Event FAQ

PLEASE NOTE: You will need to be fully vaccinated and provide proof to attend this event in person.

All full time Brickster employees are expected to attend all CKO sessions and any breakout sessions their managers require. Please plan to schedule any other meetings outside of CKO and breakout sessions. Please talk to your leadership if you have specific questions.

Yes you will need to be fully vaccinated (your last shot must take place by January 24 2022) in order to attend. We also recommend booster shots for those that are eligible.

We will be offering a hybrid event for those that can’t attend in person.

Bring record of your COVID-19 vaccination status to onsite check-in to receive your event badge. The following are acceptable ways to provide proof of vaccination:

  •  Digital pass issued by any government entity that clearly shows proof of vaccination/vaccination record. Proof must be viewable by our staff without scanning a QR code and needs to show: 
    • Recipient’s name (matching that of the event attendee) 
    • Vaccine manufacturer 
    • Date(s) vaccine(s) was/were given, indicating the number of doses necessary along with the number given (e.g., 1 of 1 OR 1 of 2 AND 2 of 2). 
  • Printed certificate/pass/card/ issued by any government entity that meets the same guidelines as above.
  • A legible photograph of a certificate/pass/card issued by any government entity that meets the same guidelines as above.

We will follow local and state guidelines. Sanitizer and masks will be available. We will be testing onsite. Vaccines will be required.  We will continue to make updates here as we get closer to the event.

Click Here for additional Health & Safety Measures

Yes, but be very cautious about what you’re posting to prevent leaking confidential or internal-only content. Here are some suggested CKO events to post about:

  • ERG Social Fair
  • Databricks Got Talent! Show
  • CSR Events

We also encourage you to share content from Databricks’ corporate Twitter and LinkedIn pages!

The official hashtags are #DatabricksCKO, #DatabricksCares, and #DatabricksGotTalent.

For any questions or to report any posts, please reach out to Mikaila Garfinkel at mikaila.garfinkel@databricks.com.

We welcome feedback regarding the CKO FY23 virtual conference. Complete the conference survey or send us a note! databricksCKO@typeaevents.com.

The live event is taking place in Anaheim California and therefore all agenda items for in-person attendees will be listed in Pacific Standard Time. 

For those attending virtually, there are at a glance agendas available in Central European, Singapore Standard, Indian Standard, United Kingdom, and Eastern Standard time zones. 

A virtual platform will be available for those attending virtually and will allow attendees to filter to their preferred time zone to view session content. 
 

You can change your attendance from virtual to in person until January 21st. After that date you can change from in person to virtual, but not the other way around. This does not apply to new hires who are registering for the first time.

New hires will be invited as they start in the month of December. On January 5th we will invite all known January through February 14th new Bricksters. If you a hiring manager please let them know to be on the lookout for an email to register.

CKO is mandatory, so you will receive credentials to log into the virtual platform when you return. 

A virtual event platform will be provided for those attending virtually. You will have the opportunity to interact with in-person attendees via session chats, Q&A, and other networking opportunities.

Yes, content from select sessions that are live streamed will be made available on the on-demand tab within 24 hours of the conclusion of the session for virtual attendees ONLY.

In-person attendees will be able to login into the virtual event platform post event to consume on-demand content as well. 

All content will be stored internally post event for future reference.

GTM Kickoff will include Sales, Field Engineering, Marketing, and Customer Success. Speak to your manager to receive approval if you are not in one of these groups but feel you should attend.

Interns are welcome to join us! Please speak to your manager for approval before inviting any contractors.

Each department is listed on the Agenda At-A-Glance with the breakout sessions they should be attending. If you have specific questions, please ask your manager. There are some sessions that are open to other departments, if they are open they will be listed within the virtual event platform agenda and mobile app with a tag listed for “All Bricksters”.

Approximately 1 week before the scheduled event dates, all in-person attendees will receive an invitation to log into a mobile app and all virtual attendees will receive an invitation to access a virtual event platform. 

Please note that in-person attendees will not have login access to the virtual event platform until after the program concludes. 

Both the mobile app and the virtual event platform will contain similar program information. 

To access both platforms you must use the Databricks email that you registered with. Please refer to your confirmation email to see the email address used to register or email databricksCKO@typeaevents.com.

Yes, join the #ckofy23 channel to ask questions and interact with other attendees.

So many things and we cannot wait to share all of the exciting things we have in store for you! More information to follow. 

Databricks is committed to creating a safe and inclusive in person and virtual experience for all Bricksters, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment in any form. All communication — including at the event and various associated venues, as well as online — should be appropriate for a professional audience, including people of many different backgrounds and experiences. Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other attendees. Act professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate at any time at any event organized by Databricks. Employees will be expected to adhere to all company policies while attending the event.


Guidelines for Bricksters

For all interactions during CKO/GTMKO FY23, we expect Bricksters to abide by the company’s Code of Conduct to ensure the environment remains productive and respectful. The following guidelines will further help ensure we maintain an inclusive experience throughout our event:

  • Be respectful of others.
  • Avoid conflicts and arguments.
  • Use common sense, kindness, and consideration together with the guidelines outlined above.
  • If you intend to participate in any video conference during the event, please make sure to dress appropriately.

Enforcement

If a Brickster engages in behavior that doesn’t comply with these expectations, Databricks may take any action that we deem appropriate, including warning the Brickster, excluding the Brickster from certain activities, expelling the Brickster from the event either in person or virtual, and taking disciplinary action up as needed. Bricksters asked to stop any harassing or other unacceptable behavior are expected to comply immediately. Anyone violating these rules may be asked to leave the  event and/or virtual experience and be subject to other disciplinary action up to termination as appropriate. 

Please note, while we take all concerns raised seriously, we will use our discretion to determine when and how to follow up on reported incidents.

Reporting an Issue

If you have any concerns and need to report an issue during CKO, please contact CKO Organizers at databricksCKO@typeaevents.com and provide your name, phone number, email and a description of the situation. Organizers can only address complaints for behavior at the in-person and virtual event. For concerns relating to matters outside of CKO, please contact peopleops@databricks.com. Thank you for helping make Databricks CKO FY23 a welcoming, friendly place for all to share new ideas, learn, and connect.

Room & Travel FAQ

Please feel free to dress casually throughout the event. Databricks gear is always encouraged!

You will not have to share rooms during for this year's Company Kickoff.

You are only approved for the arrival dates outlined on the Hotel & Travel Tab. If you wish to come a day early you may reflect that in your registration and will be responsible for the cost of the hotel stay should you wish to stay at your assigned hotel for that extra night.

If you can't find a flight that matches this criteria you can fly on Sunday.

As a result of previous COVID-related travel restrictions and an increased number of visa applications, the US consulates around the world are working through a backlog of cases and appointments are difficult to obtain.  
We recommend you check on the availability of appointments before you book your travel.  Here are a few sites that will provide additional guidance:
 
 
Additional questions:
 
(Q) What type of visa should I apply for?  
(A) B-1 business visa
 
(Q) What costs does Databricks cover related to the visa? 
(A) Databricks will cover the fees charged by the consulate for your visa.
 
(Q) If I have to travel to the consulate to apply, will Databricks cover these costs?  
(A) Any costs related to traveling to the consulate to apply are your responsibility.
 
(Q) Will Databricks assist me in requesting an emergency appointment at the consulate so I can get an appointment? 
 (A) There are specific reasons why a consulate will grant an emergency appointment and unfortunately attending a company event is not one of the reasons they will grant one.  Given this, Databricks will not be able to assist in requesting an emergency appointment.

(Q)  I will need to get a B-1 business visitor visa to come to the US for the CKO.  Who can provide me with the required letter?
(A)  Please send an email to immigration@databricks.com with the following information and our Global Immigration Consultant will issue an invitation letter and visa introduction letter.:
  • Name exactly how it appears in your passport
  • Passport issuing country
  • Passport number
  • Your home address
  • Intended date of arrival in the US
  • Intended date of department from the US
     

(Q)  How do I apply for the B-1 business visitor visa?
(A)  The B-1 should be applied for at the US consulate.  Here is a link to information on how to apply -  https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html
 

(Q)  If I have questions about whether I need a B-1 or I need assistance with the B-1 application, who  can I contact?
(A)  You can contact Andra Herman (Databricks' Global Immigration Consultant) at andra.herman@databricks.com
 

(Q)  Can I use a visa service to process my B-1?
(A)  Since most of the information needs to be completed by you, it is not advisable to use a visa service.

Please use TripActions that was provided in your CKOFY23 invitation email. You can also find this link via the registration platform. This guest pass will allow flights to be billed directly to Databricks. You will not be able to expense your flights for this event. PEO employees please pay for your flights directly and expense the cost.

Event staff will book your hotel room on your behalf for your approved travel dates, please don't book a hotel directly. Any nights that you are planning to stay outside of your approved travel dates will need to be managed and paid for on your own. We have 5 conference hotels, we are unable to share which hotel you will be at until confirmations are sent in January. 

If you have any questions please contact databricksCKO@typeaevents.com.

Please note, additional nights will be charged to a personal credit card upon check in.