The Microsoft Stack: Getting the Most out of Technical Conferences

By Patrick Hynds

July 1, 2008 —  (Page 1 of 3)

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.

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