Starting a Movement: 3 Takeaways from Structured Content 2022 (ssr)

Written by Sarah Beldo

Missing Image!

On May 24-26, thousands of people gathered in person and online at Structured Content 2022 to learn more about what it takes to deliver remarkable digital experiences. Check out the full recordings here.

The event featured a number of firsts:

• It was Sanity’s first-ever conference, taking place live in San Francisco, virtually, and at watch parties in Oslo and London.
• It was (to our knowledge) the world’s first conference dedicated to the power of structured content.
• For many newer Sanity employees, it was our first opportunity to meet customers, industry leaders, partners, and structured content experts. This may seem like a less significant "first" than the others, but the experience solidified something important for me: it really feels like Sanity is starting – and nurturing – a movement.

It begins with a vision

"For years, we've been dreaming about creating a meeting place for people who feel the same way about content…This is that place."

Sanity CEO Magnus Hillestad welcomed attendees with that inclusive message, which set the tone for the rest of the event and hinted at the company's long-standing dedication to building a community around creating better digital experiences.

From its roots as a small Norwegian agency that created Rem Koolhas' digital presence (among other projects) to its launch as a content platform in 2017, Sanity has long been championing new ways to think about content.

It's important to note that Structured Content 2022 was not envisioned as a user conference. It was not about Sanity the product or Sanity the company.

Structured Content 2022 was about sharing our vision and methodology, to educate and inspire the entire cross-disciplinary community of people who work on digital experiences. We wanted to rally people around common challenges, so we can solve them together.

In the keynote, Sanity Co-founder and CTO Simen Skogsrud raised an urgent issue for today’s brands:

In 2022, it must be possible to deliver remarkable, integrated experiences that elevate, connect and inspire audiences. Not just possible – it should be a matter of routine.

So, why isn't this possible? Our Head of Content Strategy Relations Carrie Hane (author of the pivotal book Designing Connected Content) introduced a path forward by outlining what we at Sanity believe are the most important principles for achieving that goal of creating remarkable, integrated experiences in a repeatable way.

It takes a community to bring a vision to life

These ideas are not unique to Sanity. In fact, the same themes echoed throughout the rest of the conference, through talks, panels, and fireside chats featuring speakers from AT&T, the New York Times, Burger King, Shopify, Morning Brew, Vercel, Spotify, and more.

It's clear that the challenges we raised and the vision we laid out struck a chord. And the conference was an opportunity to bring the leading voices in the industry together to share, learn, and support each other.

One of the unique attributes of Structured Content 2022 was that it gathered a cross-section of folks together from across disciplines: developers, designers, content strategists, marketers, product managers, engineering managers, and more. These are the team members who work together on different aspects of digital projects but don't always have a forum to discuss these topics together.

It takes an incredible team to bring a conference to life

It takes a lot of teamwork to pull off the world’s first structured content conference. As I mentioned earlier, many of us at Sanity have been hired recently – the company has tripled in size since the start of 2021.

I joined Sanity because I – like so many conference attendees – was inspired by the company's vision and community. Do you want to be part of a movement to transform how companies create remarkable digital experiences? Check out our open roles, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Interested in attending Structured Content 2023? Sign up for updates and discounted pricing.