A year after Adobe Max 2023, I traveled alone to Miami to attend Adobe Max 2024.
I was completely captivated by last year’s conference and wanted more. So I made a great effort to save up enough money. The trip and accommodation were funded by the Greenland branch of the Journalists’ Union, for which I’m deeply grateful.
Just before Adobe Max, a Category 5 hurricane hit Florida. I was anxious about whether the event could still happen. Luckily, the hurricane had passed Miami, and the trip went ahead as planned. After a layover at the massive Atlanta airport, I arrived at the airport just north of Miami. I took a long Uber ride into the city, where my hotel was located. After checking into my hotel on the charming Española Way, I went straight to bed – it was late, and I had an early start the next day. I had planned a full-day trip to Florida’s southernmost point: Key West.
Early in the morning, sleep-deprived, I walked through the skyscrapers of Miami Beach toward the bus stop. The city glowed with neon lights, and I felt like I was in an 80s movie set in Miami. I boarded the waiting bus, and off we went, heading south.
I had already traveled a long way from Copenhagen to Miami, and now I was about to spend another four hours on a bus to our destination – Key West. We crossed a series of islands where alligators and crocodiles live, and suddenly, the journey didn’t feel so long. We passed charming towns and villages scattered across the many islands.
When we reached Key West, located at the very tip of the chain, I had six hours to explore the city on my own. I passed the former winter residence of a U.S. president and wandered through the city’s many shops and cafés. I also visited one of the few sandy beaches in Key West and saw the marker for the southernmost point of the U.S. mainland.
Later in the afternoon, we took the bus back to Miami. I watched a stunning sunset through the islands. Early the next morning, it was time for the first day of Adobe Max.
The conference began, as always, with excitement at the Miami Beach Convention Center. It kicked off with a big keynote, where Adobe presented their latest AI technologies across their programs. The rest of the day was filled with various workshops.
My first session was a photography class with the talented, LA-based photographer Caroline Tran. She gave us inspiration for shooting in low-light outdoor settings. Professional models were available for us to photograph. One of the most rewarding aspects of the workshop was meeting other photographers – and of course, Caroline Tran herself.
On the second day, I attended a session with the renowned graphic designer Kristy Campbell from New Zealand. Her presentation focused on the power of personal branding. It was an incredible talk, and I still reflect on her four main points:
- Create something that makes you unique
- Make your work unforgettable to others
- Connect with others through your personal story
- Dare to shape the landscape of your industry
It was clear that artificial intelligence – AI – played a major role at this year’s conference. We can no longer avoid AI in our work. We must constantly adapt our workflows with these tools, and I now use AI frequently in my image work.
But I won’t go too deep into the technical side here. I’ll just say this:
I’m incredibly grateful to have been part of Adobe Max once again. The direction of my career has become much clearer to me.
Adobe Max in Miami was an unforgettable experience. The next day, I caught a flight back to Copenhagen in the late afternoon.
However, I’m unsure when I’ll be able to attend Adobe Max again. There are troubling developments in the U.S. right now that go against our values. The current president has acted unacceptably toward our country on several occasions. It has become difficult for me to engage with what’s happening there.
Maybe next time I’ll attend Adobe Max in Tokyo or London instead.
I still hope things in the U.S. will shift in the right direction – toward a policy that once again embraces immigrants and visitors from abroad. That is also one of Adobe’s core principles: diversity.
If they succeed in restoring that, I won’t hesitate to return.
