Reflections on a Roadshow Event

Yesterday, I attended a roadshow by Google Cloud at the Novotel Hotel in Bellandur, Bengaluru. There were around two dozen attendees and a panel of six executives from some well-known companies. The panel discussion involved questions from the moderator, a Google employee, and they had said there would be time for audience questions at the end. Unfortunately, the panel discussion ran over time, and there was no opportunity for Q&A with the panel.

The next part of the event involved introductions by the attendees and questions for the Google employees. The last hour was spent on dinner, drinks, and socializing. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this part of the event (no, I did not drink). Since the start of Covid lockdowns, I have worked remotely and continue to do so to this day. Despite the advantages of remote work, one thing I miss is meeting with people to discuss industry trends and hear their perspectives on various topics. Yesterday, I got to do just that, and it was refreshing. I met a young startup founder, a product owner from a large company, a finance manager from another tech company, executives from F&G industry companies, and others. Most of them were just as eager to share their stories as I was to hear them.

Reflecting on the experience, I realize I should seek out more networking opportunities like this in the future.