Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1193979
DECEMBER 2019 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 55 Johnson: Your client hands over those parts so that the technical can focus on the "meat" of the program and make sure they have the right subject-matter experts. What else do you find useful from your clients to help move things forward and make it faster? Lange: With Altium, we're involved in a lot of the food and beverage selections, so we make sure that we create the most value with your budget. We'll go through the menu and nego- tiate pricing and beverages packages to maxi- mize the use of every dollar that you spend. It's easy to look at menus and want certain things, but what is the perceived value of mini donuts, for example? Johnson: And you have a lot of experience and can give some expert advice on what does and doesn't work. Lange: Right, and what sounds good but isn't in actuality. Johnson: At AltiumLive, for example, they also include some evening activities to create some team building and entertainment. Part of the reason why, I suspect, is because this is a des- tination resort and spa. We're across the bay from downtown San Diego, so leaving the site takes time and thought. Lange: That's intentional. The reason that this property is selected is not just because it's beautiful, but it's also to ensure that you cul- tivate a networking culture and keep a cohe- siveness with the attendees. Because Altium and I agree with the mentality that network- ing is where an event prospers. Relationships and ideas are cultivated at events like this; if you go offsite with your buddy that you came here with, that's not going to happen. Another thing that we do, which is smart, is that for the robot challenge, as well as dinner on the sec- ond night of the summit, when individuals en- ter the ballroom for dinner, they draw a num- ber from a fishbowl. This ensures that people sit at random because we want to cultivate a networking and idea-sharing culture. Johnson: Networking is such a valuable result of that. As the evening program initially de- veloped between you and Altium, who drove that? Lange: Altium came to us with the whole ro- bot challenge, and it works. It has become this tournament-style mentality where attend- ees remember their teams and the places they got every year. During planning, I asked if we should change it up. I met so much resistance and rightfully so because, as an event planner, we have to keep things new and fresh, but the robot challenge is a staple of the event. Johnson: You're spot on. What keeps it fresh is the intentional creation of different teams and the history from previous years. Having been there, I could easily imagine somebody saying, "I was on your team last year. I know your weaknesses. I am taking you down." Lange: Totally. And it's cool that we see a lot of familiar faces. A lot of alumni come year after year. I've been doing this event since 2017, and I see probably a third of the attend- ees each year. Johnson: Can you talk to us about how the ro- bot challenge works? Lange: After the dinner, every table, which has 10 people, receives a package with all the parts of the robot disassembled. The instructions and a remote control are in the box, and the group of likely strangers works together as a team to build the robot with 30–40 parts. The first round of winners is the first to complete