Remote Event Planning in a Distributed World
When GitHub’s annual conference, Satellite, was forced online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the marketing and events teams had roughly two months to rebuild the experience for a fully virtual audience. What emerged was a set of practices that apply not just to large-scale digital events, but to everyday remote collaboration within marketing and event functions.
Three team leads—Sherrine Tan (Director of Product Marketing), Brandon Rosage (Website Growth Manager), and Brian DeMott (Event Manager)—shared how they adapted to this shift, and the habits that kept their teams productive while working from home.
Establishing Trust Through Communication
The transition to remote work forced a rethinking of how team members interact. Tan emphasizes that personal connection is the foundation: getting to know colleagues beyond their job titles builds rapport, and turning on video during calls helps ensure everyone is engaged and less prone to multitasking.
Rosage approaches communication with an asynchronous mindset. For him, success depends on crafting clear, directed messages for tools like Slack. Ambiguous updates can spiral into hours-long threads, whereas a well-organized message might resolve in five minutes. He also limits the number of shared documents and links, reducing the cognitive load on coworkers who already have many tabs open.
DeMott focuses on flexibility, making himself available across different hours as team members juggle family obligations. For colleagues with reduced schedules, he relies on a clear hand-off process and uses shared calendars to respect personal commitments.
Planning for Imperfection
Moving Satellite from a physical venue to a virtual platform required abandoning assumptions about how events work. DeMott calls it a complete 180-degree shift, and stresses the need to stay open to new ideas since every aspect of the event was turned upside down.
Both DeMott and Rosage caution that virtual events are raw by nature. Expect errors and glitches, and treat the production like a live broadcast. That said, the accessibility of virtual events has been a major upside, bringing in a wider, more inclusive audience. DeMott notes that the willingness of people across the company to help was remarkable, recommending that anyone planning a similar event not hesitate to ask for support. Rosage adds that discoverability—how people learn about the event and what communications look like—deserves as much attention as the event itself.
Managing the Emotional Toll
The pandemic has introduced an emotional component to work that wasn't as visible before. DeMott describes the experience as an emotional roller coaster—good days and difficult ones—and emphasizes that teams need to be sounding boards for each other. At GitHub, that means being emotionally available to vent or simply to listen, and making it clear that no one has to pretend they're fine when they aren't. Open and honest communication is key.
Tan places the well-being of her team above all else right now. Many colleagues are wearing multiple hats and juggling work with personal commitments. She advocates for empathy and for respecting the need to take time off or adjust schedules during the pandemic. Rosage similarly structures his real-time interactions to check in on individuals' well-being first, before getting to the necessary information. He also tries to be keenly aware of compressed schedules, valuing people's uninterrupted blocks of time.
The Upside of Remote-First Work
GitHub describes itself as remote-first, not merely remote-friendly. Tan values the opportunity to work with talented people globally and, as a parent, the flexibility to spend more time with her kids instead of commuting. Rosage appreciates the empathy remote work fosters, allowing colleagues to demonstrate autonomy and trust amid their personal responsibilities.
Advice for Those New to Remote Work
Tan's primary advice is to write things down and over-communicate. Written messages are easily misinterpreted, so shared context and clarity are essential to ensure the right intention comes through. She also warns against the blurring of work and personal life, recommending people block off time for breaks, meals, and walks.
DeMott finds stability in keeping his morning routine identical to his pre-pandemic office routine. He also echoes Tan's advice on taking a proper lunch break, stepping away from the workspace, and getting outside for fresh air.
