I just returned from my first big conference, Persuasive 14, or as it formally known: the 9th International Conference on Persuasive Technology, at the University of Padova, Italy.
I must say that not only this was a brilliant event, it only brought me close to some of the researchers I read and admire. Among others, I got to meet and greet Kevin Werbach, Juho Hamari, Jonna Koivisto, and Sebastian Deterding. As a beginner, I am still quite excited about meeting these guys.
The conference was great too. It is strongly multidisciplinary, which makes it a bit difficult to follow, especially when it comes to theoretical approaches that I had no clue about.
And most importantly, Padova. What a lovely city, with great food, lively environment, and awesome venue. Deterding’s keynote took place in the room in which Galileo used to teach in the turn of the 16th century. Fucking Galileo! I know I am just starting, but hell, I suspect I will never see a conference in such an amazing room.
