In couple of days 5th SUGCON Europe is about to kick off. If this is the first time for you, here are some tips what you should expect and which sessions to check out.

It is a dev driven community so expect to see the code, implementations and some really cool stuff. Marketeers are also there with their take on Sitecore platform. This is the time to get inspired, to see what others are doing, to exchange ideas and to meet some really fantastic people.

These are some of my personal favourites when it comes to the sessions:

Session: USING COMMERCE 9, SXA, XCONNECT AND IOT TO DRIVE A POWERFUL SITECORELAND EXPERIENCE

Who: Jason Wilkerson & Richard Seal

Why: Apart from being exceptional speakers, Jason (the most famous Sitecore beard) and Richard will guide you through the playground of opportunities and ideas. Last time we were transported into the uber technology powered house on the lake, now it is time to go further up.

Session: Uber-modern APIs for Sitecore

Who: Kam Figy

Why: Kam (also known as the real Kam), the guy behind Unicorn, Leprechaun and all other magical creatures is a member of Sitecore’s JSS product team. He will show futuristic look at the new modern API technology provided by Sitecore. We can only expect magic here.

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Session: SITECORE XCONNECT & MARKETING AUTOMATION OMNI CHANNEL DEMO

Who: Alexei Vershalovich

Why: Alexei and his team have shown us their initial idea back in January at SUGNL. We were already impressed back then and since January the guys have worked hard and built even more stuff. The only thing I will say is: Look out for this session, it is a keeper.

Session: SITECORE, XDB & GDPR APPLIED

Who: Rob Habraken

Why: Who can forget Robby from last year? This year, Rob will tackle one of the most important topics which impacts all of us: GDPR. You really do want to be prepared for this and stay informed how Sitecore can help you in tackling this topic.

Session: EXM LIVE! THE MAGIC OF EMAIL AUTOMATION

Who: Pete Navarra

Why: If you are a bit serious about marketing, one way to reach out to all your contacts and potential customers is via EXM. Pete will show you the story behind it.

Session: SITECORE COGNITIVE SERVICES: A WEB OF INTELLIGENCE

Who: Mark Stiles

Why: Mark has been known for a long time for his work with Microsoft Cognitive Services. Every time he ads more and more stuff and shows us impressive results. When Mark presents, the room is always packed. How will you find Mark: search for the sunglasses.

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Session: 45 TESTS IN 45 MINUTES: EFFECTIVE TESTING THOUGHT STARTERS

Who: Michael Greenberg

Why: Wow, the title is really striking. We all know that everyone want to do extra marketing and AB testing with Sitecore. With Michael's talk, you can bet that you will be equipped with all the knowledge you need to get you going.

Session: GETTING PERSONAL WITH ALEXA

Who: Nick Hills

Why: This type of session is what I love about SUGCON. Sitecore and Alexa, together? Bring it on. Time to push the boundaries between the technologies. Am I the only one who wants to see the demo done with a funny accent?

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Session: FROM FORMS TO RICHES

Who: Kamruz Jaman & Mike Reynolds

Why: Oh boy. If you were involved for some time in Sitecore community there is no chance that you could miss out on these two. Both great guys this time are teaming up to do joint session. One thing I have to wonder: will the golden suite make special appearance? There is only one way to find out...

Sitecore hackathon

Of course, lets not forget Hackathon awards on day 1. It has been an utter privilege to go through submissions this year as a community judge and I am looking forward to see who this year's winner is going to be. Drumms please

MVP Awards and a quiz night

On day 1, MVP awards will be handed out to this year's MVPs. Congrats once again to everyone. Afterwards, as always with SUGCON, there will be a special quiz night, so be prepared.

Time to start packing things and I will see you all in Berlin!

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