Rolling with the Punches in Chaotic Times

Just over two years ago now (holy cow!) we put on 19 Hours, a virtual design conference. Maybe you’ve heard of it, or maybe you’ve even attended it in its first or second year.

But what you may not know is that we never imagined what it would become, and I think it’s a great lesson in rolling with the punches, and, not to get too cliché, but make lemonade outta lemons.

But let’s talk about how 19 Hours started.

It was back in April of 2020, and trade shows and events were getting cancelled left, right, and center. High Point Market was one of those.

And we were heartbroken.

We had so many phenomenal things planned for it. Events and sessions that would have allowed us to foster more community and face-time with designers. Things that, not to be crass, but would have really helped Mydoma’s bottom line. Our events are where we meet new designers, and gain exposure, and to lose that would definitely have an impact on the business.

So we were so very hopeful that Market was gonna happen, right up until the end. We planned and had meetings well into March, lining up some amazing speakers and sessions.

But, the news came in, and Market was cancelled.

Now, I firmly believe in crossroads moments, and I think this was one of them. We could have just come to terms with it, cancelled everything, and taken the loss and moved on with our lives. Or, we could make something of it.

We could make a heck of a lot of lemonade.

We were no strangers to doing webinars and digital content, having done typically 2 webinars a month for quite a long time.

So after talking with my friend Heleena, the question became, “well, can we just transition all this amazing stuff we have planned to online?”

So we took a shot in the dark, and created 19 Hours in the span of weeks.

And it was amazing.

Over 4,000 registrants, hundreds of people on every session, and glowing reviews on our feedback survey.

19 Hours was more than we ever imagined it could be.

But now we’re into the third year of the conference, and, the challenges plaguing the industry, and we’ve heard it everywhere – designers are tired. From trying to balance your projects, to the consistent headaches and stresses of the supply chain (and managing your client’s expectations of them!) – you’re trying to roll with the punches yourself. But it’s tough at times, and maybe you’re feeling drained, and, dare I say it, burned out.

So for this year’s 19 Hours, we wanted to bring some relief, so we’ve centered the conference around this concept of “renewal”. Our goal this year is to not only give you some amazing takeaways for your business that you’ve come to expect from the event, but to also reenergize your passion for the business, and the industry as a whole.

I hope I’ll see you there!