Authored by Nam Abban
This article explores the rich history and exciting future of Scrum Day London, a conference dedicated to connecting Agile and Scrum enthusiasts.
The vision for Scrum Day London was simple, to create a space where people interested in Agile and Scrum can meet, exchange knowledge, share techniques and practices and connect with one another. Whilst Agile and Scrum are more popular within the software team context, it is applicable within any environment, therefore Scrum Day London was targeted for people within any industry, regardless of their levels of experience. Nine years on, and the vision for the Scrum Day London 2024 conference remains unchanged.
Nam Abban has been working with teams for almost a decade within the public and private sector, using his insights and expertise with agile frameworks to help teams build products more efficiently.
Keynote Speakers and Interactive Workshops
Scrum Day London utilises a proven format, featuring keynote speakers like Scrum.org CEO Dave West (2024) to deliver insights and spark discussion. Interactive workshops delve deeper into specific topics, providing attendees with practical knowledge. Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned practitioner, there’s something for everyone.
For newcomers, it’s a crash course in Agile essentials, while seasoned practitioners find advanced insights and data-driven approaches to refine their practice.
London is an incredibly diverse city and a centre for multinational organisations as well as smaller businesses. This makes London an attractive city with many opportunities for people and businesses, and Scrum Day London attendees have benefitted from this, discovering job opportunities or potential customers for their organisations.
The Evolution of Scrum Day London
Over the last decade, Scrum’s adoption as a framework has grown, with increased adoption across industries especially within software teams where it has become the standard software development approach used to deliver products within large, medium and small-sized organisations. This has resulted in greater awareness of what scrum is, and how it can help teams deliver high quality software – leading to increased support from senior management in organisations. The Scrum framework has also evolved over the years, with changes made to the Scrum guide providing more clarity and making it even less prescriptive, amongst many other changes.
Scrum Day London has evolved alongside the evolution of Scrum. Here is a recap of the conference themes over the past decade for Scrum Day London demonstrating it’s evolution:
2016-2019 – The themes focused on utilising Agile/Scrum as the foundation for growing organisational value, with a strong emphasis on overcoming common implementation hurdles.
2020-2022 – With the pandemic accelerating digital transformation, there was a focus on going beyond a digital transformation and concentrating on growing organisation Agility in turbulent times.
2023 – As we emerged from the global crisis, the focus was on how we can utilise Scrum to ensure teams and organisations thrive in the new global climate.
2024 – Scrum Day London 2024’s theme is removing the barriers to critical thinking, optimising flow and value across your organisation and thinking outside the agile box. This year’s conference has evolved to focus on what value optimising approaches can be used alongside Scrum and other Agile frameworks.
As Scrum Day London continues to adapt and evolve, future themes are expected to delve into the integration of AI and machine learning with agile practices, further exploration of hybrid work models, and the continuous push towards global sustainability within project frameworks.
A growing Influence.
Over the years, Scrum Day London has not only increased in attendance but has also attracted a diverse array of speakers and sponsors, illustrating its growing influence and recognition within the industry. Notable milestones include:
Scrum Co-Founder as First Keynote (2016) – Scrum Day London’s first event in 2016 featured Ken Schwaber, one of the co-founders of Scrum as the Keynote Speaker. Scrum.Org has been a Sponsor from the very beginning in 2016.
Introduction of Workshops – To provide more hands-on learning experiences, workshops were introduced, covering advanced Scrum topics such as Nexus.
Capital One Bank Sponsorship – Capital One as a sponsor for the conference was a pivotal moment, this laid the foundation for future sponsors.
Virtual Transition (2020-2022) – Navigating through the global pandemic, Scrum Day London seamlessly transitioned to a virtual format, expanding its reach and demonstrating Agile practices in action.
Partnerships with Scrum.org and ProKanban – Partnerships with accreditation organisations representing Scrum and Kanban have enriched the attendee conference experience.
An enduring Legacy and Agile’s evolution
The legacy of Scrum Day London showcases the evolving nature of Agile and Scrum, adapting to meet industry needs. As the conference looks ahead, it aims to stay at the forefront of Agile thought leadership, fostering a community focused on innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
In the future, Scrum Day London plans to be more than just an annual event. The goal is to create a year-round platform for Agile enthusiasts to engage, learn, and contribute to the broader Agile community. This includes expanding virtual meetups, webinars, and collaborative projects to maintain the momentum beyond the conference.
Scrum Day London 2024
Thrive in the future of Agile, come experience the power of Agile and connect with a vibrant community. Join us at Prospero House Central London on June 20th, 2024. See you there!
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