<article>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#article09_12_07_206248</id>
	<title>What Do You Look For In a Conference?</title>
	<author>ScuttleMonkey</author>
	<datestamp>1260180780000</datestamp>
	<htmltext>Michael Lato writes <i>"I've been a speaker at several Information Technology conferences and I know that I use conferences as both an opportunity to gain new skills and to network with my peers.  In hopes of assisting others, I've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals.  However, we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees.  What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession?  Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received?"</i></htmltext>
<tokenext>Michael Lato writes " I 've been a speaker at several Information Technology conferences and I know that I use conferences as both an opportunity to gain new skills and to network with my peers .
In hopes of assisting others , I 've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals .
However , we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees .
What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession ?
Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received ?
"</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Michael Lato writes "I've been a speaker at several Information Technology conferences and I know that I use conferences as both an opportunity to gain new skills and to network with my peers.
In hopes of assisting others, I've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals.
However, we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees.
What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession?
Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received?
"</sentencetext>
</article>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358700</id>
	<title>What you know, not just who you know</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185640000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The average kid fresh out of Computer Science probably thinks the working world is all about who you know.  Well, don't forget that it's also about what you know.  All these conferences won't do you good unless you have a technical background.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The average kid fresh out of Computer Science probably thinks the working world is all about who you know .
Well , do n't forget that it 's also about what you know .
All these conferences wo n't do you good unless you have a technical background .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The average kid fresh out of Computer Science probably thinks the working world is all about who you know.
Well, don't forget that it's also about what you know.
All these conferences won't do you good unless you have a technical background.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361854</id>
	<title>Venue location</title>
	<author>Baloo Uriza</author>
	<datestamp>1260209040000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Choice of venue plays a key issue.  For example, the morons at the recent "Computing in a Changing World" conference, decided to host an event in Portland Amtrak Station, in the middle of the holiday rush.  The conference staff and attendees were rather rude and indignant that anyone would go to a train station to wait for a train, to top it off.  Way to go, IEEE, for picking a venue that doesn't compute!

Either way, I kind of wished my train was late that day, Portland Police and Amtrak Police came to disperse the crowd of drunk and disorderly nerds just as I had to go board.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Choice of venue plays a key issue .
For example , the morons at the recent " Computing in a Changing World " conference , decided to host an event in Portland Amtrak Station , in the middle of the holiday rush .
The conference staff and attendees were rather rude and indignant that anyone would go to a train station to wait for a train , to top it off .
Way to go , IEEE , for picking a venue that does n't compute !
Either way , I kind of wished my train was late that day , Portland Police and Amtrak Police came to disperse the crowd of drunk and disorderly nerds just as I had to go board .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Choice of venue plays a key issue.
For example, the morons at the recent "Computing in a Changing World" conference, decided to host an event in Portland Amtrak Station, in the middle of the holiday rush.
The conference staff and attendees were rather rude and indignant that anyone would go to a train station to wait for a train, to top it off.
Way to go, IEEE, for picking a venue that doesn't compute!
Either way, I kind of wished my train was late that day, Portland Police and Amtrak Police came to disperse the crowd of drunk and disorderly nerds just as I had to go board.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358714</id>
	<title>Re:If its free, give me three!</title>
	<author>Xest</author>
	<datestamp>1260185760000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>You're expensive, personally I settle for free pens!</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>You 're expensive , personally I settle for free pens !</tokentext>
<sentencetext>You're expensive, personally I settle for free pens!</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359932</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>Knara</author>
	<datestamp>1260192900000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>Informal socializing doesn't necessarily require booze. Some of the best I've attended have included hiking trips, museum tours, or even theater presentations. Don't get me wrong, I like alcohol as much as the next guy, but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze+mingling thing, so give everyone some options.</p></div><p>If they're uncomfortable with socializing, I'm not sure how adding in other possibility *group activities* will help it any.
</p><p>As someone once said, you don't need to drink to have a good time, but why make it harder than it needs to be.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>Informal socializing does n't necessarily require booze .
Some of the best I 've attended have included hiking trips , museum tours , or even theater presentations .
Do n't get me wrong , I like alcohol as much as the next guy , but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze + mingling thing , so give everyone some options.If they 're uncomfortable with socializing , I 'm not sure how adding in other possibility * group activities * will help it any .
As someone once said , you do n't need to drink to have a good time , but why make it harder than it needs to be .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Informal socializing doesn't necessarily require booze.
Some of the best I've attended have included hiking trips, museum tours, or even theater presentations.
Don't get me wrong, I like alcohol as much as the next guy, but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze+mingling thing, so give everyone some options.If they're uncomfortable with socializing, I'm not sure how adding in other possibility *group activities* will help it any.
As someone once said, you don't need to drink to have a good time, but why make it harder than it needs to be.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358760</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358628</id>
	<title>It's the depression silly...</title>
	<author>GPLDAN</author>
	<datestamp>1260185220000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>In times like these, people don't want to be seen as expensive to their company. Unless the conference is for hard technical skills, people don't want to attend. Even for people who are not hardcore technical, the conferences have to be seen as "must attend".</htmltext>
<tokenext>In times like these , people do n't want to be seen as expensive to their company .
Unless the conference is for hard technical skills , people do n't want to attend .
Even for people who are not hardcore technical , the conferences have to be seen as " must attend " .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>In times like these, people don't want to be seen as expensive to their company.
Unless the conference is for hard technical skills, people don't want to attend.
Even for people who are not hardcore technical, the conferences have to be seen as "must attend".</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363044</id>
	<title>Stick to the basics</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260267120000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>1. First class to tropical destination<br>2. Free schwag that boots linux<br>3. Hot chicks dressed as vulcans</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>1 .
First class to tropical destination2 .
Free schwag that boots linux3 .
Hot chicks dressed as vulcans</tokentext>
<sentencetext>1.
First class to tropical destination2.
Free schwag that boots linux3.
Hot chicks dressed as vulcans</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360894</id>
	<title>Here are the reasons I've been sent to conferences</title>
	<author>stonewolf</author>
	<datestamp>1260200280000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>My favorite reasons is as an "attaboy". You do something really great at work and they send you someplace nice, give you an expense account, let you hang out with the kind of people you like... Sending you to a conference makes you feel good. Everyone who wanted to go, but didn't get sent, knows you have more "mojo" with the pointy haired bosses than they do. It is a whole lot cheaper than a raise or even a real bonus. And, who knows, you might actually learn something of use to the company.</p><p>By far the most common reason for being sent has been to gather competitive information about other companies. How many people from the list did you see? What were their ranks? What booths and what presentations did they go to? Did they present? (Mandatory attendance at *there* presentations.) If they had a booth, how big was it? How was it staffed (and yeah, cup size and number of the models can be important)? How expensive was the swag they were giving away? Did you see the following people.? Did you get the ranks of the people? If you happened to have a chance to eavesdrop what were they talking about? Did any of their folks try to talk to you? If so, what about? What off site/after hours activities did they throw. Do you know who went? Had to do that even for attaboy conferences. This kind of information can be used to judge interest and intent of competitors.  Well worth the cost of sending technical experts.</p><p>(One time I used an attaboy to get me to the Game Developers Conference out in California. I found I was the one being tracked. I was the only person there from a large telecom. Free drinks are not free when you have put up with being grilled by venture capitalists. Not one of them believed me when I told them why I was there. BTW, GDC was a blast! And, I wound up collecting some good info on Microsoft.)</p><p>I've been sent to more than one conference by mistake. I was once sent to a conference at Columbia in NYNY on zero notice. I was working in Austin, Texas at the time. The title of the conference and the list of attendees set of alarm bells with manager. The conference appeared to be on the economics of networks games, that is, MMOs and it had a truly amazing list of economist attending the conference. Turns out it was on who to use game theory to assign optimal prices for network usage. I found it facinating, but it did not apply to my subject matter area and it was of no interest the company. Things like that have happened more than once.<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:-)</p><p>When I've worked on standards I was always sent to the main conference relating to that standard. Have to show the flag. People will assume that if your rep isn't at the right conferences then your company isn't really committed to the standard. Customers might use that as a reason to switch vendors. And, oh my, but you can find that suddenly your emails are being ignored and no one is paying any attention to your issues. Not good, not good at all.</p><p>And, finally, I once got to go to a conference because it was being held in the building next door. It was just to cheap to pass up and it made me happy. (I met these two Brits who thought the signs banning concealed hand guns in the mall next door were a there to titillate the tourists. There words, not mine. They nearly ran back to the hotel when I informed them that they signs were for real and if they noticed, non-concealed hand guns *were still permitted*. Talk about failure to understand the local culture<nobr> <wbr></nobr>:-)</p><p>But, you know what? I have *never* been sent to a conference to learn a new skill. I have never heard of anyone being sent to a conference to learn a new skill. Learning is what classes are for. I have been paid to attend classes. I have been paid to teach classes on site at companies. Conferences are too short to actually acquire a new skill. OTOH, I have used conferences to identify areas that I wanted to study.</p><p>Stonewolf</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>My favorite reasons is as an " attaboy " .
You do something really great at work and they send you someplace nice , give you an expense account , let you hang out with the kind of people you like... Sending you to a conference makes you feel good .
Everyone who wanted to go , but did n't get sent , knows you have more " mojo " with the pointy haired bosses than they do .
It is a whole lot cheaper than a raise or even a real bonus .
And , who knows , you might actually learn something of use to the company.By far the most common reason for being sent has been to gather competitive information about other companies .
How many people from the list did you see ?
What were their ranks ?
What booths and what presentations did they go to ?
Did they present ?
( Mandatory attendance at * there * presentations .
) If they had a booth , how big was it ?
How was it staffed ( and yeah , cup size and number of the models can be important ) ?
How expensive was the swag they were giving away ?
Did you see the following people. ?
Did you get the ranks of the people ?
If you happened to have a chance to eavesdrop what were they talking about ?
Did any of their folks try to talk to you ?
If so , what about ?
What off site/after hours activities did they throw .
Do you know who went ?
Had to do that even for attaboy conferences .
This kind of information can be used to judge interest and intent of competitors .
Well worth the cost of sending technical experts .
( One time I used an attaboy to get me to the Game Developers Conference out in California .
I found I was the one being tracked .
I was the only person there from a large telecom .
Free drinks are not free when you have put up with being grilled by venture capitalists .
Not one of them believed me when I told them why I was there .
BTW , GDC was a blast !
And , I wound up collecting some good info on Microsoft .
) I 've been sent to more than one conference by mistake .
I was once sent to a conference at Columbia in NYNY on zero notice .
I was working in Austin , Texas at the time .
The title of the conference and the list of attendees set of alarm bells with manager .
The conference appeared to be on the economics of networks games , that is , MMOs and it had a truly amazing list of economist attending the conference .
Turns out it was on who to use game theory to assign optimal prices for network usage .
I found it facinating , but it did not apply to my subject matter area and it was of no interest the company .
Things like that have happened more than once .
: - ) When I 've worked on standards I was always sent to the main conference relating to that standard .
Have to show the flag .
People will assume that if your rep is n't at the right conferences then your company is n't really committed to the standard .
Customers might use that as a reason to switch vendors .
And , oh my , but you can find that suddenly your emails are being ignored and no one is paying any attention to your issues .
Not good , not good at all.And , finally , I once got to go to a conference because it was being held in the building next door .
It was just to cheap to pass up and it made me happy .
( I met these two Brits who thought the signs banning concealed hand guns in the mall next door were a there to titillate the tourists .
There words , not mine .
They nearly ran back to the hotel when I informed them that they signs were for real and if they noticed , non-concealed hand guns * were still permitted * .
Talk about failure to understand the local culture : - ) But , you know what ?
I have * never * been sent to a conference to learn a new skill .
I have never heard of anyone being sent to a conference to learn a new skill .
Learning is what classes are for .
I have been paid to attend classes .
I have been paid to teach classes on site at companies .
Conferences are too short to actually acquire a new skill .
OTOH , I have used conferences to identify areas that I wanted to study.Stonewolf</tokentext>
<sentencetext>My favorite reasons is as an "attaboy".
You do something really great at work and they send you someplace nice, give you an expense account, let you hang out with the kind of people you like... Sending you to a conference makes you feel good.
Everyone who wanted to go, but didn't get sent, knows you have more "mojo" with the pointy haired bosses than they do.
It is a whole lot cheaper than a raise or even a real bonus.
And, who knows, you might actually learn something of use to the company.By far the most common reason for being sent has been to gather competitive information about other companies.
How many people from the list did you see?
What were their ranks?
What booths and what presentations did they go to?
Did they present?
(Mandatory attendance at *there* presentations.
) If they had a booth, how big was it?
How was it staffed (and yeah, cup size and number of the models can be important)?
How expensive was the swag they were giving away?
Did you see the following people.?
Did you get the ranks of the people?
If you happened to have a chance to eavesdrop what were they talking about?
Did any of their folks try to talk to you?
If so, what about?
What off site/after hours activities did they throw.
Do you know who went?
Had to do that even for attaboy conferences.
This kind of information can be used to judge interest and intent of competitors.
Well worth the cost of sending technical experts.
(One time I used an attaboy to get me to the Game Developers Conference out in California.
I found I was the one being tracked.
I was the only person there from a large telecom.
Free drinks are not free when you have put up with being grilled by venture capitalists.
Not one of them believed me when I told them why I was there.
BTW, GDC was a blast!
And, I wound up collecting some good info on Microsoft.
)I've been sent to more than one conference by mistake.
I was once sent to a conference at Columbia in NYNY on zero notice.
I was working in Austin, Texas at the time.
The title of the conference and the list of attendees set of alarm bells with manager.
The conference appeared to be on the economics of networks games, that is, MMOs and it had a truly amazing list of economist attending the conference.
Turns out it was on who to use game theory to assign optimal prices for network usage.
I found it facinating, but it did not apply to my subject matter area and it was of no interest the company.
Things like that have happened more than once.
:-)When I've worked on standards I was always sent to the main conference relating to that standard.
Have to show the flag.
People will assume that if your rep isn't at the right conferences then your company isn't really committed to the standard.
Customers might use that as a reason to switch vendors.
And, oh my, but you can find that suddenly your emails are being ignored and no one is paying any attention to your issues.
Not good, not good at all.And, finally, I once got to go to a conference because it was being held in the building next door.
It was just to cheap to pass up and it made me happy.
(I met these two Brits who thought the signs banning concealed hand guns in the mall next door were a there to titillate the tourists.
There words, not mine.
They nearly ran back to the hotel when I informed them that they signs were for real and if they noticed, non-concealed hand guns *were still permitted*.
Talk about failure to understand the local culture :-)But, you know what?
I have *never* been sent to a conference to learn a new skill.
I have never heard of anyone being sent to a conference to learn a new skill.
Learning is what classes are for.
I have been paid to attend classes.
I have been paid to teach classes on site at companies.
Conferences are too short to actually acquire a new skill.
OTOH, I have used conferences to identify areas that I wanted to study.Stonewolf</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363934</id>
	<title>Consider an attendee-driven format</title>
	<author>Adrian Segar</author>
	<datestamp>1260280020000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>
I have been organizing and facilitating small conferences for over twenty years. One of them is a very successful conference, <i>edACCESS</i>, for information technology staff at small schools - next year will be the nineteenth annual conference.
</p><p>
The replies so far have assumed a traditional conference model - pre-programmed sessions with (hopefully) good presenters. What we do at edACCESS (and the other conferences I facilitate) is different. We use a <i>peer conference</i> model, which is the best way I know for a group of people with a common interest to come together for a few days to share and learn from each other.
</p><p>
Peer conferences are small, attendee-driven, highly interactive, safe, reflective, and build the community that participants want; they are like unconferences and Open Space events, but are more structured, less biased towards extroverts, and default to confidentiality.
</p><p>
They work really, really well, and people love them - several thousand attendees to date. And it's very rewarding to organize and run one. Four years ago I decided to try and get the word out.
</p><p>
The result - I've just published a book <i>Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love</i> that includes a detailed critique of traditional conferences and a complete roadmap for organizing and running peer conferences. You can read a more detailed intro to peer conference process at the accompanying website <a href="http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/" title="conferencesthatwork.com" rel="nofollow">http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/</a> [conferencesthatwork.com]. Comments and questions are welcome.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I have been organizing and facilitating small conferences for over twenty years .
One of them is a very successful conference , edACCESS , for information technology staff at small schools - next year will be the nineteenth annual conference .
The replies so far have assumed a traditional conference model - pre-programmed sessions with ( hopefully ) good presenters .
What we do at edACCESS ( and the other conferences I facilitate ) is different .
We use a peer conference model , which is the best way I know for a group of people with a common interest to come together for a few days to share and learn from each other .
Peer conferences are small , attendee-driven , highly interactive , safe , reflective , and build the community that participants want ; they are like unconferences and Open Space events , but are more structured , less biased towards extroverts , and default to confidentiality .
They work really , really well , and people love them - several thousand attendees to date .
And it 's very rewarding to organize and run one .
Four years ago I decided to try and get the word out .
The result - I 've just published a book Conferences That Work : Creating Events That People Love that includes a detailed critique of traditional conferences and a complete roadmap for organizing and running peer conferences .
You can read a more detailed intro to peer conference process at the accompanying website http : //www.conferencesthatwork.com/ [ conferencesthatwork.com ] .
Comments and questions are welcome .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>
I have been organizing and facilitating small conferences for over twenty years.
One of them is a very successful conference, edACCESS, for information technology staff at small schools - next year will be the nineteenth annual conference.
The replies so far have assumed a traditional conference model - pre-programmed sessions with (hopefully) good presenters.
What we do at edACCESS (and the other conferences I facilitate) is different.
We use a peer conference model, which is the best way I know for a group of people with a common interest to come together for a few days to share and learn from each other.
Peer conferences are small, attendee-driven, highly interactive, safe, reflective, and build the community that participants want; they are like unconferences and Open Space events, but are more structured, less biased towards extroverts, and default to confidentiality.
They work really, really well, and people love them - several thousand attendees to date.
And it's very rewarding to organize and run one.
Four years ago I decided to try and get the word out.
The result - I've just published a book Conferences That Work: Creating Events That People Love that includes a detailed critique of traditional conferences and a complete roadmap for organizing and running peer conferences.
You can read a more detailed intro to peer conference process at the accompanying website http://www.conferencesthatwork.com/ [conferencesthatwork.com].
Comments and questions are welcome.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362980</id>
	<title>Re:Oh my God!</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260266340000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Coke n' Hookers.</p><p>The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Coke n ' Hookers.The cause of , and solution to , all of life 's problems .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Coke n' Hookers.The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362462</id>
	<title>Re:Teach me something I can't with a Google search</title>
	<author>ajlisows</author>
	<datestamp>1260215700000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Hmmmm.  I'm replying to a post modded redundant to agree with him....that probably isn't good.  But, what the hell, I agree and have more to add.</p><p>I've been to about ten conferences in all ranging from things like iTech where there was no real focus but "IT" to pretty small conferences that were based on really specific pieces of software.  To be honest, I can't with a clear conscience ever ask my employer to send me to one that is longer than 1 day and costs more than free.  Simply put, I never felt that the things I heard or saw at the conference were worth my paltry daily salary to me my employers.</p><p>For the most part there are presentations and such that are usually pretty vague.  General ideas on how to run an IT department from the point of view of a guy whose IT department is so very different than yours that it is completely irrelevant.  Glorious presentations regarding company roadmaps which are laden with buzzwords and promises of glorious software/hardware that don't even make much sense.  All the sort of stuff that is pretty much available on the internet.  Always.  For Free.</p><p>I've met tons of people at conferences.  We talked about the tech we had worked on and tech we hoped to work on in the future, exchanged business cards, and never crossed paths again.  For the most part you have two types of people there...the ones with booths trying to sell something and the ones who got sent by their company and are just trying to gather enough information that they can show their superiors that they did in fact go to the conference and it was not a complete waste of time.</p><p>I hate to say it but trying to put together a conference to boost the "Soft Skills" of IT workers sounds nice in theory but it is not something that will generate a lot of interest.  It sounds boring as hell to the IT people.  The people paying the Bills will want to know if there is any possibility of a return on investment.  "Uhm, I might be a bit nicer in the future...." probably won't convince them.  "I'm going to meet a bunch of people who have experience with this software package we are considering purchasing so I can see how it worked in their environment" or something of the sort seems much more likely to be approved.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Hmmmm .
I 'm replying to a post modded redundant to agree with him....that probably is n't good .
But , what the hell , I agree and have more to add.I 've been to about ten conferences in all ranging from things like iTech where there was no real focus but " IT " to pretty small conferences that were based on really specific pieces of software .
To be honest , I ca n't with a clear conscience ever ask my employer to send me to one that is longer than 1 day and costs more than free .
Simply put , I never felt that the things I heard or saw at the conference were worth my paltry daily salary to me my employers.For the most part there are presentations and such that are usually pretty vague .
General ideas on how to run an IT department from the point of view of a guy whose IT department is so very different than yours that it is completely irrelevant .
Glorious presentations regarding company roadmaps which are laden with buzzwords and promises of glorious software/hardware that do n't even make much sense .
All the sort of stuff that is pretty much available on the internet .
Always. For Free.I 've met tons of people at conferences .
We talked about the tech we had worked on and tech we hoped to work on in the future , exchanged business cards , and never crossed paths again .
For the most part you have two types of people there...the ones with booths trying to sell something and the ones who got sent by their company and are just trying to gather enough information that they can show their superiors that they did in fact go to the conference and it was not a complete waste of time.I hate to say it but trying to put together a conference to boost the " Soft Skills " of IT workers sounds nice in theory but it is not something that will generate a lot of interest .
It sounds boring as hell to the IT people .
The people paying the Bills will want to know if there is any possibility of a return on investment .
" Uhm , I might be a bit nicer in the future.... " probably wo n't convince them .
" I 'm going to meet a bunch of people who have experience with this software package we are considering purchasing so I can see how it worked in their environment " or something of the sort seems much more likely to be approved .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Hmmmm.
I'm replying to a post modded redundant to agree with him....that probably isn't good.
But, what the hell, I agree and have more to add.I've been to about ten conferences in all ranging from things like iTech where there was no real focus but "IT" to pretty small conferences that were based on really specific pieces of software.
To be honest, I can't with a clear conscience ever ask my employer to send me to one that is longer than 1 day and costs more than free.
Simply put, I never felt that the things I heard or saw at the conference were worth my paltry daily salary to me my employers.For the most part there are presentations and such that are usually pretty vague.
General ideas on how to run an IT department from the point of view of a guy whose IT department is so very different than yours that it is completely irrelevant.
Glorious presentations regarding company roadmaps which are laden with buzzwords and promises of glorious software/hardware that don't even make much sense.
All the sort of stuff that is pretty much available on the internet.
Always.  For Free.I've met tons of people at conferences.
We talked about the tech we had worked on and tech we hoped to work on in the future, exchanged business cards, and never crossed paths again.
For the most part you have two types of people there...the ones with booths trying to sell something and the ones who got sent by their company and are just trying to gather enough information that they can show their superiors that they did in fact go to the conference and it was not a complete waste of time.I hate to say it but trying to put together a conference to boost the "Soft Skills" of IT workers sounds nice in theory but it is not something that will generate a lot of interest.
It sounds boring as hell to the IT people.
The people paying the Bills will want to know if there is any possibility of a return on investment.
"Uhm, I might be a bit nicer in the future...." probably won't convince them.
"I'm going to meet a bunch of people who have experience with this software package we are considering purchasing so I can see how it worked in their environment" or something of the sort seems much more likely to be approved.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358566</id>
	<title>Combine</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260184980000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Combine with a fun one.  I have found the 2pm software engineering panels to be much more interesting if I know Jedi are going to battle at 4pm.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Combine with a fun one .
I have found the 2pm software engineering panels to be much more interesting if I know Jedi are going to battle at 4pm .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Combine with a fun one.
I have found the 2pm software engineering panels to be much more interesting if I know Jedi are going to battle at 4pm.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30369636</id>
	<title>Ask me, here...ooo,ooo i know!</title>
	<author>hesaigo999ca</author>
	<datestamp>1260263340000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>MORE REAL WORLD EXAMPLES!<br>MORE REAL CODE YOU CAN USE!<br>MORE FREE GIVEAWAYS!</p><p>If I have to drive all the way to \_\_\_\_ city from mine, and then get a hotel room, then pay through the nose (which is almost always the case) and then get disappointed by sloppy examples that barely work, without even seeing real world code or real world application of why I could use this technology or not. Then add to that you give away a stupid tshirt or pen (yes I am looking at you M$)<br>I will be pissed and never come back to your conference.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>MORE REAL WORLD EXAMPLES ! MORE REAL CODE YOU CAN USE ! MORE FREE GIVEAWAYS ! If I have to drive all the way to \ _ \ _ \ _ \ _ city from mine , and then get a hotel room , then pay through the nose ( which is almost always the case ) and then get disappointed by sloppy examples that barely work , without even seeing real world code or real world application of why I could use this technology or not .
Then add to that you give away a stupid tshirt or pen ( yes I am looking at you M $ ) I will be pissed and never come back to your conference .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>MORE REAL WORLD EXAMPLES!MORE REAL CODE YOU CAN USE!MORE FREE GIVEAWAYS!If I have to drive all the way to \_\_\_\_ city from mine, and then get a hotel room, then pay through the nose (which is almost always the case) and then get disappointed by sloppy examples that barely work, without even seeing real world code or real world application of why I could use this technology or not.
Then add to that you give away a stupid tshirt or pen (yes I am looking at you M$)I will be pissed and never come back to your conference.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360824</id>
	<title>Whiskey and prostitutes</title>
	<author>Muros</author>
	<datestamp>1260199680000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>At lower class affairs, I shall accept beer and pretzels.</htmltext>
<tokenext>At lower class affairs , I shall accept beer and pretzels .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>At lower class affairs, I shall accept beer and pretzels.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358920</id>
	<title>Free Food</title>
	<author>Conchobair</author>
	<datestamp>1260186780000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Free food and an open bar is a huge plus.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Free food and an open bar is a huge plus .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Free food and an open bar is a huge plus.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359580</id>
	<title>Re:What Do You Look For In a Conference?</title>
	<author>tool462</author>
	<datestamp>1260190440000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>What Do *I* Look For In a Conference?</p><p>The exit to the buffet / bar.</p></div><p>I read this as "The exit to the buffet<nobr> <wbr></nobr>/. bar"</p><p>Would that be all the CmdrTaco you can eat?</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>What Do * I * Look For In a Conference ? The exit to the buffet / bar.I read this as " The exit to the buffet / .
bar " Would that be all the CmdrTaco you can eat ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What Do *I* Look For In a Conference?The exit to the buffet / bar.I read this as "The exit to the buffet /.
bar"Would that be all the CmdrTaco you can eat?
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358712</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358506</id>
	<title>What I Look For...</title>
	<author>MightyMartian</author>
	<datestamp>1260184620000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>What I look for is a decent lunch.  No tuna-fish sandwiches or fricken' bagels.  Food's the only expectation I have, because, without exception, every conference I've been to has been as dull as watching shit turn into soil.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>What I look for is a decent lunch .
No tuna-fish sandwiches or fricken ' bagels .
Food 's the only expectation I have , because , without exception , every conference I 've been to has been as dull as watching shit turn into soil .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What I look for is a decent lunch.
No tuna-fish sandwiches or fricken' bagels.
Food's the only expectation I have, because, without exception, every conference I've been to has been as dull as watching shit turn into soil.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361404</id>
	<title>Re:Unfortunately, they're not</title>
	<author>pete6677</author>
	<datestamp>1260204600000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I wondered when the day would come that companies would wake up and realize that conferences, along with the vast majority of other business travel, is a total waste of company funds. WebEx should be able to replace 90\% of business travel. I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I wondered when the day would come that companies would wake up and realize that conferences , along with the vast majority of other business travel , is a total waste of company funds .
WebEx should be able to replace 90 \ % of business travel .
I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I wondered when the day would come that companies would wake up and realize that conferences, along with the vast majority of other business travel, is a total waste of company funds.
WebEx should be able to replace 90\% of business travel.
I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358570</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358654</id>
	<title>Two words</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185400000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Booth babes!</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Booth babes !</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Booth babes!</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30364134</id>
	<title>No such thing</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260282180000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Conferences from the perspective of the speakers are just opportunities for subliminal promotion, and from the perspective of the attendees, an easier time than work while feeling self important.</p><p>They pretend to be about education and networking but in truth, these days, with the Internet fed to most homes and companies, you don't have to be in the same room to network (pun unintended).</p><p>We don't need conferences.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Conferences from the perspective of the speakers are just opportunities for subliminal promotion , and from the perspective of the attendees , an easier time than work while feeling self important.They pretend to be about education and networking but in truth , these days , with the Internet fed to most homes and companies , you do n't have to be in the same room to network ( pun unintended ) .We do n't need conferences .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Conferences from the perspective of the speakers are just opportunities for subliminal promotion, and from the perspective of the attendees, an easier time than work while feeling self important.They pretend to be about education and networking but in truth, these days, with the Internet fed to most homes and companies, you don't have to be in the same room to network (pun unintended).We don't need conferences.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359290</id>
	<title>Company Says, 'No Conferences; Vendor Training'</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260188580000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>While your topic does sound a little interesting, I personally would be unable to attend.  My employer doesn't do conferences, and I just can't see taking the PTO and paying out of pocket for the conference fees, hotel, and travel.  It's not a recession thing either; they just don't do conferences.  They've never done conferences - they will do training classes with vendors, and pay for travel for that; or even bring in a trainer from the vendor and do on-site training, but not conferences.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>While your topic does sound a little interesting , I personally would be unable to attend .
My employer does n't do conferences , and I just ca n't see taking the PTO and paying out of pocket for the conference fees , hotel , and travel .
It 's not a recession thing either ; they just do n't do conferences .
They 've never done conferences - they will do training classes with vendors , and pay for travel for that ; or even bring in a trainer from the vendor and do on-site training , but not conferences .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>While your topic does sound a little interesting, I personally would be unable to attend.
My employer doesn't do conferences, and I just can't see taking the PTO and paying out of pocket for the conference fees, hotel, and travel.
It's not a recession thing either; they just don't do conferences.
They've never done conferences - they will do training classes with vendors, and pay for travel for that; or even bring in a trainer from the vendor and do on-site training, but not conferences.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358658</id>
	<title>Notacon</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185460000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext>See <a href="http://www.notacon.org/" title="notacon.org" rel="nofollow">store</a> [notacon.org] for details.</htmltext>
<tokenext>See store [ notacon.org ] for details .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>See store [notacon.org] for details.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360944</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>mysidia</author>
	<datestamp>1260200700000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>
Plane tickets cost money... a $100 conference within driving distance of a major city where a majority of the atendees are could be a better thing.
</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Plane tickets cost money... a $ 100 conference within driving distance of a major city where a majority of the atendees are could be a better thing .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>
Plane tickets cost money... a $100 conference within driving distance of a major city where a majority of the atendees are could be a better thing.
</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358712</id>
	<title>What Do You Look For In a Conference?</title>
	<author>daveime</author>
	<datestamp>1260185760000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Funny</modclass>
	<modscore>3</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>What Do *I* Look For In a Conference?</p><p>The exit to the buffet / bar.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>What Do * I * Look For In a Conference ? The exit to the buffet / bar .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What Do *I* Look For In a Conference?The exit to the buffet / bar.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362846</id>
	<title>I need something new</title>
	<author>Ed Peepers</author>
	<datestamp>1260264480000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Michael, I Googled <a href="http://www.worktamer.com/" title="worktamer.com" rel="nofollow">your conference</a> [worktamer.com] and with all due respect, I did not see anything in the schedule that jumped out at me as fresh or new.  It might be worth it to meet some new people, but the schedule only lists a small group of speakers (though I understand it has to start somewhere).  As a grad student in psychology studying distributed teams, I interact with people who work in DTs all the time -- hearing somebody talk about their experience on a DT does not add enough value to justify a trip to the conference.  The conference is also pitched at the IT crowd, most of whom have either worked on a DT already, know somebody who does, or have a decent understanding of some of the obstacles (vs. the luddite-on-the-street).  On paper, the speakers all seem to have IT expertise but you're marketing soft skills for IT professionals.  They are by no means mutually exclusive (and this reflects my own bias), but to give an example I'd rather listen to a leadership expert with IT knowledge than an IT expert with some leadership knowledge when the subject is leading DTs.  Conversely, I don't want the leadership expert teaching me about SQL.</p><p>I am not saying the conference lacks any utility, it just doesn't appear to have enough to get me to show up.  I am just one person.  I hope this helps and best of luck to you!</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Michael , I Googled your conference [ worktamer.com ] and with all due respect , I did not see anything in the schedule that jumped out at me as fresh or new .
It might be worth it to meet some new people , but the schedule only lists a small group of speakers ( though I understand it has to start somewhere ) .
As a grad student in psychology studying distributed teams , I interact with people who work in DTs all the time -- hearing somebody talk about their experience on a DT does not add enough value to justify a trip to the conference .
The conference is also pitched at the IT crowd , most of whom have either worked on a DT already , know somebody who does , or have a decent understanding of some of the obstacles ( vs. the luddite-on-the-street ) .
On paper , the speakers all seem to have IT expertise but you 're marketing soft skills for IT professionals .
They are by no means mutually exclusive ( and this reflects my own bias ) , but to give an example I 'd rather listen to a leadership expert with IT knowledge than an IT expert with some leadership knowledge when the subject is leading DTs .
Conversely , I do n't want the leadership expert teaching me about SQL.I am not saying the conference lacks any utility , it just does n't appear to have enough to get me to show up .
I am just one person .
I hope this helps and best of luck to you !</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Michael, I Googled your conference [worktamer.com] and with all due respect, I did not see anything in the schedule that jumped out at me as fresh or new.
It might be worth it to meet some new people, but the schedule only lists a small group of speakers (though I understand it has to start somewhere).
As a grad student in psychology studying distributed teams, I interact with people who work in DTs all the time -- hearing somebody talk about their experience on a DT does not add enough value to justify a trip to the conference.
The conference is also pitched at the IT crowd, most of whom have either worked on a DT already, know somebody who does, or have a decent understanding of some of the obstacles (vs. the luddite-on-the-street).
On paper, the speakers all seem to have IT expertise but you're marketing soft skills for IT professionals.
They are by no means mutually exclusive (and this reflects my own bias), but to give an example I'd rather listen to a leadership expert with IT knowledge than an IT expert with some leadership knowledge when the subject is leading DTs.
Conversely, I don't want the leadership expert teaching me about SQL.I am not saying the conference lacks any utility, it just doesn't appear to have enough to get me to show up.
I am just one person.
I hope this helps and best of luck to you!</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358802</id>
	<title>What Do You Look For In a Conference?</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186240000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The exit door.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The exit door .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The exit door.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363042</id>
	<title>Re:Free software.</title>
	<author>nametaken</author>
	<datestamp>1260267000000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The copies of SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 were trials (and CTP) at the Heroes Happen Here partner events.  That was a total bummer.</p><p>The copy of Visual Studio 2008 Std bundled with those was a full copy, just like VS2005 previously, as was the separate copy of Vista Ultimate.  I was disappointed to learn that they'd stripped mobile development from VS2008.  Brilliant move when everyone is getting hard over the iPhone and its gajillions of apps.</p><p>Bonus trivia - They destroyed thousands of copies of that pack after the tour.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The copies of SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 were trials ( and CTP ) at the Heroes Happen Here partner events .
That was a total bummer.The copy of Visual Studio 2008 Std bundled with those was a full copy , just like VS2005 previously , as was the separate copy of Vista Ultimate .
I was disappointed to learn that they 'd stripped mobile development from VS2008 .
Brilliant move when everyone is getting hard over the iPhone and its gajillions of apps.Bonus trivia - They destroyed thousands of copies of that pack after the tour .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The copies of SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 were trials (and CTP) at the Heroes Happen Here partner events.
That was a total bummer.The copy of Visual Studio 2008 Std bundled with those was a full copy, just like VS2005 previously, as was the separate copy of Vista Ultimate.
I was disappointed to learn that they'd stripped mobile development from VS2008.
Brilliant move when everyone is getting hard over the iPhone and its gajillions of apps.Bonus trivia - They destroyed thousands of copies of that pack after the tour.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358648</id>
	<title>In other words</title>
	<author>ArchieBunker</author>
	<datestamp>1260185340000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Funny</modclass>
	<modscore>5</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>You're a self absorbed douchebag who got a taste of reality when nobody wanted to attend your coma inducing conference.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>You 're a self absorbed douchebag who got a taste of reality when nobody wanted to attend your coma inducing conference .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>You're a self absorbed douchebag who got a taste of reality when nobody wanted to attend your coma inducing conference.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358588</id>
	<title>Anonymous Coward</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185100000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>A decent set of topics for classes.  Too many times I have seen a class and it turns out to be a 101 class for dummies.  Mgmnt classes are good, but how about some real world how-to<nobr> <wbr></nobr>/how-not to type classes.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>A decent set of topics for classes .
Too many times I have seen a class and it turns out to be a 101 class for dummies .
Mgmnt classes are good , but how about some real world how-to /how-not to type classes .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>A decent set of topics for classes.
Too many times I have seen a class and it turns out to be a 101 class for dummies.
Mgmnt classes are good, but how about some real world how-to /how-not to type classes.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359566</id>
	<title>Stand Out</title>
	<author>jesusfr3Ak</author>
	<datestamp>1260190380000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext>My advice would be to set yourself apart as much as possible.  There are just <b> so many</b> conferences out there, and so much competition for the scarce training budget funding, you need to do something to make yours stand out.  Maybe you need to think about a niche market or a more targeted audience.  If you pick a broad topic like "Java", you will be up against the big boys with the reputation and history to back it up. <br> <br>
I personally view my coveted conference as the time to get caught up on the "cutting edge".  See what the newest research and development is.  More importantly, to meet peers in my field and exchange battle notes.  My advice: stand out and make it worth it to me.</htmltext>
<tokenext>My advice would be to set yourself apart as much as possible .
There are just so many conferences out there , and so much competition for the scarce training budget funding , you need to do something to make yours stand out .
Maybe you need to think about a niche market or a more targeted audience .
If you pick a broad topic like " Java " , you will be up against the big boys with the reputation and history to back it up .
I personally view my coveted conference as the time to get caught up on the " cutting edge " .
See what the newest research and development is .
More importantly , to meet peers in my field and exchange battle notes .
My advice : stand out and make it worth it to me .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>My advice would be to set yourself apart as much as possible.
There are just  so many conferences out there, and so much competition for the scarce training budget funding, you need to do something to make yours stand out.
Maybe you need to think about a niche market or a more targeted audience.
If you pick a broad topic like "Java", you will be up against the big boys with the reputation and history to back it up.
I personally view my coveted conference as the time to get caught up on the "cutting edge".
See what the newest research and development is.
More importantly, to meet peers in my field and exchange battle notes.
My advice: stand out and make it worth it to me.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30364376</id>
	<title>WIFI!</title>
	<author>chord.wav</author>
	<datestamp>1260283500000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>What Do You Look For In a Conference?</p></div><p>
Decent Wi-Fi access. Thank you.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>What Do You Look For In a Conference ?
Decent Wi-Fi access .
Thank you .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What Do You Look For In a Conference?
Decent Wi-Fi access.
Thank you.
	</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502</id>
	<title>Oh my God!</title>
	<author>NoYob</author>
	<datestamp>1260184620000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Funny</modclass>
	<modscore>5</modscore>
	<htmltext>What I look for in a Conference:<ol> <li>Free Booze</li><li>Scantily clad hot booth chicks</li><li>Porn stars</li><li>Free shit</li><li>Free food</li><li>Drunk career women looking for a little "fun"</li></ol></htmltext>
<tokenext>What I look for in a Conference : Free BoozeScantily clad hot booth chicksPorn starsFree shitFree foodDrunk career women looking for a little " fun "</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What I look for in a Conference: Free BoozeScantily clad hot booth chicksPorn starsFree shitFree foodDrunk career women looking for a little "fun"</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</id>
	<title>Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260184560000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>4</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>For a non-academic conference, it needs to be</p><p>a:  A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...</p><p>b:  Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...</p><p>c:  In a nice enough location that you want to go...</p><p>So a $100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>For a non-academic conference , it needs to bea : A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...b : Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...c : In a nice enough location that you want to go...So a $ 100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>For a non-academic conference, it needs to bea:  A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...b:  Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...c:  In a nice enough location that you want to go...So a $100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360500</id>
	<title>Re:Free software.</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260197400000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><i>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended. Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.<br>
<br>
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free.</i> <br>
<br>
Those aren't conferences, those are launch events.  Also called propaganda events.  Any schmuck off the street can register, show up, and get free marketing material.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended .
Over the years I 've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate , Windows 7 Ultimate , Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard , SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up .
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free .
Those are n't conferences , those are launch events .
Also called propaganda events .
Any schmuck off the street can register , show up , and get free marketing material .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended.
Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free.
Those aren't conferences, those are launch events.
Also called propaganda events.
Any schmuck off the street can register, show up, and get free marketing material.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358964</id>
	<title>Conferences cost a lot for people to attend</title>
	<author>fantomas</author>
	<datestamp>1260187080000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Even if your conference is free to attend, it still costs the delegates their travel costs, their accommodation and food, and covering the time away from their workplace. The tough question is- does your conference have enough to persuade your delegates' bosses that it's worth it?</p><p>Unfortunately as a new conference you are going to have to work that bit harder, can you bring in something with pulling power? Once you've got a good reputation it gets easier, there are some conferences which have a strong enough reputation that they sell themselves (I can tell my boss I want to go to Famous Conference X and if she's got the budget and it doesn't cross any deadlines I don't need to tell her any more). But a new conference will have to have great speakers or some other professional value that your delegates bosses will accept.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Even if your conference is free to attend , it still costs the delegates their travel costs , their accommodation and food , and covering the time away from their workplace .
The tough question is- does your conference have enough to persuade your delegates ' bosses that it 's worth it ? Unfortunately as a new conference you are going to have to work that bit harder , can you bring in something with pulling power ?
Once you 've got a good reputation it gets easier , there are some conferences which have a strong enough reputation that they sell themselves ( I can tell my boss I want to go to Famous Conference X and if she 's got the budget and it does n't cross any deadlines I do n't need to tell her any more ) .
But a new conference will have to have great speakers or some other professional value that your delegates bosses will accept .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Even if your conference is free to attend, it still costs the delegates their travel costs, their accommodation and food, and covering the time away from their workplace.
The tough question is- does your conference have enough to persuade your delegates' bosses that it's worth it?Unfortunately as a new conference you are going to have to work that bit harder, can you bring in something with pulling power?
Once you've got a good reputation it gets easier, there are some conferences which have a strong enough reputation that they sell themselves (I can tell my boss I want to go to Famous Conference X and if she's got the budget and it doesn't cross any deadlines I don't need to tell her any more).
But a new conference will have to have great speakers or some other professional value that your delegates bosses will accept.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361430</id>
	<title>Re:Free software.</title>
	<author>Tablizer</author>
	<datestamp>1260204780000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Funny</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><blockquote><div><p>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended. Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.</p></div></blockquote><p>I tried that, but the handouts were yawners. I'll trade you 3,827 AOL disks for your SQL-Server.<br>
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended .
Over the years I 've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate , Windows 7 Ultimate , Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard , SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.I tried that , but the handouts were yawners .
I 'll trade you 3,827 AOL disks for your SQL-Server .
     </tokentext>
<sentencetext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended.
Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.I tried that, but the handouts were yawners.
I'll trade you 3,827 AOL disks for your SQL-Server.
     
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358540</id>
	<title>Location, location, location</title>
	<author>Snowtide</author>
	<datestamp>1260184860000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Generally the people doing the work don't get to go to conferences, their bosses go as junket opportunities.
Is your conference someplace warm? Is it near any tourist attractions?
These are keys to greater attendance.
Also how is your buzzword count in your promotional materials?

In any case good luck with your conference and I hope it goes well for you.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Generally the people doing the work do n't get to go to conferences , their bosses go as junket opportunities .
Is your conference someplace warm ?
Is it near any tourist attractions ?
These are keys to greater attendance .
Also how is your buzzword count in your promotional materials ?
In any case good luck with your conference and I hope it goes well for you .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Generally the people doing the work don't get to go to conferences, their bosses go as junket opportunities.
Is your conference someplace warm?
Is it near any tourist attractions?
These are keys to greater attendance.
Also how is your buzzword count in your promotional materials?
In any case good luck with your conference and I hope it goes well for you.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359480</id>
	<title>Try it when there is a full labor force...</title>
	<author>Bob\_Who</author>
	<datestamp>1260189780000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Unemployment is out of control and NOBODY in their right mind is gonna ask to go to a conference with all of the hungry competition out there.  Conferences are gonna have to chill until after we have a domestic prosperity that justifies titties and beer at the casino.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Unemployment is out of control and NOBODY in their right mind is gon na ask to go to a conference with all of the hungry competition out there .
Conferences are gon na have to chill until after we have a domestic prosperity that justifies titties and beer at the casino .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Unemployment is out of control and NOBODY in their right mind is gonna ask to go to a conference with all of the hungry competition out there.
Conferences are gonna have to chill until after we have a domestic prosperity that justifies titties and beer at the casino.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361358</id>
	<title>I'm Drunk</title>
	<author>lenzm</author>
	<datestamp>1260204240000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>As someone who is currently drunk returning from a conference (SES Chicago) I believe I can speak with authority.

1. Don't host your conference in Bumfuck, I don't care what state

2. Big names = credibility, shallow but true

3. Give vendors free tickets for their clients (that's me, hint hint)

4. WHY CAN'T I FORMAT THIS POST!!!</htmltext>
<tokenext>As someone who is currently drunk returning from a conference ( SES Chicago ) I believe I can speak with authority .
1. Do n't host your conference in Bumfuck , I do n't care what state 2 .
Big names = credibility , shallow but true 3 .
Give vendors free tickets for their clients ( that 's me , hint hint ) 4 .
WHY CA N'T I FORMAT THIS POST ! !
!</tokentext>
<sentencetext>As someone who is currently drunk returning from a conference (SES Chicago) I believe I can speak with authority.
1. Don't host your conference in Bumfuck, I don't care what state

2.
Big names = credibility, shallow but true

3.
Give vendors free tickets for their clients (that's me, hint hint)

4.
WHY CAN'T I FORMAT THIS POST!!
!</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358554</id>
	<title>NFJS is a good example</title>
	<author>rjstanford</author>
	<datestamp>1260184920000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Lots of good peering, accessibility to presenters, decent happy hours.  Good stock content is a strong 2nd place, but definitely a 2nd place.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Lots of good peering , accessibility to presenters , decent happy hours .
Good stock content is a strong 2nd place , but definitely a 2nd place .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Lots of good peering, accessibility to presenters, decent happy hours.
Good stock content is a strong 2nd place, but definitely a 2nd place.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358758</id>
	<title>Usually I'm looking for...</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186000000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Lonely women</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Lonely women</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Lonely women</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30365568</id>
	<title>Waste</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260289200000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Conferences are a waste of time and money.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Conferences are a waste of time and money .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Conferences are a waste of time and money.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358656</id>
	<title>CO$T To Employer</title>
	<author>JamJam</author>
	<datestamp>1260185460000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>What it really comes down to is that in a recessions companies cut back their training dollars.  Think of it this way, if they just laid-off 10 workers then it generally does not look very good to send remaining employees on expensive training or conferences.  Having said that, if the conference hours can be applied to maintaining a professional designation (i.e.: PDU's to maintain your PMP ) then you'll always get those people attending.</htmltext>
<tokenext>What it really comes down to is that in a recessions companies cut back their training dollars .
Think of it this way , if they just laid-off 10 workers then it generally does not look very good to send remaining employees on expensive training or conferences .
Having said that , if the conference hours can be applied to maintaining a professional designation ( i.e .
: PDU 's to maintain your PMP ) then you 'll always get those people attending .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>What it really comes down to is that in a recessions companies cut back their training dollars.
Think of it this way, if they just laid-off 10 workers then it generally does not look very good to send remaining employees on expensive training or conferences.
Having said that, if the conference hours can be applied to maintaining a professional designation (i.e.
: PDU's to maintain your PMP ) then you'll always get those people attending.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358810</id>
	<title>Conferences are expensive to produce.</title>
	<author>IANAAC</author>
	<datestamp>1260186300000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>And you have to recoup the cost somewhere, meaning from attendees or exhibitors.
<p>
Figure out how to do that in a recession, you're golden.
</p><p>
If you can't do that, reduce costs by producing an online/virtual conference.
</p><p>
A couple of months ago, I attended a virtual conference.  It was quite successful, all things considered.  The had 4000 + attendees, good exhibitors, good raffles, etc.  And judging from the forum entries by attendees, everyone got something positive out of it.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>And you have to recoup the cost somewhere , meaning from attendees or exhibitors .
Figure out how to do that in a recession , you 're golden .
If you ca n't do that , reduce costs by producing an online/virtual conference .
A couple of months ago , I attended a virtual conference .
It was quite successful , all things considered .
The had 4000 + attendees , good exhibitors , good raffles , etc .
And judging from the forum entries by attendees , everyone got something positive out of it .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>And you have to recoup the cost somewhere, meaning from attendees or exhibitors.
Figure out how to do that in a recession, you're golden.
If you can't do that, reduce costs by producing an online/virtual conference.
A couple of months ago, I attended a virtual conference.
It was quite successful, all things considered.
The had 4000 + attendees, good exhibitors, good raffles, etc.
And judging from the forum entries by attendees, everyone got something positive out of it.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359898</id>
	<title>Is your conference free?</title>
	<author>h0tr0d</author>
	<datestamp>1260192600000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>And located where a large enough number of IT professionals will be able to attend with minimal travel expense?</p><p>Travel and training budgets have been completely wiped out where I work.  This means the only way I can attend anything is if it's free and local or out of my own pocket.  There are some things I'm willing to pay for, some I'm not.  A brand new conference with unknown quality of presenters falls into the not willing to pay for category.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>And located where a large enough number of IT professionals will be able to attend with minimal travel expense ? Travel and training budgets have been completely wiped out where I work .
This means the only way I can attend anything is if it 's free and local or out of my own pocket .
There are some things I 'm willing to pay for , some I 'm not .
A brand new conference with unknown quality of presenters falls into the not willing to pay for category .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>And located where a large enough number of IT professionals will be able to attend with minimal travel expense?Travel and training budgets have been completely wiped out where I work.
This means the only way I can attend anything is if it's free and local or out of my own pocket.
There are some things I'm willing to pay for, some I'm not.
A brand new conference with unknown quality of presenters falls into the not willing to pay for category.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358734</id>
	<title>First questions</title>
	<author>cailith1970</author>
	<datestamp>1260185880000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Ok, firstly, how did you advertise your conference?  Secondly, how many of these types of conferences are there already, and how well attended are they?  Lastly, in your presentations in existing conferences on this topic (assuming in a wider scope conference), how many people actually attended YOUR talks? </p><p>You need to make sure that you are adding enough value for people to pay the money to attend and for employers to believe that the time spent at your conference is a better use of the paid time for their employees than would be spent staying at work and reading some books on the topic.  I'm not trying to be harsh, but it's definitely worthwhile making sure you do your research first.  There's also the possibility that if you manage to get the conference off the ground, that in a few years time it will really start to expand.  But at the get go, you need to really be adding some value for attendees and the companies paying for them.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Ok , firstly , how did you advertise your conference ?
Secondly , how many of these types of conferences are there already , and how well attended are they ?
Lastly , in your presentations in existing conferences on this topic ( assuming in a wider scope conference ) , how many people actually attended YOUR talks ?
You need to make sure that you are adding enough value for people to pay the money to attend and for employers to believe that the time spent at your conference is a better use of the paid time for their employees than would be spent staying at work and reading some books on the topic .
I 'm not trying to be harsh , but it 's definitely worthwhile making sure you do your research first .
There 's also the possibility that if you manage to get the conference off the ground , that in a few years time it will really start to expand .
But at the get go , you need to really be adding some value for attendees and the companies paying for them .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Ok, firstly, how did you advertise your conference?
Secondly, how many of these types of conferences are there already, and how well attended are they?
Lastly, in your presentations in existing conferences on this topic (assuming in a wider scope conference), how many people actually attended YOUR talks?
You need to make sure that you are adding enough value for people to pay the money to attend and for employers to believe that the time spent at your conference is a better use of the paid time for their employees than would be spent staying at work and reading some books on the topic.
I'm not trying to be harsh, but it's definitely worthwhile making sure you do your research first.
There's also the possibility that if you manage to get the conference off the ground, that in a few years time it will really start to expand.
But at the get go, you need to really be adding some value for attendees and the companies paying for them.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363162</id>
	<title>Re:Interesting Topic, Great Location, Great Speake</title>
	<author>GWBasic</author>
	<datestamp>1260268860000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.</p></div><p>Careful here:  You don't need to go gormet, but make sure to avoid the mistake of only serving hot dogs drenched in ketchup or ham sandwiches loaded with mayo.</p><p>Make sure there is enough variety so that vegetarians, picky eaters, people with food allergies, and religious restrictions can still have a good meal.  Buffets are good.  Having to choose between a mayo-drenched ham sandwich or a bag of sour cream potato chips is a great way to make someone's afternoon miserable.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.Careful here : You do n't need to go gormet , but make sure to avoid the mistake of only serving hot dogs drenched in ketchup or ham sandwiches loaded with mayo.Make sure there is enough variety so that vegetarians , picky eaters , people with food allergies , and religious restrictions can still have a good meal .
Buffets are good .
Having to choose between a mayo-drenched ham sandwich or a bag of sour cream potato chips is a great way to make someone 's afternoon miserable .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.Careful here:  You don't need to go gormet, but make sure to avoid the mistake of only serving hot dogs drenched in ketchup or ham sandwiches loaded with mayo.Make sure there is enough variety so that vegetarians, picky eaters, people with food allergies, and religious restrictions can still have a good meal.
Buffets are good.
Having to choose between a mayo-drenched ham sandwich or a bag of sour cream potato chips is a great way to make someone's afternoon miserable.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359028</id>
	<title>Submitter is a pointy haired douchebag.</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260187500000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Troll</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Anyone who uses the term network when they mean social interaction is a douchebag.</p><p>When you think techies are interested in project management and remote team leadership, that just proves you are a douchebag. Those are the sort of thing that douchebag execs like.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Anyone who uses the term network when they mean social interaction is a douchebag.When you think techies are interested in project management and remote team leadership , that just proves you are a douchebag .
Those are the sort of thing that douchebag execs like .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Anyone who uses the term network when they mean social interaction is a douchebag.When you think techies are interested in project management and remote team leadership, that just proves you are a douchebag.
Those are the sort of thing that douchebag execs like.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359382</id>
	<title>Simple answers to simple questions...</title>
	<author>Saint Ego</author>
	<datestamp>1260189240000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Something to experience worth talking about and like-minded people to talk about it with.</p><p>Oh, and cute girls... but, really, where don't we look for those, hmmm?</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Something to experience worth talking about and like-minded people to talk about it with.Oh , and cute girls... but , really , where do n't we look for those , hmmm ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Something to experience worth talking about and like-minded people to talk about it with.Oh, and cute girls... but, really, where don't we look for those, hmmm?</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358846</id>
	<title>I'm cheap</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186480000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I look for video recordings of the talks.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I look for video recordings of the talks .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I look for video recordings of the talks.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796</id>
	<title>Free software.</title>
	<author>Schnapple</author>
	<datestamp>1260186180000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended. Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.<br>
<br>
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended .
Over the years I 've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate , Windows 7 Ultimate , Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard , SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up .
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Microsoft events involving free software are very well attended.
Over the years I've acquired Windows Vista Ultimate, Windows 7 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2005/2008 Standard, SQL Server 2005/2008 Standard and Windows Server 2008 all for just showing up.
Of course it helped that the conferences themselves were also free.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359840</id>
	<title>Re:Oh my God!</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260192240000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>Drunk career women looking for a little "fun"</p></div><p>
Oh my...this sounds more like the nerd male fantasy than reality. Most conferences, whether academic or not, and with few exceptions, are full of awkward men who <i>think</i> that they're going to get laid.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>Drunk career women looking for a little " fun " Oh my...this sounds more like the nerd male fantasy than reality .
Most conferences , whether academic or not , and with few exceptions , are full of awkward men who think that they 're going to get laid .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Drunk career women looking for a little "fun"
Oh my...this sounds more like the nerd male fantasy than reality.
Most conferences, whether academic or not, and with few exceptions, are full of awkward men who think that they're going to get laid.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500</id>
	<title>If its free, give me three!</title>
	<author>ez151</author>
	<datestamp>1260184620000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext>Free stuff, free food and free beer.

Only reasons I ever go.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Free stuff , free food and free beer .
Only reasons I ever go .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Free stuff, free food and free beer.
Only reasons I ever go.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359344</id>
	<title>Relevance</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260188940000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>In the current "great recession" it is not impossible to go to conferences but it is certainly hard to justify the cost, especially when travel is involved. Not only that, but the pressures on my time (and I suspect I'm not unique in this regard) budget are at least as great as those on my dollar budget. Spending 3 days somewhere else means having to find the time to do all I didn't do at the office during that period. Furthermore, it takes time away from my family life, which cannot be paid for even if I were being reimbursed for the overtime. So, if you want me to attend your conference you need to make it worth my while. I have been to too many conferences in my life and maybe I've become a cynic, but between the marketing BS and BS disguised as something else, halfway through day one I'm usually wondering what I am doing there. Words like "project management" and "team leadership", remote or otherwise, trigger my marketing BS alert-o-meter-inator. Have relevant people talking about real issues that I can immediately and directly relate to my needs in the real world. Show real solutions to real problems. You know, if you want to sell me your product it should actually have some value...</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>In the current " great recession " it is not impossible to go to conferences but it is certainly hard to justify the cost , especially when travel is involved .
Not only that , but the pressures on my time ( and I suspect I 'm not unique in this regard ) budget are at least as great as those on my dollar budget .
Spending 3 days somewhere else means having to find the time to do all I did n't do at the office during that period .
Furthermore , it takes time away from my family life , which can not be paid for even if I were being reimbursed for the overtime .
So , if you want me to attend your conference you need to make it worth my while .
I have been to too many conferences in my life and maybe I 've become a cynic , but between the marketing BS and BS disguised as something else , halfway through day one I 'm usually wondering what I am doing there .
Words like " project management " and " team leadership " , remote or otherwise , trigger my marketing BS alert-o-meter-inator .
Have relevant people talking about real issues that I can immediately and directly relate to my needs in the real world .
Show real solutions to real problems .
You know , if you want to sell me your product it should actually have some value.. .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>In the current "great recession" it is not impossible to go to conferences but it is certainly hard to justify the cost, especially when travel is involved.
Not only that, but the pressures on my time (and I suspect I'm not unique in this regard) budget are at least as great as those on my dollar budget.
Spending 3 days somewhere else means having to find the time to do all I didn't do at the office during that period.
Furthermore, it takes time away from my family life, which cannot be paid for even if I were being reimbursed for the overtime.
So, if you want me to attend your conference you need to make it worth my while.
I have been to too many conferences in my life and maybe I've become a cynic, but between the marketing BS and BS disguised as something else, halfway through day one I'm usually wondering what I am doing there.
Words like "project management" and "team leadership", remote or otherwise, trigger my marketing BS alert-o-meter-inator.
Have relevant people talking about real issues that I can immediately and directly relate to my needs in the real world.
Show real solutions to real problems.
You know, if you want to sell me your product it should actually have some value...</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360186</id>
	<title>Short answer: yes</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260195120000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I would never attend a conference on these topics. It sounds wishy-washy and generally not useful.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I would never attend a conference on these topics .
It sounds wishy-washy and generally not useful .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I would never attend a conference on these topics.
It sounds wishy-washy and generally not useful.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360544</id>
	<title>Why no one is attending:</title>
	<author>GWBasic</author>
	<datestamp>1260197760000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>In hopes of assisting others, I've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals.</p></div><p>That's why no one is attending.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>In hopes of assisting others , I 've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals.That 's why no one is attending .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>In hopes of assisting others, I've started my own conference in order to boost the soft skills of computer professionals.That's why no one is attending.
	</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360490</id>
	<title>Yep, missing the mark</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260197340000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Without more detail, the conference you started sounds suspiciously like every other "professional" conference I've ever heard of. You know, the ones middle managers dream up and attend to make it look and sound like they're busier and more important than they really are.</p><p>You don't say who your target audience is exactly, but if you're looking to attract the Slashdot crowd, you have to have:</p><ol> <li>1. A solid set of speakers and panels. Geeks justify their time and money spent at a conference by what they'll be able to learn.</li><li>Lots to do that is cheap or free. One of the more popular cons around here has free beer on tap from 8PM throughout the night and snacks all weekend long. I've personally never attended a con with a ticket price over $75.</li><li>Fun. Related to #2, you need something (or more likely, many somethings) to guarantee that the attendees will have fun. This means interactive panels, workshops, competitions, and so on.</li><li>Sponsors. Most cons expect to barely break even where funds are concerned. If your conference is any good, you almost certainly need at least one major sponsor and a few minor ones.</li></ol><p>Running a con is hard. I was on a conference committee once and while my job was comparatively easy, many other organizers (especially the conchair) spent an entire year of their free time all for the sake of one great weekend. If you really want to figure out what makes a con tick, get involved with another con before diving into one of your own, no matter how great you think your event planning skills are. There are a few cons with a relatively open planning process, one in particular that I can recommend is <a href="http://penguicon.org/" title="penguicon.org">Penguicon</a> [penguicon.org].</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Without more detail , the conference you started sounds suspiciously like every other " professional " conference I 've ever heard of .
You know , the ones middle managers dream up and attend to make it look and sound like they 're busier and more important than they really are.You do n't say who your target audience is exactly , but if you 're looking to attract the Slashdot crowd , you have to have : 1 .
A solid set of speakers and panels .
Geeks justify their time and money spent at a conference by what they 'll be able to learn.Lots to do that is cheap or free .
One of the more popular cons around here has free beer on tap from 8PM throughout the night and snacks all weekend long .
I 've personally never attended a con with a ticket price over $ 75.Fun .
Related to # 2 , you need something ( or more likely , many somethings ) to guarantee that the attendees will have fun .
This means interactive panels , workshops , competitions , and so on.Sponsors .
Most cons expect to barely break even where funds are concerned .
If your conference is any good , you almost certainly need at least one major sponsor and a few minor ones.Running a con is hard .
I was on a conference committee once and while my job was comparatively easy , many other organizers ( especially the conchair ) spent an entire year of their free time all for the sake of one great weekend .
If you really want to figure out what makes a con tick , get involved with another con before diving into one of your own , no matter how great you think your event planning skills are .
There are a few cons with a relatively open planning process , one in particular that I can recommend is Penguicon [ penguicon.org ] .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Without more detail, the conference you started sounds suspiciously like every other "professional" conference I've ever heard of.
You know, the ones middle managers dream up and attend to make it look and sound like they're busier and more important than they really are.You don't say who your target audience is exactly, but if you're looking to attract the Slashdot crowd, you have to have: 1.
A solid set of speakers and panels.
Geeks justify their time and money spent at a conference by what they'll be able to learn.Lots to do that is cheap or free.
One of the more popular cons around here has free beer on tap from 8PM throughout the night and snacks all weekend long.
I've personally never attended a con with a ticket price over $75.Fun.
Related to #2, you need something (or more likely, many somethings) to guarantee that the attendees will have fun.
This means interactive panels, workshops, competitions, and so on.Sponsors.
Most cons expect to barely break even where funds are concerned.
If your conference is any good, you almost certainly need at least one major sponsor and a few minor ones.Running a con is hard.
I was on a conference committee once and while my job was comparatively easy, many other organizers (especially the conchair) spent an entire year of their free time all for the sake of one great weekend.
If you really want to figure out what makes a con tick, get involved with another con before diving into one of your own, no matter how great you think your event planning skills are.
There are a few cons with a relatively open planning process, one in particular that I can recommend is Penguicon [penguicon.org].</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674</id>
	<title>Teach me something I can't with a Google search</title>
	<author>realmolo</author>
	<datestamp>1260185520000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Redundant</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>That's it, basically. For IT people, finding information is *easy*. Why would I go to your conference, when everything you have to say is available for free from some website (and I *guarantee* it is).</p><p>I have yet to attend a conference that told me anything I didn't already know. The whole idea of a "conference" is pretty flawed. I want a *class*, with highly-qualified instructors that can answer my questions. I also want the class to only be attended by people that know why they are attending. Too many of the classes I've taken are filled with people that simply aren't ready for the class, and all the instructor's time is wasted answering their very basic questions.</p><p>What I'm saying is, you're doing it wrong. Nobody cares about a conference except as an excuse to take a day off and drink and meet women. If you aren't even offering THAT, then why are you bothering with it?</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>That 's it , basically .
For IT people , finding information is * easy * .
Why would I go to your conference , when everything you have to say is available for free from some website ( and I * guarantee * it is ) .I have yet to attend a conference that told me anything I did n't already know .
The whole idea of a " conference " is pretty flawed .
I want a * class * , with highly-qualified instructors that can answer my questions .
I also want the class to only be attended by people that know why they are attending .
Too many of the classes I 've taken are filled with people that simply are n't ready for the class , and all the instructor 's time is wasted answering their very basic questions.What I 'm saying is , you 're doing it wrong .
Nobody cares about a conference except as an excuse to take a day off and drink and meet women .
If you are n't even offering THAT , then why are you bothering with it ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>That's it, basically.
For IT people, finding information is *easy*.
Why would I go to your conference, when everything you have to say is available for free from some website (and I *guarantee* it is).I have yet to attend a conference that told me anything I didn't already know.
The whole idea of a "conference" is pretty flawed.
I want a *class*, with highly-qualified instructors that can answer my questions.
I also want the class to only be attended by people that know why they are attending.
Too many of the classes I've taken are filled with people that simply aren't ready for the class, and all the instructor's time is wasted answering their very basic questions.What I'm saying is, you're doing it wrong.
Nobody cares about a conference except as an excuse to take a day off and drink and meet women.
If you aren't even offering THAT, then why are you bothering with it?</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358752</id>
	<title>What do I look for in a Conference?</title>
	<author>lunchlady55</author>
	<datestamp>1260186000000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The EXIT.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The EXIT .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The EXIT.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358688</id>
	<title>Swaaaag!</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185580000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext>Recession or not, I always go for the conferences with the most swag</htmltext>
<tokenext>Recession or not , I always go for the conferences with the most swag</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Recession or not, I always go for the conferences with the most swag</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361378</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>Tablizer</author>
	<datestamp>1260204360000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I revised your list just a tad if you don't mind:</p><p>a: Boothbabes</p><p>b: Boothbabes</p><p>c: More boothbabes</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I revised your list just a tad if you do n't mind : a : Boothbabesb : Boothbabesc : More boothbabes</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I revised your list just a tad if you don't mind:a: Boothbabesb: Boothbabesc: More boothbabes</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360886</id>
	<title>Tips for a successful conference</title>
	<author>joeyblades</author>
	<datestamp>1260200220000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>
I attend two technical conferences a year. One of them is very big (but shrinking), the other one small (but growing).
Since I am on the steering committee of the small one, I'll share some of the things that I think make it successful:
</p><ol>
<li>
<b>Free</b>. The conference is almost entirely funded by the sponsors (vendors) who set up booths outside the conference rooms. The vendors end up paying for the conference facility, a catered lunch for the guests, and beer and wine for the panel session (more on that in a minute).
</li><li>
<b>Theme</b>. Think about the one or two nagging problems in your industry and focus the conference on those. Lead your speakers toward addressing these themes. Willy-nilly topics don't cut it.
</li><li>
<b>Keynote Speaker</b>. Don't underestimate the drawing power of a great keynote. Find someone who generally has interesting things to say and that everyone wants to hear talk. It generally takes about 6-8 months to figure out who we want, what we want them to talk about, and get them to commit. Ergo, start your quest early.
</li><li>
<b>Invited Speakers</b>. Don't mess around with calls for papers and such. Spend some time thinking about who has done great papers from related conferences and invite them to give a paper at your conference. Make sure they stick to the theme. Make sure you have one back-up speaker, someone local, who you can call on in a pinch if one of the other speakers has a last minute bus accident or other unplanned absence.
</li><li>
<b>Out-of-the-box</b>. Try to pick one speaker that no one would have ever thought of. Someone who might seem irrelevant at first blush, but then makes your audience go, "Wow, that never occurred to me...". Most smart people have some dream of starting their own business some day, so you might bring in a venture capitalist. Everyone is bent on "green" these days, maybe you can find some way to work in someone working on alternative energy resources. Smart phones, net books and ebooks are changing the landscape of practically everything - find some way to tie into that, but don't lose sight of your theme. The key here is don't just follow some standard formula - dare to be bold and make people think.
</li><li>
<b>No Promotion</b> <i>(in conference)</i>. If you can avoid it, keep the vendors off the podium. If you must let them speak (sometimes, when they pay, they want to talk), make sure they don't promote their company's products and services. A good relevant technical subject is OK, a sales pitch will turn your audience away and once you lose them, it's next to impossible to get them back.
</li><li>
<b>Breaks</b>. Plan for your audience to have some long breaks to visit with the vendors (who will probably have some nice promotional toys). This is the time to allow people to network with people they may not have seen in a while. The networking is one of the most rewarding parts of any conference - this is when I get valuable benchmarking data about what my competitors are doing better than me.
</li><li>
<b>Panel</b>. Panels are fun and engaging. Pick your panelists wisely. Try to find people that are not only experts, but engaging, funny, and sometimes a little controversial. Try to have one person on the panel always playing the devil's advocate - it can be just one guy or the role can float around. You want your audience to stand up and challenge the panelists. Confrontation gets people thinking, talking, and let's face it, it's freakin' fun to watch a couple of geeks in a verbal cat-fight! Especially when everyone, panelists included, are lubricated with a little alcohol.
</li><li>
<b>Feedback</b>. Get interactive feedback from your audience  about what they like and don't like. Ask them for ideas of what they would like to see next year. If they seem really passionate about something, ask them to be on the steering committee for next year. Put up a web site to solicit feedback and provide pictures from the conference for people to see how much fun it was last year. If possible post presentations from the speakers - this is a nic</li></ol></htmltext>
<tokenext>I attend two technical conferences a year .
One of them is very big ( but shrinking ) , the other one small ( but growing ) .
Since I am on the steering committee of the small one , I 'll share some of the things that I think make it successful : Free .
The conference is almost entirely funded by the sponsors ( vendors ) who set up booths outside the conference rooms .
The vendors end up paying for the conference facility , a catered lunch for the guests , and beer and wine for the panel session ( more on that in a minute ) .
Theme. Think about the one or two nagging problems in your industry and focus the conference on those .
Lead your speakers toward addressing these themes .
Willy-nilly topics do n't cut it .
Keynote Speaker .
Do n't underestimate the drawing power of a great keynote .
Find someone who generally has interesting things to say and that everyone wants to hear talk .
It generally takes about 6-8 months to figure out who we want , what we want them to talk about , and get them to commit .
Ergo , start your quest early .
Invited Speakers .
Do n't mess around with calls for papers and such .
Spend some time thinking about who has done great papers from related conferences and invite them to give a paper at your conference .
Make sure they stick to the theme .
Make sure you have one back-up speaker , someone local , who you can call on in a pinch if one of the other speakers has a last minute bus accident or other unplanned absence .
Out-of-the-box. Try to pick one speaker that no one would have ever thought of .
Someone who might seem irrelevant at first blush , but then makes your audience go , " Wow , that never occurred to me... " .
Most smart people have some dream of starting their own business some day , so you might bring in a venture capitalist .
Everyone is bent on " green " these days , maybe you can find some way to work in someone working on alternative energy resources .
Smart phones , net books and ebooks are changing the landscape of practically everything - find some way to tie into that , but do n't lose sight of your theme .
The key here is do n't just follow some standard formula - dare to be bold and make people think .
No Promotion ( in conference ) .
If you can avoid it , keep the vendors off the podium .
If you must let them speak ( sometimes , when they pay , they want to talk ) , make sure they do n't promote their company 's products and services .
A good relevant technical subject is OK , a sales pitch will turn your audience away and once you lose them , it 's next to impossible to get them back .
Breaks. Plan for your audience to have some long breaks to visit with the vendors ( who will probably have some nice promotional toys ) .
This is the time to allow people to network with people they may not have seen in a while .
The networking is one of the most rewarding parts of any conference - this is when I get valuable benchmarking data about what my competitors are doing better than me .
Panel. Panels are fun and engaging .
Pick your panelists wisely .
Try to find people that are not only experts , but engaging , funny , and sometimes a little controversial .
Try to have one person on the panel always playing the devil 's advocate - it can be just one guy or the role can float around .
You want your audience to stand up and challenge the panelists .
Confrontation gets people thinking , talking , and let 's face it , it 's freakin ' fun to watch a couple of geeks in a verbal cat-fight !
Especially when everyone , panelists included , are lubricated with a little alcohol .
Feedback. Get interactive feedback from your audience about what they like and do n't like .
Ask them for ideas of what they would like to see next year .
If they seem really passionate about something , ask them to be on the steering committee for next year .
Put up a web site to solicit feedback and provide pictures from the conference for people to see how much fun it was last year .
If possible post presentations from the speakers - this is a nic</tokentext>
<sentencetext>
I attend two technical conferences a year.
One of them is very big (but shrinking), the other one small (but growing).
Since I am on the steering committee of the small one, I'll share some of the things that I think make it successful:


Free.
The conference is almost entirely funded by the sponsors (vendors) who set up booths outside the conference rooms.
The vendors end up paying for the conference facility, a catered lunch for the guests, and beer and wine for the panel session (more on that in a minute).
Theme. Think about the one or two nagging problems in your industry and focus the conference on those.
Lead your speakers toward addressing these themes.
Willy-nilly topics don't cut it.
Keynote Speaker.
Don't underestimate the drawing power of a great keynote.
Find someone who generally has interesting things to say and that everyone wants to hear talk.
It generally takes about 6-8 months to figure out who we want, what we want them to talk about, and get them to commit.
Ergo, start your quest early.
Invited Speakers.
Don't mess around with calls for papers and such.
Spend some time thinking about who has done great papers from related conferences and invite them to give a paper at your conference.
Make sure they stick to the theme.
Make sure you have one back-up speaker, someone local, who you can call on in a pinch if one of the other speakers has a last minute bus accident or other unplanned absence.
Out-of-the-box. Try to pick one speaker that no one would have ever thought of.
Someone who might seem irrelevant at first blush, but then makes your audience go, "Wow, that never occurred to me...".
Most smart people have some dream of starting their own business some day, so you might bring in a venture capitalist.
Everyone is bent on "green" these days, maybe you can find some way to work in someone working on alternative energy resources.
Smart phones, net books and ebooks are changing the landscape of practically everything - find some way to tie into that, but don't lose sight of your theme.
The key here is don't just follow some standard formula - dare to be bold and make people think.
No Promotion (in conference).
If you can avoid it, keep the vendors off the podium.
If you must let them speak (sometimes, when they pay, they want to talk), make sure they don't promote their company's products and services.
A good relevant technical subject is OK, a sales pitch will turn your audience away and once you lose them, it's next to impossible to get them back.
Breaks. Plan for your audience to have some long breaks to visit with the vendors (who will probably have some nice promotional toys).
This is the time to allow people to network with people they may not have seen in a while.
The networking is one of the most rewarding parts of any conference - this is when I get valuable benchmarking data about what my competitors are doing better than me.
Panel. Panels are fun and engaging.
Pick your panelists wisely.
Try to find people that are not only experts, but engaging, funny, and sometimes a little controversial.
Try to have one person on the panel always playing the devil's advocate - it can be just one guy or the role can float around.
You want your audience to stand up and challenge the panelists.
Confrontation gets people thinking, talking, and let's face it, it's freakin' fun to watch a couple of geeks in a verbal cat-fight!
Especially when everyone, panelists included, are lubricated with a little alcohol.
Feedback. Get interactive feedback from your audience  about what they like and don't like.
Ask them for ideas of what they would like to see next year.
If they seem really passionate about something, ask them to be on the steering committee for next year.
Put up a web site to solicit feedback and provide pictures from the conference for people to see how much fun it was last year.
If possible post presentations from the speakers - this is a nic</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361840</id>
	<title>Girls</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260208920000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>You forgot to include the word 'girl' in the topics discussed in your conference. A lot of IT professionals need a lot of help on that topic, so it would be sure to attract a lot of them.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>You forgot to include the word 'girl ' in the topics discussed in your conference .
A lot of IT professionals need a lot of help on that topic , so it would be sure to attract a lot of them .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>You forgot to include the word 'girl' in the topics discussed in your conference.
A lot of IT professionals need a lot of help on that topic, so it would be sure to attract a lot of them.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363062</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260267420000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>You forgot item D!</p><p>d: Plenty of Klingons</p><p>Oh wait, a conference. I thought this was something about conventions? My bad!<nobr> <wbr></nobr>;)</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>You forgot item D ! d : Plenty of KlingonsOh wait , a conference .
I thought this was something about conventions ?
My bad !
; )</tokentext>
<sentencetext>You forgot item D!d: Plenty of KlingonsOh wait, a conference.
I thought this was something about conventions?
My bad!
;)</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358980</id>
	<title>Hate to break it to you...</title>
	<author>Monkeedude1212</author>
	<datestamp>1260187140000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Interestin</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received?</p></div><p>Short answer: Yes</p><p>Long answer:</p><p>I personally wouldn't want to attend such conferences. Why? I'm not a project manager nor do I plan to be, and thus team leadership is another thing I generally don't need. Now, when I look at any team of IT pros, I see ONE person in that position, with several underlings to do the dirty work. I don't know about you, but in any of the companies I've worked at, there are AT MOST 2 managers for Information Technology and Services. One will generally handle all the in-house software and bug requests while the other one will handle everything else.</p><p>There are more people NOT in that position then there are IN that position. If you were to cover things that applied to my job specifically, like expected coding practices, I might be more inclined to attend.</p><p>And those Managers who ARE in those positions are usually too busy to attend a conference, they're on Call 24/7 in case a server goes down or Exchange goes nuts.</p><p>However, what REALLY draws the crowds is something new. New Technology, new methodology, new something. If you have something they haven't seen before, they want to check it out. Once you hook them into going, you can continue upon whatever you dang well please. If I book the time off for a conference about the advantages of Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 working together, and you happen to spend half the conference talking about Management, I'll feel obligated to stick around till you get to the good stuff.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received ? Short answer : YesLong answer : I personally would n't want to attend such conferences .
Why ? I 'm not a project manager nor do I plan to be , and thus team leadership is another thing I generally do n't need .
Now , when I look at any team of IT pros , I see ONE person in that position , with several underlings to do the dirty work .
I do n't know about you , but in any of the companies I 've worked at , there are AT MOST 2 managers for Information Technology and Services .
One will generally handle all the in-house software and bug requests while the other one will handle everything else.There are more people NOT in that position then there are IN that position .
If you were to cover things that applied to my job specifically , like expected coding practices , I might be more inclined to attend.And those Managers who ARE in those positions are usually too busy to attend a conference , they 're on Call 24/7 in case a server goes down or Exchange goes nuts.However , what REALLY draws the crowds is something new .
New Technology , new methodology , new something .
If you have something they have n't seen before , they want to check it out .
Once you hook them into going , you can continue upon whatever you dang well please .
If I book the time off for a conference about the advantages of Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 working together , and you happen to spend half the conference talking about Management , I 'll feel obligated to stick around till you get to the good stuff .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Have we missed the mark in thinking topics like project management and remote team leadership will be well-received?Short answer: YesLong answer:I personally wouldn't want to attend such conferences.
Why? I'm not a project manager nor do I plan to be, and thus team leadership is another thing I generally don't need.
Now, when I look at any team of IT pros, I see ONE person in that position, with several underlings to do the dirty work.
I don't know about you, but in any of the companies I've worked at, there are AT MOST 2 managers for Information Technology and Services.
One will generally handle all the in-house software and bug requests while the other one will handle everything else.There are more people NOT in that position then there are IN that position.
If you were to cover things that applied to my job specifically, like expected coding practices, I might be more inclined to attend.And those Managers who ARE in those positions are usually too busy to attend a conference, they're on Call 24/7 in case a server goes down or Exchange goes nuts.However, what REALLY draws the crowds is something new.
New Technology, new methodology, new something.
If you have something they haven't seen before, they want to check it out.
Once you hook them into going, you can continue upon whatever you dang well please.
If I book the time off for a conference about the advantages of Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 working together, and you happen to spend half the conference talking about Management, I'll feel obligated to stick around till you get to the good stuff.
	</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359352</id>
	<title>Good Example</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260189000000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The <a href="http://www.penguinpetes.com/Doomed\_to\_Obscurity/index.php?strip=0000167.jpg" title="penguinpetes.com" rel="nofollow">Kloud Komputing Konference</a> [penguinpetes.com] that just ran in <em>Doomed to Obscurity</em>. That's what I'd like to see more of.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The Kloud Komputing Konference [ penguinpetes.com ] that just ran in Doomed to Obscurity .
That 's what I 'd like to see more of .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The Kloud Komputing Konference [penguinpetes.com] that just ran in Doomed to Obscurity.
That's what I'd like to see more of.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358844</id>
	<title>Travel expenses cut.</title>
	<author>Culture20</author>
	<datestamp>1260186480000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>However, we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees. What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession?</p></div><p>Free is nice.  Can you host one on the east coast, west coast, and midwest so people can drive to their destination?  Oh, and Friday through Monday is ideal because it has to be vacation-time (If I'm "working" at the conference they have to pay travel expenses, but the travel budget was the first thing to go, so it would come from the emergency fund which I'd like to keep for real emergencies).</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>However , we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees .
What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession ? Free is nice .
Can you host one on the east coast , west coast , and midwest so people can drive to their destination ?
Oh , and Friday through Monday is ideal because it has to be vacation-time ( If I 'm " working " at the conference they have to pay travel expenses , but the travel budget was the first thing to go , so it would come from the emergency fund which I 'd like to keep for real emergencies ) .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>However, we may need to cancel due to a lack of attendees.
What are people looking for in a conference in the midst of this recession?Free is nice.
Can you host one on the east coast, west coast, and midwest so people can drive to their destination?
Oh, and Friday through Monday is ideal because it has to be vacation-time (If I'm "working" at the conference they have to pay travel expenses, but the travel budget was the first thing to go, so it would come from the emergency fund which I'd like to keep for real emergencies).
	</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360016</id>
	<title>Value to the Tech</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260193500000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Most of the conferences I've wanted to attend offer very little in terms of value. They are sponsored by vendors. Vendors are not the right source for information. Conferences that are backed by user groups or other broad interest groups are desirable, but I can't think of any examples.</p><p>Here's my wish-list for the perfect conference:</p><p>1. Attendees will leave with new SKILLS (not the same as 'Product Knowledge') - Teach something you would otherwise have to take classes for to understand or is the knowledge of seasoned IT people that can help everyone accomplish something that is problematic.</p><p>2. Tech's don't appreciate 'Solution' hype directed at decision makers - The decision makers don't generally go to most conferences. It's that simple. You have to explain what your product does before you explain what it solves to techs.</p><p>3. Slow the pace, keep it meaningful - Tech people need to digest information just like everyone else. If you have accomplished providing a meaningful conference, you will be putting a lot of information forward. Keep the pace reasonable and don't overlap too many sessions.</p><p>4. Eliminate the sales pitch - Everyone is sick of the sales pitch. We're sick of hearing how Vendor X can solve all your woes with Product Z. Yawn. Next!</p><p>5. Eliminate the know-nothing booth TME - Techs don't like to be accosted by TME's. Quite frankly, those TME's piss off most tech people. Have the booths attended by the engineers who work on the product so that REAL QUESTIONS can be answered.</p><p>6. Eliminate the "if you let me scan your badge, you can have a free T-Shirt" scam - We all know you want to email/call us. If we want more information, we have your brochure and card.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Most of the conferences I 've wanted to attend offer very little in terms of value .
They are sponsored by vendors .
Vendors are not the right source for information .
Conferences that are backed by user groups or other broad interest groups are desirable , but I ca n't think of any examples.Here 's my wish-list for the perfect conference : 1 .
Attendees will leave with new SKILLS ( not the same as 'Product Knowledge ' ) - Teach something you would otherwise have to take classes for to understand or is the knowledge of seasoned IT people that can help everyone accomplish something that is problematic.2 .
Tech 's do n't appreciate 'Solution ' hype directed at decision makers - The decision makers do n't generally go to most conferences .
It 's that simple .
You have to explain what your product does before you explain what it solves to techs.3 .
Slow the pace , keep it meaningful - Tech people need to digest information just like everyone else .
If you have accomplished providing a meaningful conference , you will be putting a lot of information forward .
Keep the pace reasonable and do n't overlap too many sessions.4 .
Eliminate the sales pitch - Everyone is sick of the sales pitch .
We 're sick of hearing how Vendor X can solve all your woes with Product Z. Yawn. Next ! 5 .
Eliminate the know-nothing booth TME - Techs do n't like to be accosted by TME 's .
Quite frankly , those TME 's piss off most tech people .
Have the booths attended by the engineers who work on the product so that REAL QUESTIONS can be answered.6 .
Eliminate the " if you let me scan your badge , you can have a free T-Shirt " scam - We all know you want to email/call us .
If we want more information , we have your brochure and card .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Most of the conferences I've wanted to attend offer very little in terms of value.
They are sponsored by vendors.
Vendors are not the right source for information.
Conferences that are backed by user groups or other broad interest groups are desirable, but I can't think of any examples.Here's my wish-list for the perfect conference:1.
Attendees will leave with new SKILLS (not the same as 'Product Knowledge') - Teach something you would otherwise have to take classes for to understand or is the knowledge of seasoned IT people that can help everyone accomplish something that is problematic.2.
Tech's don't appreciate 'Solution' hype directed at decision makers - The decision makers don't generally go to most conferences.
It's that simple.
You have to explain what your product does before you explain what it solves to techs.3.
Slow the pace, keep it meaningful - Tech people need to digest information just like everyone else.
If you have accomplished providing a meaningful conference, you will be putting a lot of information forward.
Keep the pace reasonable and don't overlap too many sessions.4.
Eliminate the sales pitch - Everyone is sick of the sales pitch.
We're sick of hearing how Vendor X can solve all your woes with Product Z. Yawn. Next!5.
Eliminate the know-nothing booth TME - Techs don't like to be accosted by TME's.
Quite frankly, those TME's piss off most tech people.
Have the booths attended by the engineers who work on the product so that REAL QUESTIONS can be answered.6.
Eliminate the "if you let me scan your badge, you can have a free T-Shirt" scam - We all know you want to email/call us.
If we want more information, we have your brochure and card.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362334</id>
	<title>Waste of time</title>
	<author>Rod2010</author>
	<datestamp>1260214140000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>The majority of conferences in my opinion are a total waste of time, money and effort, regardless how good the speaker are. The reason is, the human brain forgets, deletes, generalizes and distorts, hence the delegate leaves with only a fraction of what was presented.

The saying is &ldquo;Apple a day   not seven on Sunday) hence a conference (assuming it is good content) is information overload, hence a waste. The majority of conference organizers do not have the foresight to record and capture the conference for delegates. If a conference is worth attending, it should be worth capturing e.g. audio, Power Point, video etc. Additionally many conferences are multi-stream, which means automatically you miss 50\% of more of the content.

The majority of conference companies in my opinion are simply parasites that offer no real, lasting value for delegates. The charge huge fees to attend, pay most speaker nothing to present and charge outrageous fees to exhibitors.  Some think they are &ldquo;cutting edge&rdquo; by providing delegates a copy of the Power Points on CD, which was possible 15 years ago. I am yet to attend a single conference that was designed specifically with the delegate in mind, whereby delegates could interactively create their own version of the conference, personalize the content and collaborate with others in real-time.

The conference industry is total joke, for the amount of money to attend a conference, plus airfares &amp; accommodation etc, you could easily purchase 20 to 40 great technical books and have the ability read and re-read as often as you want. Or better yet, learn how to search effectively and find the information you require online for free.</htmltext>
<tokenext>The majority of conferences in my opinion are a total waste of time , money and effort , regardless how good the speaker are .
The reason is , the human brain forgets , deletes , generalizes and distorts , hence the delegate leaves with only a fraction of what was presented .
The saying is    Apple a day not seven on Sunday ) hence a conference ( assuming it is good content ) is information overload , hence a waste .
The majority of conference organizers do not have the foresight to record and capture the conference for delegates .
If a conference is worth attending , it should be worth capturing e.g .
audio , Power Point , video etc .
Additionally many conferences are multi-stream , which means automatically you miss 50 \ % of more of the content .
The majority of conference companies in my opinion are simply parasites that offer no real , lasting value for delegates .
The charge huge fees to attend , pay most speaker nothing to present and charge outrageous fees to exhibitors .
Some think they are    cutting edge    by providing delegates a copy of the Power Points on CD , which was possible 15 years ago .
I am yet to attend a single conference that was designed specifically with the delegate in mind , whereby delegates could interactively create their own version of the conference , personalize the content and collaborate with others in real-time .
The conference industry is total joke , for the amount of money to attend a conference , plus airfares &amp; accommodation etc , you could easily purchase 20 to 40 great technical books and have the ability read and re-read as often as you want .
Or better yet , learn how to search effectively and find the information you require online for free .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The majority of conferences in my opinion are a total waste of time, money and effort, regardless how good the speaker are.
The reason is, the human brain forgets, deletes, generalizes and distorts, hence the delegate leaves with only a fraction of what was presented.
The saying is “Apple a day   not seven on Sunday) hence a conference (assuming it is good content) is information overload, hence a waste.
The majority of conference organizers do not have the foresight to record and capture the conference for delegates.
If a conference is worth attending, it should be worth capturing e.g.
audio, Power Point, video etc.
Additionally many conferences are multi-stream, which means automatically you miss 50\% of more of the content.
The majority of conference companies in my opinion are simply parasites that offer no real, lasting value for delegates.
The charge huge fees to attend, pay most speaker nothing to present and charge outrageous fees to exhibitors.
Some think they are “cutting edge” by providing delegates a copy of the Power Points on CD, which was possible 15 years ago.
I am yet to attend a single conference that was designed specifically with the delegate in mind, whereby delegates could interactively create their own version of the conference, personalize the content and collaborate with others in real-time.
The conference industry is total joke, for the amount of money to attend a conference, plus airfares &amp; accommodation etc, you could easily purchase 20 to 40 great technical books and have the ability read and re-read as often as you want.
Or better yet, learn how to search effectively and find the information you require online for free.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358820</id>
	<title>What I look?</title>
	<author>mapuche</author>
	<datestamp>1260186300000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I live outside the US so it was always expensive to travel to a conference recesion or not. What I've found from conferences like SIGRRAPH is that they do better when they choose a west coast city, mainly because the main part of the industry works there. So know your audience and where they work/live.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I live outside the US so it was always expensive to travel to a conference recesion or not .
What I 've found from conferences like SIGRRAPH is that they do better when they choose a west coast city , mainly because the main part of the industry works there .
So know your audience and where they work/live .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I live outside the US so it was always expensive to travel to a conference recesion or not.
What I've found from conferences like SIGRRAPH is that they do better when they choose a west coast city, mainly because the main part of the industry works there.
So know your audience and where they work/live.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358760</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>onionman</author>
	<datestamp>1260186000000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>2</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>For a non-academic conference, it needs to be</p><p>a:  A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...</p><p>b:  Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...</p><p>c:  In a nice enough location that you want to go...</p><p>So a $100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me.</p></div><p>Yep, that all sounds about right to me, but one more thing to add is a good schedule.  The conference needs to have built-in breaks for both formal and informal peer networking/socializing.  Formal networking can be small-group break-out sessions or very small panel talks on technical topics.  Some of the best conferences I've been to for this have "coding sprints" on open source projects in the afternoons.</p><p>Informal socializing doesn't necessarily require booze.  Some of the best I've attended have included hiking trips, museum tours, or even theater presentations.  Don't get me wrong, I like alcohol as much as the next guy, but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze+mingling thing, so give everyone some options.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>For a non-academic conference , it needs to bea : A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...b : Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...c : In a nice enough location that you want to go...So a $ 100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me.Yep , that all sounds about right to me , but one more thing to add is a good schedule .
The conference needs to have built-in breaks for both formal and informal peer networking/socializing .
Formal networking can be small-group break-out sessions or very small panel talks on technical topics .
Some of the best conferences I 've been to for this have " coding sprints " on open source projects in the afternoons.Informal socializing does n't necessarily require booze .
Some of the best I 've attended have included hiking trips , museum tours , or even theater presentations .
Do n't get me wrong , I like alcohol as much as the next guy , but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze + mingling thing , so give everyone some options .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>For a non-academic conference, it needs to bea:  A good enough topic to convince the boss to pay...b:  Cheap enough to convince the boss to pay...c:  In a nice enough location that you want to go...So a $100/person conference in Hawaii sounds about right to me.Yep, that all sounds about right to me, but one more thing to add is a good schedule.
The conference needs to have built-in breaks for both formal and informal peer networking/socializing.
Formal networking can be small-group break-out sessions or very small panel talks on technical topics.
Some of the best conferences I've been to for this have "coding sprints" on open source projects in the afternoons.Informal socializing doesn't necessarily require booze.
Some of the best I've attended have included hiking trips, museum tours, or even theater presentations.
Don't get me wrong, I like alcohol as much as the next guy, but I think that there are plenty of self-identified geeks who are uncomfortable with the whole booze+mingling thing, so give everyone some options.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363150</id>
	<title>A few tips from an events organiser</title>
	<author>puroresu</author>
	<datestamp>1260268620000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Keep in mind that bringing people to your event and ensuring that they get their money's worth are two different things and need to be addressed as such.
<br> <br>
As far as attracting an audience goes, first of all, have something that will attract them. Do this before you really start advertising your event. I see countless ads from everything from comic cons to live music festivals where someone has had a cool idea and started advertising it before booking any bands/speakers/talent. At this point, all you're saying is "Hey, I've booked a hall somewhere! Come and hang out with me!"
<br> <br>
So how does one put together a product which will attract a crowd? In short, know your crowd.
<br> <br>
What are they interested in? What do they want to know more about? Who are the respected figures in their field? Do they have a broad range of interests or a more specialised area of expertise? Can you perhaps appeal to a wider market and still attract that specialist niche? Answer these questions and book your attractions accordingly. Asking your audience directly is a good (but not foolproof) way of getting this information.
<br> <br>
Then, of course, there are the issues of scale and budget. How much are you willing to spend on the event? What is the capacity of your venue? Realistically, what are people willing to pay to attend and how many attendees can you reasonably expect? How many bodies through the door do you need to break even?
<br> <br>
Now that you've got something which will hopefully draw a crowd, think about advertising. The web/social networking are inexpensive ways to reach people, but they're also heavily saturated. The amount of crap people have to wade through to get through content leads them to be ad blind, and many people will be using ad blockers anyway, so that's really not the best way to grab their attention. Instead, the best way to bring people to your site is to give them something worth coming for. This could consist of white papers, tutorials, interesting articles on subjects relevant to your audience or well written profiles of speakers. If they Google for a topic and your site comes up, and they find something informative/useful, they're going to be more inclined to attend your event and think that they'll get something of value out of it.
<br> <br>
Other means of promoting your event could be direct communication - mail out info packs to companies or individuals you think would be interested in your event - displaying promotional materials at similar events (in my experience many event organisers are willing to do this on a reciprocal basis for the right to poster/flyer your event), advertising in magazines relevant to the field. Be wary of advertising too widely. Linux &#220;bersysadmin Monthly will probably pull a hardcore Linux crowd. Linux Noob Magazine might get you a few interested parties. PC User is much more of a scattergun approach (replace magazine titles/subjects as required.)
<br> <br>
Also be aware that many media outlets will be willing to come and go on advertising costs, especially if you provide them with a booth and access to your panels, etc.
<br> <br>
OK, so you've brought your crowd out and you're getting all set for the big show. Now you just need to deliver on your promise of the best conference ever!
<br> <br>
Make sure everything runs as close to schedule as possible. Some delays might be inevitable, but you can really help yourself out by making sure you have early access to the venue to set up. You might need several days to prepare the venue depending on the scale and nature of your event.
<br> <br>
Hire competent people to whom you can delegate responsibilities. Hire decent equipment. You don't need to blow your budget on sound, lights, bells and whistles, but make sure that the gear you have can be relied upon to work consistently over the course of your event.
<br> <br>
Make finding information as painless as possible. Produce a programme with a simple schedule of events. If anything changes, announce it on your web site, over the PA system, at the start of othe</htmltext>
<tokenext>Keep in mind that bringing people to your event and ensuring that they get their money 's worth are two different things and need to be addressed as such .
As far as attracting an audience goes , first of all , have something that will attract them .
Do this before you really start advertising your event .
I see countless ads from everything from comic cons to live music festivals where someone has had a cool idea and started advertising it before booking any bands/speakers/talent .
At this point , all you 're saying is " Hey , I 've booked a hall somewhere !
Come and hang out with me !
" So how does one put together a product which will attract a crowd ?
In short , know your crowd .
What are they interested in ?
What do they want to know more about ?
Who are the respected figures in their field ?
Do they have a broad range of interests or a more specialised area of expertise ?
Can you perhaps appeal to a wider market and still attract that specialist niche ?
Answer these questions and book your attractions accordingly .
Asking your audience directly is a good ( but not foolproof ) way of getting this information .
Then , of course , there are the issues of scale and budget .
How much are you willing to spend on the event ?
What is the capacity of your venue ?
Realistically , what are people willing to pay to attend and how many attendees can you reasonably expect ?
How many bodies through the door do you need to break even ?
Now that you 've got something which will hopefully draw a crowd , think about advertising .
The web/social networking are inexpensive ways to reach people , but they 're also heavily saturated .
The amount of crap people have to wade through to get through content leads them to be ad blind , and many people will be using ad blockers anyway , so that 's really not the best way to grab their attention .
Instead , the best way to bring people to your site is to give them something worth coming for .
This could consist of white papers , tutorials , interesting articles on subjects relevant to your audience or well written profiles of speakers .
If they Google for a topic and your site comes up , and they find something informative/useful , they 're going to be more inclined to attend your event and think that they 'll get something of value out of it .
Other means of promoting your event could be direct communication - mail out info packs to companies or individuals you think would be interested in your event - displaying promotional materials at similar events ( in my experience many event organisers are willing to do this on a reciprocal basis for the right to poster/flyer your event ) , advertising in magazines relevant to the field .
Be wary of advertising too widely .
Linux   bersysadmin Monthly will probably pull a hardcore Linux crowd .
Linux Noob Magazine might get you a few interested parties .
PC User is much more of a scattergun approach ( replace magazine titles/subjects as required .
) Also be aware that many media outlets will be willing to come and go on advertising costs , especially if you provide them with a booth and access to your panels , etc .
OK , so you 've brought your crowd out and you 're getting all set for the big show .
Now you just need to deliver on your promise of the best conference ever !
Make sure everything runs as close to schedule as possible .
Some delays might be inevitable , but you can really help yourself out by making sure you have early access to the venue to set up .
You might need several days to prepare the venue depending on the scale and nature of your event .
Hire competent people to whom you can delegate responsibilities .
Hire decent equipment .
You do n't need to blow your budget on sound , lights , bells and whistles , but make sure that the gear you have can be relied upon to work consistently over the course of your event .
Make finding information as painless as possible .
Produce a programme with a simple schedule of events .
If anything changes , announce it on your web site , over the PA system , at the start of othe</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Keep in mind that bringing people to your event and ensuring that they get their money's worth are two different things and need to be addressed as such.
As far as attracting an audience goes, first of all, have something that will attract them.
Do this before you really start advertising your event.
I see countless ads from everything from comic cons to live music festivals where someone has had a cool idea and started advertising it before booking any bands/speakers/talent.
At this point, all you're saying is "Hey, I've booked a hall somewhere!
Come and hang out with me!
"
 
So how does one put together a product which will attract a crowd?
In short, know your crowd.
What are they interested in?
What do they want to know more about?
Who are the respected figures in their field?
Do they have a broad range of interests or a more specialised area of expertise?
Can you perhaps appeal to a wider market and still attract that specialist niche?
Answer these questions and book your attractions accordingly.
Asking your audience directly is a good (but not foolproof) way of getting this information.
Then, of course, there are the issues of scale and budget.
How much are you willing to spend on the event?
What is the capacity of your venue?
Realistically, what are people willing to pay to attend and how many attendees can you reasonably expect?
How many bodies through the door do you need to break even?
Now that you've got something which will hopefully draw a crowd, think about advertising.
The web/social networking are inexpensive ways to reach people, but they're also heavily saturated.
The amount of crap people have to wade through to get through content leads them to be ad blind, and many people will be using ad blockers anyway, so that's really not the best way to grab their attention.
Instead, the best way to bring people to your site is to give them something worth coming for.
This could consist of white papers, tutorials, interesting articles on subjects relevant to your audience or well written profiles of speakers.
If they Google for a topic and your site comes up, and they find something informative/useful, they're going to be more inclined to attend your event and think that they'll get something of value out of it.
Other means of promoting your event could be direct communication - mail out info packs to companies or individuals you think would be interested in your event - displaying promotional materials at similar events (in my experience many event organisers are willing to do this on a reciprocal basis for the right to poster/flyer your event), advertising in magazines relevant to the field.
Be wary of advertising too widely.
Linux Übersysadmin Monthly will probably pull a hardcore Linux crowd.
Linux Noob Magazine might get you a few interested parties.
PC User is much more of a scattergun approach (replace magazine titles/subjects as required.
)
 
Also be aware that many media outlets will be willing to come and go on advertising costs, especially if you provide them with a booth and access to your panels, etc.
OK, so you've brought your crowd out and you're getting all set for the big show.
Now you just need to deliver on your promise of the best conference ever!
Make sure everything runs as close to schedule as possible.
Some delays might be inevitable, but you can really help yourself out by making sure you have early access to the venue to set up.
You might need several days to prepare the venue depending on the scale and nature of your event.
Hire competent people to whom you can delegate responsibilities.
Hire decent equipment.
You don't need to blow your budget on sound, lights, bells and whistles, but make sure that the gear you have can be relied upon to work consistently over the course of your event.
Make finding information as painless as possible.
Produce a programme with a simple schedule of events.
If anything changes, announce it on your web site, over the PA system, at the start of othe</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30371660</id>
	<title>Re:Interesting Topic, Great Location, Great Speake</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260273360000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>greek island uh...?? was it lesbos? i know it was...now u know why pple really "came" hahaha</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>greek island uh... ? ?
was it lesbos ?
i know it was...now u know why pple really " came " hahaha</tokentext>
<sentencetext>greek island uh...??
was it lesbos?
i know it was...now u know why pple really "came" hahaha</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358928</id>
	<title>No travel allowed</title>
	<author>mcclk</author>
	<datestamp>1260186840000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Honestly, right now it's just hard.  I have plenty of conferences that I would love to attend, but my organization won't pay for any travel at all.  I've encountered a couple that are offering webcasts of sessions at a discounted price, and my org. will often allow that - it's the travel piece that they won't pay for.  So, if webcasting sessions is an option, that might be a way to up attendance.  Especially if you can make it so people can just pay for the sessions they want to attend.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Honestly , right now it 's just hard .
I have plenty of conferences that I would love to attend , but my organization wo n't pay for any travel at all .
I 've encountered a couple that are offering webcasts of sessions at a discounted price , and my org .
will often allow that - it 's the travel piece that they wo n't pay for .
So , if webcasting sessions is an option , that might be a way to up attendance .
Especially if you can make it so people can just pay for the sessions they want to attend .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Honestly, right now it's just hard.
I have plenty of conferences that I would love to attend, but my organization won't pay for any travel at all.
I've encountered a couple that are offering webcasts of sessions at a discounted price, and my org.
will often allow that - it's the travel piece that they won't pay for.
So, if webcasting sessions is an option, that might be a way to up attendance.
Especially if you can make it so people can just pay for the sessions they want to attend.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359440</id>
	<title>The Problem w/Technical Conferences</title>
	<author>CodeBuster</author>
	<datestamp>1260189540000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>The problem with technical conferences is that there are too many people at widely varying levels of skill to fully satisfy anyone. The newbies are going to feel like they have just had their butts kicked while the more experienced will feel like their time has been wasted. When I am looking to spend time training I prefer to do it with books, frameworks, and google at my own pace and level of competence. The last conference that I attended was mostly a waste of time and money IMHO. Conferences are among the most expensive and inefficient forms of training compared to what one gets out of them.</htmltext>
<tokenext>The problem with technical conferences is that there are too many people at widely varying levels of skill to fully satisfy anyone .
The newbies are going to feel like they have just had their butts kicked while the more experienced will feel like their time has been wasted .
When I am looking to spend time training I prefer to do it with books , frameworks , and google at my own pace and level of competence .
The last conference that I attended was mostly a waste of time and money IMHO .
Conferences are among the most expensive and inefficient forms of training compared to what one gets out of them .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The problem with technical conferences is that there are too many people at widely varying levels of skill to fully satisfy anyone.
The newbies are going to feel like they have just had their butts kicked while the more experienced will feel like their time has been wasted.
When I am looking to spend time training I prefer to do it with books, frameworks, and google at my own pace and level of competence.
The last conference that I attended was mostly a waste of time and money IMHO.
Conferences are among the most expensive and inefficient forms of training compared to what one gets out of them.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358672</id>
	<title>Free hookers like the climate conference</title>
	<author>RichMan</author>
	<datestamp>1260185520000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Funny</modclass>
	<modscore>4</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>This sort of thing only seems to happen at the political conferences, not the technical ones.</p><p>--<br>Copenhagen's city council in conjunction with Lord Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard sent postcards out to 160 Copenhagen hotels urging COP15 guests and delegates to 'Be sustainable - don't buy sex'.</p><p>"Dear hotel owner, we would like to urge you not to arrange contacts between hotel guests and prostitutes," the approach to hotels says.</p><p>Now, Copenhagen prostitutes are up in arms, saying that the council has no business meddling in their affairs. They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card, according to the Web site avisen.dk.<br>--</p><p>http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,665182,00.html</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>This sort of thing only seems to happen at the political conferences , not the technical ones.--Copenhagen 's city council in conjunction with Lord Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard sent postcards out to 160 Copenhagen hotels urging COP15 guests and delegates to 'Be sustainable - do n't buy sex' .
" Dear hotel owner , we would like to urge you not to arrange contacts between hotel guests and prostitutes , " the approach to hotels says.Now , Copenhagen prostitutes are up in arms , saying that the council has no business meddling in their affairs .
They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card , according to the Web site avisen.dk.--http : //www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,665182,00.html</tokentext>
<sentencetext>This sort of thing only seems to happen at the political conferences, not the technical ones.--Copenhagen's city council in conjunction with Lord Mayor Ritt Bjerregaard sent postcards out to 160 Copenhagen hotels urging COP15 guests and delegates to 'Be sustainable - don't buy sex'.
"Dear hotel owner, we would like to urge you not to arrange contacts between hotel guests and prostitutes," the approach to hotels says.Now, Copenhagen prostitutes are up in arms, saying that the council has no business meddling in their affairs.
They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card, according to the Web site avisen.dk.--http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,665182,00.html</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359208</id>
	<title>Re:How to Organize a Conference</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260188280000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not.  Take the positive aspects and concentrate them.  Make sure you don't nickel and dime your attendees.  Have on-site food that is good, and serve alcohol with it.  Have a single-track.  Pick speakers very, very well.  Pick a great location.  Visit the location well beforehand (months) and talk to the people who run the facility.  Get to know your vendors.  Give attendees decent take-home items (pens, pads, etc.) that won't be thrown away immediately.  Provide maps.  Make sure the program is trivially easy to use.  Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find.  Have a good web site that's easy to navigate.  Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you.  Advertise.  Promise the best experience ever, and follow through.  Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong, you, and your attendees, aren't screwed.  Ask for feedback, and take it to heart.  Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights (or promise a big bonus if that never happens), and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible.</p></div><p>You covered maybe 10\% of it there. You know it can easily take a year or more to organize a successful conference right? Slashdot is a lousy place to ask about the event industry IMHO.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not .
Take the positive aspects and concentrate them .
Make sure you do n't nickel and dime your attendees .
Have on-site food that is good , and serve alcohol with it .
Have a single-track .
Pick speakers very , very well .
Pick a great location .
Visit the location well beforehand ( months ) and talk to the people who run the facility .
Get to know your vendors .
Give attendees decent take-home items ( pens , pads , etc .
) that wo n't be thrown away immediately .
Provide maps .
Make sure the program is trivially easy to use .
Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find .
Have a good web site that 's easy to navigate .
Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you .
Advertise. Promise the best experience ever , and follow through .
Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong , you , and your attendees , are n't screwed .
Ask for feedback , and take it to heart .
Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights ( or promise a big bonus if that never happens ) , and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible.You covered maybe 10 \ % of it there .
You know it can easily take a year or more to organize a successful conference right ?
Slashdot is a lousy place to ask about the event industry IMHO .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not.
Take the positive aspects and concentrate them.
Make sure you don't nickel and dime your attendees.
Have on-site food that is good, and serve alcohol with it.
Have a single-track.
Pick speakers very, very well.
Pick a great location.
Visit the location well beforehand (months) and talk to the people who run the facility.
Get to know your vendors.
Give attendees decent take-home items (pens, pads, etc.
) that won't be thrown away immediately.
Provide maps.
Make sure the program is trivially easy to use.
Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find.
Have a good web site that's easy to navigate.
Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you.
Advertise.  Promise the best experience ever, and follow through.
Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong, you, and your attendees, aren't screwed.
Ask for feedback, and take it to heart.
Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights (or promise a big bonus if that never happens), and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible.You covered maybe 10\% of it there.
You know it can easily take a year or more to organize a successful conference right?
Slashdot is a lousy place to ask about the event industry IMHO.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358918</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358918</id>
	<title>How to Organize a Conference</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186780000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>4</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not.  Take the positive aspects and concentrate them.  Make sure you don't nickel and dime your attendees.  Have on-site food that is good, and serve alcohol with it.  Have a single-track.  Pick speakers very, very well.  Pick a great location.  Visit the location well beforehand (months) and talk to the people who run the facility.  Get to know your vendors.  Give attendees decent take-home items (pens, pads, etc.) that won't be thrown away immediately.  Provide maps.  Make sure the program is trivially easy to use.  Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find.  Have a good web site that's easy to navigate.  Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you.  Advertise.  Promise the best experience ever, and follow through.  Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong, you, and your attendees, aren't screwed.  Ask for feedback, and take it to heart.  Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights (or promise a big bonus if that never happens), and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not .
Take the positive aspects and concentrate them .
Make sure you do n't nickel and dime your attendees .
Have on-site food that is good , and serve alcohol with it .
Have a single-track .
Pick speakers very , very well .
Pick a great location .
Visit the location well beforehand ( months ) and talk to the people who run the facility .
Get to know your vendors .
Give attendees decent take-home items ( pens , pads , etc .
) that wo n't be thrown away immediately .
Provide maps .
Make sure the program is trivially easy to use .
Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find .
Have a good web site that 's easy to navigate .
Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you .
Advertise. Promise the best experience ever , and follow through .
Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong , you , and your attendees , are n't screwed .
Ask for feedback , and take it to heart .
Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights ( or promise a big bonus if that never happens ) , and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>The best way to organize a conference is to attend lots of them and pay attention to what works and what does not.
Take the positive aspects and concentrate them.
Make sure you don't nickel and dime your attendees.
Have on-site food that is good, and serve alcohol with it.
Have a single-track.
Pick speakers very, very well.
Pick a great location.
Visit the location well beforehand (months) and talk to the people who run the facility.
Get to know your vendors.
Give attendees decent take-home items (pens, pads, etc.
) that won't be thrown away immediately.
Provide maps.
Make sure the program is trivially easy to use.
Make sure the conference site is trivially easy to find.
Have a good web site that's easy to navigate.
Make it easy for potentially interested attendees to contact you.
Advertise.  Promise the best experience ever, and follow through.
Make sure your finances are well-planned so that if something goes wrong, you, and your attendees, aren't screwed.
Ask for feedback, and take it to heart.
Hire an A/V person and tell them that under no circumstances are they allowed to dim the lights (or promise a big bonus if that never happens), and that they should feel free to interrupt speakers to adjust microphones until such time as the speakers are clearly audible.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360232</id>
	<title>I'm as bad about making jokes</title>
	<author>ClosedSource</author>
	<datestamp>1260195480000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>as everyone else here, but obviously this isn't a place where you can ask a question and expect a worthwhile response.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>as everyone else here , but obviously this is n't a place where you can ask a question and expect a worthwhile response .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>as everyone else here, but obviously this isn't a place where you can ask a question and expect a worthwhile response.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358662</id>
	<title>Re:If its free, give me three!</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185460000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext>Cheap hookers?</htmltext>
<tokenext>Cheap hookers ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Cheap hookers?</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30365740</id>
	<title>Re:Location Location Location...</title>
	<author>ResidentSourcerer</author>
	<datestamp>1260289920000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I've attended only one conference, and left two days early.</p><p>I've looked at attending other conferences but came up against the following stumbling blocks:</p><p>1.  Expense: A 5 day conference will typically cost me or my boss $400-500 per day to attend.  Add another $100-200/day for hotel and meals, and $500-1000 to fly there and back.  As someone who had a $8000 budget for servers, network, internet connectivity and repairs I could not justify this to my boss.</p><p>2.  Subject matter:  There needs to be enough material that isn't just a rehash of an O'Reilly book that interests me.  Going to a conference and finding only one session per day that has any interest for me is a loss.</p><p>3.  Time:  Most conferences are non-local.  A three day conference takes a full week with transport.</p><p>The one advantage of these conferences is they give me leverage:  I put together a proposal to my boss one year to go to SANS.  He had no budget for it, but at the end of the talk I asked for an open ticket for any computer books I wanted.  He ended up agreeing to up to $1000/year in books for my 'professional development'.</p><p>The conference mechanism right now has a single tier:  SANS is a one shot event in a really big city with several thousand attendees.  And for the top couple thousand people in the trade, this is a good thing.  However there is a market for a lower level tier of conferences.</p><p>In this tier a better model would be to cooperate with local learning institutions to provide venues and provide 'micro schools' These would be local:  You drive there in the morning, and go home at night.  These would be small:  Typical attendance would be 300-600 people.  They would be cheap: Attendance at a session would be at a price comparable in per hour costs to going to a movie or university extension course costs.</p><p>At such a venue some of the costs would be defrayed by local reps of major companies putting on infomercial sessions on their product.  May or may not have an associated trade show.</p><p>So, for example, it may make sense after SANS to have SANS road trip. Or take vids of all the sessions, and for a much cheaper fee, you can subscribe to the vids.  Or get a printed or PDF copy of all the papers presented at the conference.</p><p>We have an annual green conference here in Edmonton every fall.  It's primarily for horticulture, turf, arborists and the associated trades.  They have a public trade show.  They also have 3 streams of sessions over the 2.5 day course.  The price for attending the show is $350 per person.  This year there was one session that would have held interest for me.  I didn't attend.  $160/day would have been worth it had there been 3-4 sessions per day I wanted to go to.  If I could have bought a ticket to the one session I wanted to go to for $20 I probably would have gone.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I 've attended only one conference , and left two days early.I 've looked at attending other conferences but came up against the following stumbling blocks : 1 .
Expense : A 5 day conference will typically cost me or my boss $ 400-500 per day to attend .
Add another $ 100-200/day for hotel and meals , and $ 500-1000 to fly there and back .
As someone who had a $ 8000 budget for servers , network , internet connectivity and repairs I could not justify this to my boss.2 .
Subject matter : There needs to be enough material that is n't just a rehash of an O'Reilly book that interests me .
Going to a conference and finding only one session per day that has any interest for me is a loss.3 .
Time : Most conferences are non-local .
A three day conference takes a full week with transport.The one advantage of these conferences is they give me leverage : I put together a proposal to my boss one year to go to SANS .
He had no budget for it , but at the end of the talk I asked for an open ticket for any computer books I wanted .
He ended up agreeing to up to $ 1000/year in books for my 'professional development'.The conference mechanism right now has a single tier : SANS is a one shot event in a really big city with several thousand attendees .
And for the top couple thousand people in the trade , this is a good thing .
However there is a market for a lower level tier of conferences.In this tier a better model would be to cooperate with local learning institutions to provide venues and provide 'micro schools ' These would be local : You drive there in the morning , and go home at night .
These would be small : Typical attendance would be 300-600 people .
They would be cheap : Attendance at a session would be at a price comparable in per hour costs to going to a movie or university extension course costs.At such a venue some of the costs would be defrayed by local reps of major companies putting on infomercial sessions on their product .
May or may not have an associated trade show.So , for example , it may make sense after SANS to have SANS road trip .
Or take vids of all the sessions , and for a much cheaper fee , you can subscribe to the vids .
Or get a printed or PDF copy of all the papers presented at the conference.We have an annual green conference here in Edmonton every fall .
It 's primarily for horticulture , turf , arborists and the associated trades .
They have a public trade show .
They also have 3 streams of sessions over the 2.5 day course .
The price for attending the show is $ 350 per person .
This year there was one session that would have held interest for me .
I did n't attend .
$ 160/day would have been worth it had there been 3-4 sessions per day I wanted to go to .
If I could have bought a ticket to the one session I wanted to go to for $ 20 I probably would have gone .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I've attended only one conference, and left two days early.I've looked at attending other conferences but came up against the following stumbling blocks:1.
Expense: A 5 day conference will typically cost me or my boss $400-500 per day to attend.
Add another $100-200/day for hotel and meals, and $500-1000 to fly there and back.
As someone who had a $8000 budget for servers, network, internet connectivity and repairs I could not justify this to my boss.2.
Subject matter:  There needs to be enough material that isn't just a rehash of an O'Reilly book that interests me.
Going to a conference and finding only one session per day that has any interest for me is a loss.3.
Time:  Most conferences are non-local.
A three day conference takes a full week with transport.The one advantage of these conferences is they give me leverage:  I put together a proposal to my boss one year to go to SANS.
He had no budget for it, but at the end of the talk I asked for an open ticket for any computer books I wanted.
He ended up agreeing to up to $1000/year in books for my 'professional development'.The conference mechanism right now has a single tier:  SANS is a one shot event in a really big city with several thousand attendees.
And for the top couple thousand people in the trade, this is a good thing.
However there is a market for a lower level tier of conferences.In this tier a better model would be to cooperate with local learning institutions to provide venues and provide 'micro schools' These would be local:  You drive there in the morning, and go home at night.
These would be small:  Typical attendance would be 300-600 people.
They would be cheap: Attendance at a session would be at a price comparable in per hour costs to going to a movie or university extension course costs.At such a venue some of the costs would be defrayed by local reps of major companies putting on infomercial sessions on their product.
May or may not have an associated trade show.So, for example, it may make sense after SANS to have SANS road trip.
Or take vids of all the sessions, and for a much cheaper fee, you can subscribe to the vids.
Or get a printed or PDF copy of all the papers presented at the conference.We have an annual green conference here in Edmonton every fall.
It's primarily for horticulture, turf, arborists and the associated trades.
They have a public trade show.
They also have 3 streams of sessions over the 2.5 day course.
The price for attending the show is $350 per person.
This year there was one session that would have held interest for me.
I didn't attend.
$160/day would have been worth it had there been 3-4 sessions per day I wanted to go to.
If I could have bought a ticket to the one session I wanted to go to for $20 I probably would have gone.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363950</id>
	<title>Joel Valdez - www.valdezjoel.com</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260280140000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Well, i think that making money for the first conference should not be the goal, but to make indirect money.</p><p>I think that you should make the conference FREE to the public, and make the sponsors support the conference.</p><p>The second is the topics in the conference: Virtualization, Unified Communications..... but, all the topics have to be oriented to business not to technical stuff.</p><p>People are also looking for free stuff a nice hotels places to go.</p><p>Summary:</p><p>Funny<br>Interesting<br>Free</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Well , i think that making money for the first conference should not be the goal , but to make indirect money.I think that you should make the conference FREE to the public , and make the sponsors support the conference.The second is the topics in the conference : Virtualization , Unified Communications..... but , all the topics have to be oriented to business not to technical stuff.People are also looking for free stuff a nice hotels places to go.Summary : FunnyInterestingFree</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Well, i think that making money for the first conference should not be the goal, but to make indirect money.I think that you should make the conference FREE to the public, and make the sponsors support the conference.The second is the topics in the conference: Virtualization, Unified Communications..... but, all the topics have to be oriented to business not to technical stuff.People are also looking for free stuff a nice hotels places to go.Summary:FunnyInterestingFree</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358498</id>
	<title>Probably?</title>
	<author>sanermind</author>
	<datestamp>1260184620000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>I look for technical software engineering lectures, etc, in a conference. Then again, I'm an engineer and not in management. Give me PHP over PHB any day!<nobr> <wbr></nobr>;)
<br> <br>
But, seriously, a conference should tend to focus on the greater community... developers -and- management to some extent. The bigger the tent, the more to fill it.</htmltext>
<tokenext>I look for technical software engineering lectures , etc , in a conference .
Then again , I 'm an engineer and not in management .
Give me PHP over PHB any day !
; ) But , seriously , a conference should tend to focus on the greater community... developers -and- management to some extent .
The bigger the tent , the more to fill it .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I look for technical software engineering lectures, etc, in a conference.
Then again, I'm an engineer and not in management.
Give me PHP over PHB any day!
;)
 
But, seriously, a conference should tend to focus on the greater community... developers -and- management to some extent.
The bigger the tent, the more to fill it.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359902</id>
	<title>What Do I Look For In a Conference?</title>
	<author>Hurricane78</author>
	<datestamp>1260192660000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Same as in meetings: The DOOR and the CLOCK of course! ^^</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Same as in meetings : The DOOR and the CLOCK of course !
^ ^</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Same as in meetings: The DOOR and the CLOCK of course!
^^</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358992</id>
	<title>cut cloth to suit?</title>
	<author>lililalancia</author>
	<datestamp>1260187260000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Hi

Reckon everyone is counting pennies just at the minute..

Does it really warrant a physical location? can it not be done online?

Just my English 2p

Bry</htmltext>
<tokenext>Hi Reckon everyone is counting pennies just at the minute. . Does it really warrant a physical location ?
can it not be done online ?
Just my English 2p Bry</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Hi

Reckon everyone is counting pennies just at the minute..

Does it really warrant a physical location?
can it not be done online?
Just my English 2p

Bry</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359486</id>
	<title>Re:Teach me something I can't with a Google search</title>
	<author>pz</author>
	<datestamp>1260189840000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p><div class="quote"><p>That's it, basically. For IT people, finding information is *easy*. Why would I go to your conference, when everything you have to say is available for free from some website (and I *guarantee* it is).</p></div><p>Agreed.  Why should we have conferences at all when such things like Google and Skype exist?</p><p>The organizers need to be able to answer that question without hesitation, and in detail, or will face certain failure.  Answers exist (I run a conference, so have thought long and hard about this), but they aren't necessarily the ones that immediately come to mind.  Mostly, it isn't about learning and teaching, but is about making good professional contacts, the sort of contacts that would be considered colleagues.  It's also about encouraging and supporting the kinds of interactions and discussions that are not possible *except* in a conference environment.  The organizers need to understand what they can offer that is above and beyond Google/Skype/telephones/email/etc.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>That 's it , basically .
For IT people , finding information is * easy * .
Why would I go to your conference , when everything you have to say is available for free from some website ( and I * guarantee * it is ) .Agreed .
Why should we have conferences at all when such things like Google and Skype exist ? The organizers need to be able to answer that question without hesitation , and in detail , or will face certain failure .
Answers exist ( I run a conference , so have thought long and hard about this ) , but they are n't necessarily the ones that immediately come to mind .
Mostly , it is n't about learning and teaching , but is about making good professional contacts , the sort of contacts that would be considered colleagues .
It 's also about encouraging and supporting the kinds of interactions and discussions that are not possible * except * in a conference environment .
The organizers need to understand what they can offer that is above and beyond Google/Skype/telephones/email/etc .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>That's it, basically.
For IT people, finding information is *easy*.
Why would I go to your conference, when everything you have to say is available for free from some website (and I *guarantee* it is).Agreed.
Why should we have conferences at all when such things like Google and Skype exist?The organizers need to be able to answer that question without hesitation, and in detail, or will face certain failure.
Answers exist (I run a conference, so have thought long and hard about this), but they aren't necessarily the ones that immediately come to mind.
Mostly, it isn't about learning and teaching, but is about making good professional contacts, the sort of contacts that would be considered colleagues.
It's also about encouraging and supporting the kinds of interactions and discussions that are not possible *except* in a conference environment.
The organizers need to understand what they can offer that is above and beyond Google/Skype/telephones/email/etc.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359340</id>
	<title>The One True Answer</title>
	<author>sexconker</author>
	<datestamp>1260188940000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Free food.</p><p>Swag?  Puh-lease.<br>I'm hungry!</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Free food.Swag ?
Puh-lease.I 'm hungry !</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Free food.Swag?
Puh-lease.I'm hungry!</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358894</id>
	<title>Missed the Mark</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186660000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>IT Pros understand project management. Maybe not to nth degree, but enough to know their part in the process. The problem with program management in IT is that managers don't understand IT and the workload placed on their IT staff. They care about "production" and deliverables, but miss the importance of maintaining baselines. If you have a conference on program management and target IT Pros, you're only going to get guys who's managers tell them to go.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>IT Pros understand project management .
Maybe not to nth degree , but enough to know their part in the process .
The problem with program management in IT is that managers do n't understand IT and the workload placed on their IT staff .
They care about " production " and deliverables , but miss the importance of maintaining baselines .
If you have a conference on program management and target IT Pros , you 're only going to get guys who 's managers tell them to go .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>IT Pros understand project management.
Maybe not to nth degree, but enough to know their part in the process.
The problem with program management in IT is that managers don't understand IT and the workload placed on their IT staff.
They care about "production" and deliverables, but miss the importance of maintaining baselines.
If you have a conference on program management and target IT Pros, you're only going to get guys who's managers tell them to go.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772</id>
	<title>Interesting Topic, Great Location, Great Speakers</title>
	<author>pz</author>
	<datestamp>1260186060000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Insightful</modclass>
	<modscore>5</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I run a biennial scientific conference.  The first two times we had it, it sold out (we had to turn people away); there is every indication that the next session in 2010 will be the same.</p><p>What makes it a successful conference?</p><p>1. Fantastic location (we chose a Greek island).</p><p>2. It's a little hard to get there, and a little expensive -- so people are committed to being at the conference.</p><p>3. We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.</p><p>4. There are plenty of breaks -- so people have good opportunities to interact with the speakers.</p><p>5. We have lots of time for discussion after each talk, and good moderators.  Also, the length of time for each talk is just long enough to present one idea in detail and depth.</p><p>6. All of the speakers are invited and meet three strict criteria: (a) they are widely recognized as experts in their field; (b) they give excellent presentations; (c) they are people you want to hang out with for a few days.  You would be surprised at how many potential speakers fail at one or more of those criteria, especially the last two.</p><p>7. We have separate periods for social interactions (a welcoming reception, and a final banquet).</p><p>8. The morning of the third day of our four day conference has no formal presentations, to help avoid attendee fatigue.</p><p>9. We serve alcohol during the poster presentations in the evening.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I run a biennial scientific conference .
The first two times we had it , it sold out ( we had to turn people away ) ; there is every indication that the next session in 2010 will be the same.What makes it a successful conference ? 1 .
Fantastic location ( we chose a Greek island ) .2 .
It 's a little hard to get there , and a little expensive -- so people are committed to being at the conference.3 .
We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.4 .
There are plenty of breaks -- so people have good opportunities to interact with the speakers.5 .
We have lots of time for discussion after each talk , and good moderators .
Also , the length of time for each talk is just long enough to present one idea in detail and depth.6 .
All of the speakers are invited and meet three strict criteria : ( a ) they are widely recognized as experts in their field ; ( b ) they give excellent presentations ; ( c ) they are people you want to hang out with for a few days .
You would be surprised at how many potential speakers fail at one or more of those criteria , especially the last two.7 .
We have separate periods for social interactions ( a welcoming reception , and a final banquet ) .8 .
The morning of the third day of our four day conference has no formal presentations , to help avoid attendee fatigue.9 .
We serve alcohol during the poster presentations in the evening .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I run a biennial scientific conference.
The first two times we had it, it sold out (we had to turn people away); there is every indication that the next session in 2010 will be the same.What makes it a successful conference?1.
Fantastic location (we chose a Greek island).2.
It's a little hard to get there, and a little expensive -- so people are committed to being at the conference.3.
We serve lunch on-site -- so people have good opportunities to be engaged.4.
There are plenty of breaks -- so people have good opportunities to interact with the speakers.5.
We have lots of time for discussion after each talk, and good moderators.
Also, the length of time for each talk is just long enough to present one idea in detail and depth.6.
All of the speakers are invited and meet three strict criteria: (a) they are widely recognized as experts in their field; (b) they give excellent presentations; (c) they are people you want to hang out with for a few days.
You would be surprised at how many potential speakers fail at one or more of those criteria, especially the last two.7.
We have separate periods for social interactions (a welcoming reception, and a final banquet).8.
The morning of the third day of our four day conference has no formal presentations, to help avoid attendee fatigue.9.
We serve alcohol during the poster presentations in the evening.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361520</id>
	<title>networking peers</title>
	<author>Pirulo</author>
	<datestamp>1260205560000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><tt>In the small city where I live there's only 5 people on my field.<br>I go the confs so I can have some real face to face time with other peers who have become friends.<br><br>1./ pick a city where the local attendees can guaranty some attendance. (LA, SF, NY)<br>2./ make sure the venue is appropriate<br>3./ charge as little as possible<br>4./ let people have fun. Throw some party, have free beer time.<br>5./<nobr> <wbr></nobr>...<br>6./ forget about profit here</tt></htmltext>
<tokenext>In the small city where I live there 's only 5 people on my field.I go the confs so I can have some real face to face time with other peers who have become friends.1./ pick a city where the local attendees can guaranty some attendance .
( LA , SF , NY ) 2./ make sure the venue is appropriate3./ charge as little as possible4./ let people have fun .
Throw some party , have free beer time.5./ ...6./ forget about profit here</tokentext>
<sentencetext>In the small city where I live there's only 5 people on my field.I go the confs so I can have some real face to face time with other peers who have become friends.1./ pick a city where the local attendees can guaranty some attendance.
(LA, SF, NY)2./ make sure the venue is appropriate3./ charge as little as possible4./ let people have fun.
Throw some party, have free beer time.5./ ...6./ forget about profit here</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30364150</id>
	<title>Your conference is useless</title>
	<author>narcc</author>
	<datestamp>1260282300000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Just checked out your conference sessions <a href="http://www.worktamer.com/conference\_sessions.cfm" title="worktamer.com">http://www.worktamer.com/conference\_sessions.cfm</a> [worktamer.com]  it looks awful.  Just awful.</p><ol><li>Parachuting Into a Brownfield</li><li>Fail Fast and Succeed</li><li>Design Planning</li><li>Software Craftsmanship</li><li>Project Management: Old School</li><li>Running Better Meetings</li><li>Team Building</li><li>Time Management</li><li>How to Get Promoted and Dump Your Pager</li><li>Talk Your Way to the Top</li><li>Successful Telecommuting</li><li>My Co-workers Are 9000 Miles Away! How to Succeed on a Distributed Team</li><li>Doing Business with the Government of Canada</li><li>Women in Technology: Special Challenges &amp; Common Ground</li><li>Inbox Zero: The Art of Email</li><li>Zero to Blogger in One Hour</li></ol><p>Email and Blogging? Completely useless. Your attendees are supposed to be IT professionals for goodness sake! Just look at the description for the blogging session:</p><p><div class="quote"><p>In this session, Brent Ozar will spend 5-10 minutes showing you why it's important to blog, and then focus on the mechanics of building a blog. By the end of the session, you'll know exactly how to get started blogging and avoid many common pitfalls.</p> </div><p>I think IT professions can handle setting up a blog.  Even if you only attract the least competent people, why is the session only 5 to 10 minutes?  What value could this possible have?</p><p>The Women in Technology session comes out of nowhere.</p><p>Why your conference sucks:  You're trying to be everything to everybody, thinking that this will somehow attract more people.  All it's accomplished is to create an unfocused and completely useless conference.</p><p>Not that you'll read this -- your goal was to get free advertising on Slashdot.  Congratulations.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>Just checked out your conference sessions http : //www.worktamer.com/conference \ _sessions.cfm [ worktamer.com ] it looks awful .
Just awful.Parachuting Into a BrownfieldFail Fast and SucceedDesign PlanningSoftware CraftsmanshipProject Management : Old SchoolRunning Better MeetingsTeam BuildingTime ManagementHow to Get Promoted and Dump Your PagerTalk Your Way to the TopSuccessful TelecommutingMy Co-workers Are 9000 Miles Away !
How to Succeed on a Distributed TeamDoing Business with the Government of CanadaWomen in Technology : Special Challenges &amp; Common GroundInbox Zero : The Art of EmailZero to Blogger in One HourEmail and Blogging ?
Completely useless .
Your attendees are supposed to be IT professionals for goodness sake !
Just look at the description for the blogging session : In this session , Brent Ozar will spend 5-10 minutes showing you why it 's important to blog , and then focus on the mechanics of building a blog .
By the end of the session , you 'll know exactly how to get started blogging and avoid many common pitfalls .
I think IT professions can handle setting up a blog .
Even if you only attract the least competent people , why is the session only 5 to 10 minutes ?
What value could this possible have ? The Women in Technology session comes out of nowhere.Why your conference sucks : You 're trying to be everything to everybody , thinking that this will somehow attract more people .
All it 's accomplished is to create an unfocused and completely useless conference.Not that you 'll read this -- your goal was to get free advertising on Slashdot .
Congratulations .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Just checked out your conference sessions http://www.worktamer.com/conference\_sessions.cfm [worktamer.com]  it looks awful.
Just awful.Parachuting Into a BrownfieldFail Fast and SucceedDesign PlanningSoftware CraftsmanshipProject Management: Old SchoolRunning Better MeetingsTeam BuildingTime ManagementHow to Get Promoted and Dump Your PagerTalk Your Way to the TopSuccessful TelecommutingMy Co-workers Are 9000 Miles Away!
How to Succeed on a Distributed TeamDoing Business with the Government of CanadaWomen in Technology: Special Challenges &amp; Common GroundInbox Zero: The Art of EmailZero to Blogger in One HourEmail and Blogging?
Completely useless.
Your attendees are supposed to be IT professionals for goodness sake!
Just look at the description for the blogging session:In this session, Brent Ozar will spend 5-10 minutes showing you why it's important to blog, and then focus on the mechanics of building a blog.
By the end of the session, you'll know exactly how to get started blogging and avoid many common pitfalls.
I think IT professions can handle setting up a blog.
Even if you only attract the least competent people, why is the session only 5 to 10 minutes?
What value could this possible have?The Women in Technology session comes out of nowhere.Why your conference sucks:  You're trying to be everything to everybody, thinking that this will somehow attract more people.
All it's accomplished is to create an unfocused and completely useless conference.Not that you'll read this -- your goal was to get free advertising on Slashdot.
Congratulations.
	</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359180</id>
	<title>I can only tell you what I look in a con</title>
	<author>Opportunist</author>
	<datestamp>1260188160000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Interestin</modclass>
	<modscore>4</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I've had my share of security cons in my life. Invariably, whether I liked them or not boils down to a few simple points:</p><p>1) Interesting talks from interesting people. I don't want to hear about something I knew since 2 years ago from someone who was just accepted because nobody would willingly come. Have a lineup of people presenting something new and I'm there.</p><p>2) Spare the ad blitz. Concerning point 1, spare the corporate sponsored talks that peddle some of their latest crap and give little to no information. First, they're boring and second, the people who attend the cons I attend don't make the sales decisions anyway. I actually remember one talk by a certain poor fellow from a certain security company that I will not mention to protect the guilty who couldn't get his presentation done because everyone just started chattering amongst themselves without listening. And nobody was bothered by it. It was one of those "mandatory attendence" talks, so we were there. And made the best out of the situation. It was really embarrassing for the poor guy and him talking through a microphone kinda interfered with our conversation...</p><p>3) Make sure your guests feel welcome. Hire local students if you need cheap labour, but I want to get my registration done speedily and I want to have someone to ask organisational questions whenever I have one. It's kinda bugging me when I stand there and would like to know my way around and there's nobody to ask. Yes, signs help but not always. Also make sure the hotel bar has enough Vodka if you invite people from east/northeast Europe! GOOD VODKA! I can't stress it enough.</p><p>4) Don't put the most interesting talks at 9am. That Vodka needs time to settle, ya know...</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I 've had my share of security cons in my life .
Invariably , whether I liked them or not boils down to a few simple points : 1 ) Interesting talks from interesting people .
I do n't want to hear about something I knew since 2 years ago from someone who was just accepted because nobody would willingly come .
Have a lineup of people presenting something new and I 'm there.2 ) Spare the ad blitz .
Concerning point 1 , spare the corporate sponsored talks that peddle some of their latest crap and give little to no information .
First , they 're boring and second , the people who attend the cons I attend do n't make the sales decisions anyway .
I actually remember one talk by a certain poor fellow from a certain security company that I will not mention to protect the guilty who could n't get his presentation done because everyone just started chattering amongst themselves without listening .
And nobody was bothered by it .
It was one of those " mandatory attendence " talks , so we were there .
And made the best out of the situation .
It was really embarrassing for the poor guy and him talking through a microphone kinda interfered with our conversation...3 ) Make sure your guests feel welcome .
Hire local students if you need cheap labour , but I want to get my registration done speedily and I want to have someone to ask organisational questions whenever I have one .
It 's kinda bugging me when I stand there and would like to know my way around and there 's nobody to ask .
Yes , signs help but not always .
Also make sure the hotel bar has enough Vodka if you invite people from east/northeast Europe !
GOOD VODKA !
I ca n't stress it enough.4 ) Do n't put the most interesting talks at 9am .
That Vodka needs time to settle , ya know.. .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I've had my share of security cons in my life.
Invariably, whether I liked them or not boils down to a few simple points:1) Interesting talks from interesting people.
I don't want to hear about something I knew since 2 years ago from someone who was just accepted because nobody would willingly come.
Have a lineup of people presenting something new and I'm there.2) Spare the ad blitz.
Concerning point 1, spare the corporate sponsored talks that peddle some of their latest crap and give little to no information.
First, they're boring and second, the people who attend the cons I attend don't make the sales decisions anyway.
I actually remember one talk by a certain poor fellow from a certain security company that I will not mention to protect the guilty who couldn't get his presentation done because everyone just started chattering amongst themselves without listening.
And nobody was bothered by it.
It was one of those "mandatory attendence" talks, so we were there.
And made the best out of the situation.
It was really embarrassing for the poor guy and him talking through a microphone kinda interfered with our conversation...3) Make sure your guests feel welcome.
Hire local students if you need cheap labour, but I want to get my registration done speedily and I want to have someone to ask organisational questions whenever I have one.
It's kinda bugging me when I stand there and would like to know my way around and there's nobody to ask.
Yes, signs help but not always.
Also make sure the hotel bar has enough Vodka if you invite people from east/northeast Europe!
GOOD VODKA!
I can't stress it enough.4) Don't put the most interesting talks at 9am.
That Vodka needs time to settle, ya know...</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358898</id>
	<title>networking</title>
	<author>godrik</author>
	<datestamp>1260186720000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>It is unlikely that attending people will really learn something interesting in a conference. However, it is the perfect place to meet people; your next employer or your next employe.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>It is unlikely that attending people will really learn something interesting in a conference .
However , it is the perfect place to meet people ; your next employer or your next employe .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>It is unlikely that attending people will really learn something interesting in a conference.
However, it is the perfect place to meet people; your next employer or your next employe.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30403248</id>
	<title>Re:Free hookers like the climate conference</title>
	<author>tehcyder</author>
	<datestamp>1260553260000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><blockquote><div><p>They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card, according to the Web site avisen.dk.</p></div>
</blockquote><p>
Anyone got copy-able pics of the postcards and identity cards?  For research purposes only, of course.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card , according to the Web site avisen.dk .
Anyone got copy-able pics of the postcards and identity cards ?
For research purposes only , of course .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>They have now offered free sex to anyone who can produce one of the offending postcards and their COP15 identity card, according to the Web site avisen.dk.
Anyone got copy-able pics of the postcards and identity cards?
For research purposes only, of course.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358672</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360010</id>
	<title>Re:Teach me something I can't with a Google search</title>
	<author>belthize</author>
	<datestamp>1260193500000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>Completely agree.   I was a fairly regular attendee at SANS, LISA, Usenix type conferences from about 90 to 99.   Now I almost never go.   If I need to know something 30 minutes of Google is more than sufficient.</p><p>For a while going just to meet with vendors was useful but even that's old hat.   10-20 years ago most of the vendors front line were technically knowledgeable now they're just stock MBA sales teams talking about their forward looking expanding market to maximally leverage their virtual synergy.   Again if I want to know about a companies product simply googling: Manufacturer product [options, comparison, performance, complaints, price, issues, bugs] (pick one from list) will tell me all I need to know.</p><p>As far as bars, there's one down the street and my wife would almost certainly frown on meeting women so what's the point of a conference.</p><p>I can't even imagine attending a conference with topics like 'Remote Team Management' so possibly I'm too much of a Luddite to answer the original question effectively.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>Completely agree .
I was a fairly regular attendee at SANS , LISA , Usenix type conferences from about 90 to 99 .
Now I almost never go .
If I need to know something 30 minutes of Google is more than sufficient.For a while going just to meet with vendors was useful but even that 's old hat .
10-20 years ago most of the vendors front line were technically knowledgeable now they 're just stock MBA sales teams talking about their forward looking expanding market to maximally leverage their virtual synergy .
Again if I want to know about a companies product simply googling : Manufacturer product [ options , comparison , performance , complaints , price , issues , bugs ] ( pick one from list ) will tell me all I need to know.As far as bars , there 's one down the street and my wife would almost certainly frown on meeting women so what 's the point of a conference.I ca n't even imagine attending a conference with topics like 'Remote Team Management ' so possibly I 'm too much of a Luddite to answer the original question effectively .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Completely agree.
I was a fairly regular attendee at SANS, LISA, Usenix type conferences from about 90 to 99.
Now I almost never go.
If I need to know something 30 minutes of Google is more than sufficient.For a while going just to meet with vendors was useful but even that's old hat.
10-20 years ago most of the vendors front line were technically knowledgeable now they're just stock MBA sales teams talking about their forward looking expanding market to maximally leverage their virtual synergy.
Again if I want to know about a companies product simply googling: Manufacturer product [options, comparison, performance, complaints, price, issues, bugs] (pick one from list) will tell me all I need to know.As far as bars, there's one down the street and my wife would almost certainly frown on meeting women so what's the point of a conference.I can't even imagine attending a conference with topics like 'Remote Team Management' so possibly I'm too much of a Luddite to answer the original question effectively.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362878</id>
	<title>Re:Unfortunately, they're not</title>
	<author>AlXtreme</author>
	<datestamp>1260265080000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><blockquote><div><p>I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting.</p></div></blockquote><p>Meeting face to face is more effective, helps you to get to know other people and do business. I agree with you that conferences can be a waste of time &amp; funds, however what counts is the face time \_after\_ that 2 hour meeting or half-day conference.</p><p>The important talks are held after meetings and conferences during drinks and dinner.</p></div>
	</htmltext>
<tokenext>I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting.Meeting face to face is more effective , helps you to get to know other people and do business .
I agree with you that conferences can be a waste of time &amp; funds , however what counts is the face time \ _after \ _ that 2 hour meeting or half-day conference.The important talks are held after meetings and conferences during drinks and dinner .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I never did understand the stupidity of flying across the country just for a 2 hour meeting.Meeting face to face is more effective, helps you to get to know other people and do business.
I agree with you that conferences can be a waste of time &amp; funds, however what counts is the face time \_after\_ that 2 hour meeting or half-day conference.The important talks are held after meetings and conferences during drinks and dinner.
	</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361404</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359364</id>
	<title>Medium conflicts with message.</title>
	<author>goodmanj</author>
	<datestamp>1260189120000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>So hang on.  You're holding a face-to-face social event to help antisocial people gain more comfort and skill in handling face-to-face social situations?</p><p>And you're surprised that nobody showed up?</p><p>Next time, why not hold a conference on "Conquering Acrophobia" at the top of the Seattle Space Needle?</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>So hang on .
You 're holding a face-to-face social event to help antisocial people gain more comfort and skill in handling face-to-face social situations ? And you 're surprised that nobody showed up ? Next time , why not hold a conference on " Conquering Acrophobia " at the top of the Seattle Space Needle ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>So hang on.
You're holding a face-to-face social event to help antisocial people gain more comfort and skill in handling face-to-face social situations?And you're surprised that nobody showed up?Next time, why not hold a conference on "Conquering Acrophobia" at the top of the Seattle Space Needle?</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358704</id>
	<title>I look for...</title>
	<author>superslacker87</author>
	<datestamp>1260185700000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>A nice midwestern locale, a place where eleven is the new ten, good rivalries, a great ground game, and overall good defense.</p><p>In short, the Big Ten.</p><p>Wait, we're not talking college football here?</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>A nice midwestern locale , a place where eleven is the new ten , good rivalries , a great ground game , and overall good defense.In short , the Big Ten.Wait , we 're not talking college football here ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>A nice midwestern locale, a place where eleven is the new ten, good rivalries, a great ground game, and overall good defense.In short, the Big Ten.Wait, we're not talking college football here?</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360594</id>
	<title>What Do You Look For At a Conference?</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260198060000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p> What Do You Look For At a Conference?</p><p>The Bar</p><p>The bathrooms</p><p>The place where the hookers hang out</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>What Do You Look For At a Conference ? The BarThe bathroomsThe place where the hookers hang out</tokentext>
<sentencetext> What Do You Look For At a Conference?The BarThe bathroomsThe place where the hookers hang out</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358640</id>
	<title>Simple</title>
	<author>eln</author>
	<datestamp>1260185280000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>3</modscore>
	<htmltext>Pick any random 25 conference attendees.  If at least one of them doesn't end up waking up in a ditch on the side of a highway 50 miles from your conference with no memory of the preceding three days except vague flashes involving tequila, three midgets, and a donkey, the conference is too lame for anyone to go to.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Pick any random 25 conference attendees .
If at least one of them does n't end up waking up in a ditch on the side of a highway 50 miles from your conference with no memory of the preceding three days except vague flashes involving tequila , three midgets , and a donkey , the conference is too lame for anyone to go to .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Pick any random 25 conference attendees.
If at least one of them doesn't end up waking up in a ditch on the side of a highway 50 miles from your conference with no memory of the preceding three days except vague flashes involving tequila, three midgets, and a donkey, the conference is too lame for anyone to go to.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30394336</id>
	<title>SANS Catalog</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260440460000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I just received a catalog for the upcoming SANS 2010 training conferences.</p><p>$1,000 per day for six days.</p><p>Worth it?</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I just received a catalog for the upcoming SANS 2010 training conferences. $ 1,000 per day for six days.Worth it ?</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I just received a catalog for the upcoming SANS 2010 training conferences.$1,000 per day for six days.Worth it?</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358858</id>
	<title>Lack of interest</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260186480000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>To understand why people aren't interested in the conference, you should look at its purpose. If you go with the conventional wisdom that IT people are on average less soft-skilled than others, then this conference would have a lot to offer to a lot of people. However, why do these people stand to benefit from this in the first place? My guess would be that in most cases it's very closely tied to a conference about soft skills being just about the last thing they'd want to have anything to do with.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>To understand why people are n't interested in the conference , you should look at its purpose .
If you go with the conventional wisdom that IT people are on average less soft-skilled than others , then this conference would have a lot to offer to a lot of people .
However , why do these people stand to benefit from this in the first place ?
My guess would be that in most cases it 's very closely tied to a conference about soft skills being just about the last thing they 'd want to have anything to do with .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>To understand why people aren't interested in the conference, you should look at its purpose.
If you go with the conventional wisdom that IT people are on average less soft-skilled than others, then this conference would have a lot to offer to a lot of people.
However, why do these people stand to benefit from this in the first place?
My guess would be that in most cases it's very closely tied to a conference about soft skills being just about the last thing they'd want to have anything to do with.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358486</id>
	<title>CmdrTaco and kdawson crave dicks</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260184560000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Troll</modclass>
	<modscore>-1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I saw them at the glory hole last night sucking at least 3 cocks a piece while having their micropeens jerked off with tweezers by two other dudes.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I saw them at the glory hole last night sucking at least 3 cocks a piece while having their micropeens jerked off with tweezers by two other dudes .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I saw them at the glory hole last night sucking at least 3 cocks a piece while having their micropeens jerked off with tweezers by two other dudes.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358570</id>
	<title>Unfortunately, they're not</title>
	<author>geekboybt</author>
	<datestamp>1260184980000</datestamp>
	<modclass>Informativ</modclass>
	<modscore>5</modscore>
	<htmltext>My employer deals almost entirely with higher ed clients. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, our customers basically *aren't* looking to go to conferences. Instead of our yearly training, which goes for 3 solid days, and costs over $1000, we're doing webcasts once a week for free. The end cost to us is about the same (we don't aim to profit off the conferences monetarily, so they break even, and WebEx is relatively cheap), they're getting the training they need, and our customers are happier.
<br> <br>
So, to answer your question, I'd say they're either not looking for a conference, or for something really cheap. Try again when the economy picks up.</htmltext>
<tokenext>My employer deals almost entirely with higher ed clients .
Unfortunately , due to budget cuts , our customers basically * are n't * looking to go to conferences .
Instead of our yearly training , which goes for 3 solid days , and costs over $ 1000 , we 're doing webcasts once a week for free .
The end cost to us is about the same ( we do n't aim to profit off the conferences monetarily , so they break even , and WebEx is relatively cheap ) , they 're getting the training they need , and our customers are happier .
So , to answer your question , I 'd say they 're either not looking for a conference , or for something really cheap .
Try again when the economy picks up .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>My employer deals almost entirely with higher ed clients.
Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, our customers basically *aren't* looking to go to conferences.
Instead of our yearly training, which goes for 3 solid days, and costs over $1000, we're doing webcasts once a week for free.
The end cost to us is about the same (we don't aim to profit off the conferences monetarily, so they break even, and WebEx is relatively cheap), they're getting the training they need, and our customers are happier.
So, to answer your question, I'd say they're either not looking for a conference, or for something really cheap.
Try again when the economy picks up.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358924</id>
	<title>Famous names</title>
	<author>g01d4</author>
	<datestamp>1260186840000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Otherwise it's what the other posters say, get it from google or go on a boondoggle.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Otherwise it 's what the other posters say , get it from google or go on a boondoggle .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Otherwise it's what the other posters say, get it from google or go on a boondoggle.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358692</id>
	<title>Wireless?</title>
	<author>Anonymous</author>
	<datestamp>1260185580000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>0</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I only go to conferences to use the free wireless. And also the free power.</p><p>Too bad for the plane ticket and the conference fee.</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I only go to conferences to use the free wireless .
And also the free power.Too bad for the plane ticket and the conference fee .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I only go to conferences to use the free wireless.
And also the free power.Too bad for the plane ticket and the conference fee.</sentencetext>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361542</id>
	<title>Re:Oh my God!</title>
	<author>Tablizer</author>
	<datestamp>1260205680000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext><p>I'm with you on the babes, boobs, booze, and beef [1], but there also needs to be some <b>nerdy fun</b>, such as:</p><p>* Giant penguin for photo ops</p><p>* Bill Gates impersonator dunk tank; extra points for a one-way lid</p><p>* Case mods that look like toilets and toilets that look like case mods (careful to check when drunk).</p><p>* Perl obfuscation contest using boothbabe body paint</p><p>* Emacs vs. Vi food-fight in the caf</p><p>* Chair-tossing/monkey-dance contest</p><p>* A dark, quiet basement-like room with wifi in case we need a break from all that human contact.</p><p>[1] Try saying the 4 B's fast</p></htmltext>
<tokenext>I 'm with you on the babes , boobs , booze , and beef [ 1 ] , but there also needs to be some nerdy fun , such as : * Giant penguin for photo ops * Bill Gates impersonator dunk tank ; extra points for a one-way lid * Case mods that look like toilets and toilets that look like case mods ( careful to check when drunk ) .
* Perl obfuscation contest using boothbabe body paint * Emacs vs. Vi food-fight in the caf * Chair-tossing/monkey-dance contest * A dark , quiet basement-like room with wifi in case we need a break from all that human contact .
[ 1 ] Try saying the 4 B 's fast</tokentext>
<sentencetext>I'm with you on the babes, boobs, booze, and beef [1], but there also needs to be some nerdy fun, such as:* Giant penguin for photo ops* Bill Gates impersonator dunk tank; extra points for a one-way lid* Case mods that look like toilets and toilets that look like case mods (careful to check when drunk).
* Perl obfuscation contest using boothbabe body paint* Emacs vs. Vi food-fight in the caf* Chair-tossing/monkey-dance contest* A dark, quiet basement-like room with wifi in case we need a break from all that human contact.
[1] Try saying the 4 B's fast</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502</parent>
</comment>
<comment>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358770</id>
	<title>Re:Oh my God!</title>
	<author>pla</author>
	<datestamp>1260186060000</datestamp>
	<modclass>None</modclass>
	<modscore>1</modscore>
	<htmltext>Why did the parent get modded troll?  "Crude humor", perhaps, but hardly a troll.<br>
<br>
Although we may well go for less base reasons, let's not act all stuck-up about it.  We go to these events
for two reasons - Our jobs force us to; or our jobs "allow" us to, pay for it, and will count the three days in
Vegas as actually "working".<br>
<br>
Now, if I see some cool toys relating to my profession while there, yeah, I might chat up the poor bastard at the
booth about what he has.  But at every single convention I've ever seen, you can predict per-location attendance
simply by considering in attractiveness of the booth babes, and whether or not they give away free stuff.  One or
the other?  You get a normal level.  Both?  You have lines waiting to talk to you.  Neither?  Hope you brought a
good book to read.</htmltext>
<tokenext>Why did the parent get modded troll ?
" Crude humor " , perhaps , but hardly a troll .
Although we may well go for less base reasons , let 's not act all stuck-up about it .
We go to these events for two reasons - Our jobs force us to ; or our jobs " allow " us to , pay for it , and will count the three days in Vegas as actually " working " .
Now , if I see some cool toys relating to my profession while there , yeah , I might chat up the poor bastard at the booth about what he has .
But at every single convention I 've ever seen , you can predict per-location attendance simply by considering in attractiveness of the booth babes , and whether or not they give away free stuff .
One or the other ?
You get a normal level .
Both ? You have lines waiting to talk to you .
Neither ? Hope you brought a good book to read .</tokentext>
<sentencetext>Why did the parent get modded troll?
"Crude humor", perhaps, but hardly a troll.
Although we may well go for less base reasons, let's not act all stuck-up about it.
We go to these events
for two reasons - Our jobs force us to; or our jobs "allow" us to, pay for it, and will count the three days in
Vegas as actually "working".
Now, if I see some cool toys relating to my profession while there, yeah, I might chat up the poor bastard at the
booth about what he has.
But at every single convention I've ever seen, you can predict per-location attendance
simply by considering in attractiveness of the booth babes, and whether or not they give away free stuff.
One or
the other?
You get a normal level.
Both?  You have lines waiting to talk to you.
Neither?  Hope you brought a
good book to read.</sentencetext>
	<parent>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502</parent>
</comment>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_18</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362462
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_8</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361378
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_17</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358770
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_11</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358712
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359580
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_15</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30371660
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_19</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30365740
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_1</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358672
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30403248
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_22</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363062
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_5</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362980
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_20</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361542
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_9</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359486
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_12</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360500
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_21</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363162
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_3</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359840
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_2</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360944
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_16</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358760
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359932
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_7</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358918
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359208
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_6</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358570
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361404
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362878
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_10</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361430
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_0</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358662
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_14</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360010
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_4</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363042
</commentlist>
</thread>
<thread>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#thread_09_12_07_206248_13</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500
http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358714
</commentlist>
</thread>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.5</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358640
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.3</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359180
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.15</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358500
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358714
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358662
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.13</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358502
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361542
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358770
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359840
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362980
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.6</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358712
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359580
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.9</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358570
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361404
--http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362878
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.4</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358772
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30371660
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363162
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.7</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358734
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.8</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30364150
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.1</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358672
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30403248
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.20</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358700
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.2</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358506
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.0</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358492
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358760
--http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359932
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360944
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361378
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30365740
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363062
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.18</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362846
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.12</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360016
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.10</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359028
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.19</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358796
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30361430
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30363042
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360500
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.16</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358918
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359208
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.17</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358648
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.14</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30358674
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30362462
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360010
-http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30359486
</commentlist>
</conversation>
<conversation>
	<id>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#conversation09_12_07_206248.11</id>
	<commentlist>http://www.semanticweb.org/ontologies/ConversationInstances.owl#comment09_12_07_206248.30360490
</commentlist>
</conversation>
