evolution of technology seems to lead us to a coexistence with digital creatures in a not-too-far-away future. But we, as human beings, will remain to be mostly analogue creatures. Even though cyborg-technology will be added. So let’s remember this, and use technology to our advantage, in the sense of being able to participate, when travelling is not an option. Or when the use of technology helps us to get better, easier results. Or in other words, to simplify our lives 🙂
AG: How do you manage the budget for Agile Austria Conference 2025?
ND: A year after the Covid pandemic, we made the decision to take our conference online. This prompted us to rethink our ticket pricing, with the goal of making it affordable for everyone. It was during this time that the idea of donating the proceeds to a charity organisation came up—and it quickly became something we were passionate about. The following year, we planned the conference as a hybrid event, but one thing remained unchanged: none of the organisers wanted to drop the idea of donating. This meant we had to work extra hard on budgeting. Without the support of our amazing sponsors, none of this would be possible.
We also had to be very mindful of costs for catering and the evening event. All the organising companies and keynote speakers, along with our other speakers, participate pro bono. It’s a team effort driven by purpose, and it’s what makes the AAC truly special!
AG: Can you discuss the role of Agile principles in the planning and execution of Agile Austria Conference 2025?
ND: Our approach is characterised by iterative progress, and every two weeks, we hold a remote status update meeting. All of this is in addition to our regular responsibilities. Having a clear purpose drives our motivation even further. Simplicity is key to our workflow. Utilising a mural board allows us to grasp the big picture, while a Kanban board visualises our work flow.
Find out more about the Agile Austria Conference and get your ticket here: https://agile-austria.org/
