Me giving my speech to the Conference in Lebanon. I was inspired by the strikingly beautiful setting, the vitality of the people, and the spirit of community.

We’re here at the Laserfiche International Conference in Beirut. We have more than 150 attendees in a very strikingly beautiful setting overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Speaking of which, the food here is incredible, especially the fresh seafood. Lebanon is truly a kaleidoscope of cultures and experiences. There are war-damaged buildings in the middle of shiny new modern buildings, all interwoven into a busy cosmopolitan center. We had dinner a couple of nights in really lively Western-style nightclubs, full of sharply dressed young people.

Out for another incredible dinner with our host, Mitri Doumet, and Laserfiche’s Sean Tang

In my speech at the conference here I spoke about how moved I was by the human spirit of the Lebanese people. They are so resilient and tenacious. Over the years, their buildings have been bombed, but they pick up and rebuild and move on. This is their home, this is their community.

It reminded me of how Florida, New Orleans and Texas rebuild and thrive after the hurricanes. Or how Southern California picks up after an earthquake. Because when people are part of a community, they help each other solve problems and succeed. It’s what I’m so proud of about our company, that we have such a strong community of people who use our software to solve problems and help each other.

Byblos, the oldest port in the world, now home to a fleet of small fishing boats. We also visited the Jeita Grotto, but no cameras were allowed there.

Our host, Mitri Doumet, the president of BMB, and his wife Rita took us to their home to meet their six children, who range in age from 4 to 17. They are a very happy and close-knit family.

Mitri and Rita took us to see the Jeita Grotto, which is a true seventh wonder of the world. It is this limestone cave that has been sculpted into an absolutely incredible sight by thousands of years of slow flowing water. We also visited Byblos, which is the oldest port in the world. It doesn’t seem like much of a port by today’s standards; it’s basically a tiny harbor full of little fishing boats now.

We’re going to Dubai tomorrow to visit some our new customers in the municipality of Dubai. We’ll have more pictures and stories soon!

Nien-Ling Wacker is the founder and CEO of Laserfiche.