We are proud to have sponsored and presented at Agile On The Beach 2014!
Last week, we headed down to Cornwall for the popular Agile On The Beach 2014 conference. We sponsored the event, had an exhibition stand and also delivered a speaker session. Nick delivered a 30 minute version of his popular “There Is No Agile” presentation to a packed room of software development professionals.
The session was well received and reinforced our reputation as one of the leading and most advanced Agile Software Development house in the UK! We are looking forward to speaking to more software development professionals in the next few weeks. We are next due to speak at DDD North at the University of Leeds in October, where Nick will be delivering the full and updated 1 hour session of “There Is No Agile”.
For those of you who didn’t make it to Agile On The Beach and are not registered to go to DDD North, here is Nick’s presentation at Agile On The Beach!
About Agile on the Beach
Agile on the Beach is one of the UK's most respected agile and software development conferences. Held annually in Falmouth, Cornwall, it brings together practitioners, coaches, and leaders from across the industry to share real-world experiences and emerging practices. The conference is known for its community-driven ethos and for making high-quality content accessible to practitioners at every level.
In 2014, McKenna Consultants were proud to sponsor the event and contribute to the programme. Our involvement reflected a commitment to the agile community that goes beyond client work — sharing knowledge and learning from peers is fundamental to how we operate.
"There Is No Agile" — Nick McKenna's Presentation
Nick's presentation, "There Is No Agile," challenged the audience to move beyond frameworks and certifications and focus on the underlying principles that make teams effective. The core argument was that agile is not a methodology you adopt — it is a set of behaviours and values that emerge when teams are given the right environment, support, and autonomy.
This perspective resonated strongly with attendees, many of whom had experienced the frustration of "agile in name only" — organisations that adopt Scrum ceremonies without changing the culture, governance, or leadership behaviours that actually determine how work gets done.
The talk drew on McKenna Consultants' experience across public sector, financial services, and technology organisations, illustrating how the same anti-patterns appear regardless of industry. Nick later expanded on these themes in his follow-up piece, "What Agile Has Taught Me."
Why We Invest in the Agile Community
Sponsoring and speaking at conferences like Agile on the Beach is part of our broader commitment to the agile community. We believe that the best consultants are also active practitioners and contributors — not just service providers. Engaging with the community keeps us honest, challenges our assumptions, and ensures our advice stays grounded in current practice rather than outdated theory.
To learn more about how we work with organisations, visit our agile consulting services page or explore our full range of services.
