WWDC 2022 at Apple Park: An Experience to Remember

Last week was a special week. After a two-year hiatus, Apple was finally able to invite people from all over the world to WWDC 2022. Something that opened the doors for me to seize the opportunity of a lifetime.

For the first time in my career at One More Thing and WANT, I was invited to come to Cupertino. The first time Apple Park.

From Amsterdam to San Francisco

There are places in the world you’ve been to a hundred times in your head. Places that are already very impressive without you being there, but in reality exceed all expectations. For me, that place is Apple Park in Cupertino. Apple headquarters has been on the wish list for years and on June 6, 2022, the time had finally come. On behalf of One More Thing I was allowed to attend WWDC 2022: an event that could be found on the same list.

However, it was not a long trip. On Sunday, June 5, I boarded a plane to San Francisco where a taxi was waiting for me. This then drove me to San Jose where we would stay for two nights. After a delicious evening meal, the 11-hour journey and the 9-hour time difference quickly began to take its toll. Time to go to bed and get ready for Apple Park.

That preparation started quite early, because at 04:00 in the morning the sleep was soon finished. I flipped open the laptop to get One More Thing ready for WWDC 2022, had a great cup of coffee, and walked around San Jose. Just past a gigantic hall for breakfast and on to the bus. The dream slowly but surely began to become reality.

WWDC 2022 at Apple Park

From the moment the bus drove into Cupertino, the heart rate started to rise. “Do you see the fences on the left?” said a fellow traveler. “That’s Apple Park already!” Man, I was so close to the place I’ve always wanted to be. It was noticeable, because from that moment everything started to go by like crazy. We drove onto the site, had to climb two flights of stairs and before I knew I was face to face with the iconic building.

By the way, I fell head over heels. Instead of a walk around the building, which is normal, the doors suddenly opened. With an enthusiastic Apple employee in the lead, we entered the building as a platoon of European media. The foyer did exactly what I described earlier. I’d been there a hundred times in my head, but I could never have imagined it that way. The sleek interior, the fantastic light and the trees gave me a special welcome.

We walked around the circle, went through some doors and on my left it was there: the rainbow. There was a little bit of hope that we would be sitting there in the garden, but we turned right. Not a bad choice, because there we were met in a large reception hall by dozens of enthusiastic Apple employees who spontaneously started clapping and cheering. Wow, I was there.

WWDC 2022 kicks off

A gigantic arrangement of hundreds of chairs welcomed us. We took our seats, put on sunscreen and waited for the presentation to start. After half an hour of waiting I tied my loose lace again and suddenly I heard a very familiar voice. “Good morning!”. Tim Cook took the stage just before the presentation to welcome everyone in attendance to Apple Park. Along with Craig Federighi. The presentation started and with it the work immediately.

After that presentation, we had to leave our seats, we walked around the building, and the journey to the Steve Jobs Theater had begun. An excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the natural environment that Apple Park has to offer. Enjoying the weather, the iconic theater appeared out of nowhere. We walked in and were welcomed by quite a few product specialists who introduced us to the brand new M2 MacBook Air.

While uploading the photos to our website, I suddenly realized that it was very quiet outside. I didn’t really understand why, but that changed pretty quickly. Tim Cook entered the room and immediately managed to steal the attention of all media. And I? I was actually staring open-mouthed. I walked in, watched from a distance and took my chance:

Fifteen minutes later I was outside and I was allowed to take a seat in the Apple Visitors Center. I did my work, was picked up by the bus and left for the hotel for the closing dinner.

An experience to never forget

On Tuesday morning at 11:15 am local time, the taxi left for the airport. Like I said, it was a short trip. Yet this one will go down in the books as one of the most impressive experiences that I will never forget in my life. A dream has come true.

As cliché as it may sound, I am very grateful. Grateful to you who made this possible not only for me, but also for my predecessors. From the bottom of my heart: thank you.