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Highlights from an All-Virtual Relativity Fest London

Steve Couling

While the COVID-19 pandemic meant we couldn’t put on an in-person Relativity Fest London, our community blew us away with their response to the news that we would instead host a three-day, completely virtual event.

We had over 2,300 people register from more than 40 countries—far and away the most registrants we’ve ever had for Relativity Fest London. On a platform that mimicked the look of a real conference venue—down to the help desk, even—we were able to connect with members of our community from around the globe. We were so grateful for that chance during this uncertain time.

There were more than 20 live and on-demand sessions over the three afternoons of Relativity Fest London, covering such diverse topics as the response to COVID-19, how artificial intelligence can elevate your communication surveillance, and how to communicate security threats to your clients.

Check out some of the highlights of the event below, and watch the opening keynote.

The Impact of the Pandemic

Relativity CEO Mike Gamson kicked things off in the opening keynote by reflecting on the amazing way our community has responded to the challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis.

“One reason that I joined Relativity last year was because I wanted to be a part of a community that was vibrant, passionate, and engaged,” he said. “It’s been so inspiring to watch members of our community lean into their local communities to create good, to build deep relationships with colleagues and customers, and to innovate on our platform.”

In an example of that innovation, he spoke with KPMG's Paul Tombleson, global forensic technology lead, and Aileen Chan, managing director of forensic practice, about how the firm recently used RelativityOne to support their clients during the crisis.

“When COVID-19 kicked off, there was a very high-profile public sector project in the UK where KMPG UK supported the government with its front-line defense against the crisis,” Paul said. “Relativity was the technology we turned to for support on the communications and operations of that project.”

“We feel incredibly proud having been able to contribute to that, and [Relativity] should too,” Paul added.

A Preview of Aero UI

Chief Product Officer Chris Brown then walked us through the upgrades coming to RelativityOne with the release of our new user interface, Aero, in August.

Chris first introduced Aero at Relativity Fest Chicago in October 2019. Aero isn’t just a fresh coat of paint. It streamlines the way you work with Relativity thanks to five key upgrades: modern aesthetics, lightspeed performance, next-generation review, workflow-based navigation, and automated workflows.

“We know that a world-class user experience will help this entire e-discovery community be more productive and apply its considerable talents and brainpower toward an amazing array of challenges and opportunities in the years ahead,” Chris said.

Each new element of Aero contributes to how Relativity makes you feel and how it helps you get the job done, Chris said. He highlighted “micro” updates like color and font changes as well as lightspeed document loads that are 30 times faster than what you’d see in Classic Viewer.

“Together, redesigning the aesthetics and optimising page performance make the experience faster and more intuitive so that you have a more enjoyable experience in RelativityOne,” Chris said.

He then spoke about the two ways Aero decreases the amount of time it takes users to get real value from the system: by minimising the amount of mouse clicking and movement a user does, and by automating away certain tasks altogether.

“By providing workflow-based tab navigation for users and automating key workflows entirely, Aero will help you increase productivity, deliver more value, and give you peace of mind,” Chris said.

Connecting with Our Community

Many, if not most, of us have been working from home that past couple of months, so Relativity Fest London offered something else that we badly needed: human interaction.

Within the virtual platform, registrants could attend a series of networking events at the end of each day’s sessions. From virtual happy hours, to chats about Aero, to discussions about security, these casual networking sessions gave attendees the chance to connect with others in our community.

If you missed a session during the event or want to revisit a particularly helpful one, registrants can log in to the event platform and watch recordings of all Relativity Fest London sessions for the next six months. Non-registrants will be able to access recorded sessions here.

Lastly, a big thank you to all our attendees who pivoted so quickly to an entirely virtual event and made is such a success. We look forward to the day when we can gather in person once again.

Keep Up with Relativity Fest News and Discounts


Steve Couling is Relativity's managing director and vice president of sales for the EMEA region. He joined Relativity in 2012, leading the growth of international operations and working closely with customers around the world.

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