The Microsoft Stack: Getting the Most out of Technical Conferences

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The Microsoft Stack: Getting the Most out of Technical Conferences
By Patrick Hynds

July 1, 2008 —

As of this writing, I am on my way to Tech·Ed 2008 in Orlando, and I am thinking about what today’s technical person gets out of a large tech conference—with some particular emphasis on Tech·Ed and the other Microsoft-run conferences.

This year, Microsoft has adopted the model used for European Tech·Eds of splitting into different weeks the developer content and the IT pro (infrastructure) content. Time will tell, but I think this is a good change, since it lets the attendees pick what most matters to them. The keynotes, labs and even the extracurriculars should be better for everyone because their focus is sharpened.

But for those, like me, who play on both sides, it means either taking two weeks for a conference (not reasonable for the vast majority) or picking one. Since this kind of hybridism is pretty rare, I think the move to separate the content is justified, especially given the explosion of information we need just to get the job done these days.

So assuming the split conference weeks is a good thing, what value is to be had, in general, and more to the point, is it worth your time, and mine, to go?

Like all non-trivial questions, the answer is a bit nuanced. How do you assimilate information? If you actually read the manual, then you are unlikely to be interested in a conference for the session content. If you value the human interaction and the ability to ask a question in person, then there is no substitute for Tech·Ed.

I often see large groups of people waiting with a question or two about their real-world problem for the speaker after a session. Much of the time, the result is that if they get their burning and strategic question answered or even advanced toward an answer, then the whole cost of attendance seems worth it. It isn’t quite free consulting, since you have to pay to get there and pay to get in, but you are unlikely to find a gathering of people with such critical knowledge more interested in helping you than at a conference sponsored by the vendor. Even the non-MS speakers want to keep everyone happy. So if you are attending and aren’t gathering up those questions before you leave, you are missing a major advantage.

Architects and CTO types benefit from seeing the future painted by the people who are actually building the technology. Often, the Microsoft executives do not actually know yet how you and I will contort their technology to service our respective business models, though that doesn’t take away from the value of our hearing about it early. I would say that if you bother to read a column like this, then you could get something worthwhile from attending these conferences.

Once you decide it is worth going, the best thing to do is to ensure you get the most out of the time and investment. Plan an agenda, look at who is presenting and what the topics look like. Think of this in terms of shopping for technical training. The most important single factor for training is the capability of the presenter, since his or her talent can make up for massive problems with the content and the venue. But a bad presenter can make a gripping topic discussed under ideal conditions feel like torture.

I know many regular conference attendees, myself included, that are more drawn to attend sessions by presenters known to be good than to dogmatically sit in sessions by technology topic. We do not always know what it is that will make our life easiest for the coming year. Maybe that Active Directory presenter has moved to a new track but is still dealing with identity issues, with a security slant that you should know more about to solve that thorny authentication project. If nothing else, look at the topic lists and pick some technology that you don’t know you need to understand or don’t even have a clue about and see if you can fit it into your schedule.

Lastly, when attending one of these massive conferences, like Tech·Ed, always have a plan B session or activity for each timeslot in case your plan A goes bust (cancelled, rescheduled, full or just too bad to sit through).

I only sit up front for sessions I know I will stay in for the duration for this very reason.

Patrick Hynds, president of CriticalSites and a Microsoft Regional Director, can be reached at phynds@criticalsites.com.

Related Search Term(s): Microsoft

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