Adobe MAX L.A. 2025
Using all the tech on stage at Adobe MAX L.A. 2025
The highlight of my year
Now that the dust has settled after my most hectic time of year, I can finally recap on the whirlwind that was Adobe MAX 2025.
Boy was I put to work! This year my trip consisted of…
An appearance on a live Q&A panel with Jamie Brindle, Chris Do and Adrian Per, the moment I landed in LA
A full day, pre-conference summit with the Adobe teams
I performed two presentations at Adobe MAX, each performed twice over the three days
An appearance at the Adobe Illustrator booth, demoing some of the new tools
Multiple evening events, including a VIP drinks with some huge names in the creative world
Turning Likes into Leads
My first talk was discussing how I’ve embraced social media to help me bring in leads for my logo design business, turning viral views into paying customers. I’d already had the chance to perform this one on stage in London, so I was more confident presenting this talk.
It went down really well. The audience was so receptive, so much so that I’m considering turning this talk into some kind of online course. Details to come on that one!
My second presentation was more of a demo on how to go faster in Adobe Illustrator, so I was way more nervous for this one. So much could go wrong as I was presenting live in the software, with cameras on stage to showcase how I use hardware peripherals to help me go faster. There was even an audience participation section where I brought a volunteer on stage and timed them performing a series of tasks in Illustrator, before I blew their time out of the water with a custom action.
The second time I presented (on the final day) Allan Peters was in the audience, so I brought him up on stage he became my volunteer! The result was an unbelievable memory and a really special moment (Allan is a hero of mine), although I’m not sure he’s going to forgive me for putting him on the spot like that.
Catching up with friends
Adobe MAX is a special occasion and a great reason for old friends to be in the same place together. This year was no exception, and I was lucky enough to hang out with not only Allan Peters, but Kristy Campbell (including meeting her entire family, baby and all), Vanessa Rivera, Aaron Nace, Chris Do, Aaron Draplin, Robin Son, Arabela and Elle from the Weekend Creative, MIchael Fugoso, Paul Trani and the one and only Magdiel Lopez.
Magdiel has become a real friend over the last few years. While I was sat with him during the pre-conference summit, I received an airdrop from him to my iPhone of his new artwork, displayed as this year’s Photoshop splash screen! To be with him while he got to announce this at the conference was such a special moment, and I was honoured to be in his presence.
Magdiel’s unbelievable artwork for this year’s Photoshop splash screen
Glowing reviews
I’ve been working harder on my public speaking over the last few years, jumping at the chance to be on stage wherever I can, and practising the art of delivering confidently in front of a large group of people. I’ve got a long way to go (I still rely heavily on my notes) but I relish the opportunity to do this, and I’m so grateful to Adobe for giving me this platform.
All the speakers at Adobe MAX are treated to a speaker ready room, where can freshen up, grab some food and prepare for our sessions. It’s a great place to hang out and get to know the other speakers. And there’s one thing we all have in common, in that we’re all keeping a beady eye on our session scores!
At the end of each session, the attendees are invited to fill out a survey on the talk they just watched. All the speakers watch these results closely because if you do well, it’s likely that you’ll be invited back next year.
And I’m so pleased to report that I got some great scores this year. It’s so validating, because these presentations take me months to perfect. So to hear that they’ve gone down well is so rewarding. I’ve got a long way to go, as there were a few instances where between the British accent and a bit of mumbling here and there, some people found me hard to understand.
In short, my content is great, I just need to work on my delivery!
Thanks again to Adobe for having me, and fingers crossed I see you all next year!
