RE: Chicago Conference (STC): how good? How to plan!

[KMcLauchlan -at- chrysalis-its -dot- com]

> jkajpust wonders: <<Never have been to something like this 
> before, I may be
> asking a  naive question, but how good are the seminars that 
> go on during
> the conference. I'm thinking about going, but since I have to 
> pay my way,
> I'm concerned about what I'll get out of it.>>

I'm going to pass on the STC gig this year (so I can get 
the Framers conference paid by my employer, instead), but 
I'll probably go again next year.

My suggestion echoes Geoff's:

Try to work out a plan of attack beforehand, based on 
a) the info the conference organizers send to you and,
b) the comments of this group, who might sway you toward 
   or away from some presentations...

If you have your schedule mostly worked out, you have 
that much less to fret about when you arrive, and 
you have that much more time for schmoozing and for 
getting the most out of the sessions... and maybe the 
exhibit floor.

However...  (yes, there had to be a however) I suggest 
that you line up a first AND second choice for each 
time-slot, where possible.

By having a second choice figured out, you are prepared 
when one of two unfortunate things happen:

a) you arrive at your most-anticipated session, only to 
   find that it was everybody else's "most-anticipated" 
   as well, and that they've already closed the doors 
   on a packed hall... damnit!

b) five minutes (or less...) into a presentation, you 
   discover that it's not at all what you wanted, or that 
   the speaker is stultifyingly boring ... or doesn't 
   know how to use a microphone... or has excruciating 
   public-speaking/mumbling skills or...

In either case, you have a second option lined up, 
including a route plotted, so you can sprint to 
another hall/room and get something useful from that 
block of time.

If you haven't planned it out, you waste half the 
session fumbling through the conference package, 
trying to find an interesting post-last-minute 
replacement.

Some might suggest that you can just turn away from 
the overbooked room and spend the next hour checking 
out the booths on the exhibit floor. However, if it 
isn't organized better than last year, you'll find 
the exhibit hall just closed, not-yet-open, or shut 
down and packed away two days before the end of the 
conference.

Anyway, it should be worth the trip. Enjoy.

/kevin

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