2. If there is one piece of advice I have Comfortable Shoes
3. Before the event Know yourself Where your skills are and what levels they are What you need to know in the future Identify Trends What is hot? What is new? channel9.msdn.com Get plenty of sleep that weekend before – cause it is a VERY busy event
5. Decoder Ring APS309 Format: Track, level, session index APS – Application Server 3 – Level 1 – Hello World 2 – Hello Work 3 – Deep and Shiny 4 – Seriously DEEP! 09 – Unique Identifier
6. Don’t judge a session by it’s cover Title: Power features in .NET 4: Investigating the features of .NET 4 which you don’t know about Abstract: The .NET 4 Framework has over 100 new and improved features! Do you know them all? This demo-heavy talk is perfect for those who never have used .NET 4 and want to upgrade their skills as well as developers using it today wanting to learn something new! We will cover some of the big features you may have seen and a lot of the smaller power features that you may not have seen. These features will make your life as a developer easier!
7. Session Hints There are five video sessions These are videos of US Tech-Ed Sessions AVOID! You can download and watch later Check the description & title carefully
9. Sessions Take paper & pen and take notes! (sessions are not recorded) Ask questions during the talk If/when possible Presenters prefer it to those who come up afterwards because you share with all. FEEDBACK! Rate the sessions, this is very important to the speakers. Provide comments, these are read and make it better. This is real time, so you can influence speakers and the event!
10. Micropolis Expo centre has a fancy new name LOTS of work being put in there this year Only open on Wed & Thur So don’t leave it too late to visit Really worth an hour or so to visit each stand!
11. Partner Summit Partner Summit is another Microsoft conference Focuses on Microsoft Partners, sales, marketing etc… Co-hosted for first time with Tech-Ed Joint opening keynote, opening party & closing party So some session rooms will be Partner Summit only
12. Networking Engage the presenters & the media The Expo Especially the Community Booth Ask The Experts Stand Twitter: @teched_africa #TechEdAfrica Don’t walk into random rooms Else you may be locked in
15. Thanks for some of my new 2011 tips Pieter Germishuys @pgermishuys Samantha Perry @samanthaperry
Notas do Editor
It is a BIG event, and every hour you are walking, then standing for coffee, then queue for bus, then stand in the passage and network – comfortable shows are key.
Proper planning is key to making sure you are ready for the event, there is very little time there so make sure you plan ahead.
The session catalogue is available before the event and during the event and it is a VITAL tool for successful planning for the event.
All sessions have a code associated to them it is made up of three parts, the track (i.e. high level what it is about), the level (how complex is it), and the index (first, second etc…) Use the level and track to plan what sessions you are attending
Sometimes the title isn’t enough info, take time to ready the abstracts.
There are two types of sessions, break outs where someone stands up and presents on stage. This are the big rooms and the big talks are there. The other type is whiteboards which are smaller sessions, often more interactive. I find the whiteboard more fun, but I enjoy talking to the speakers and learning. Breakouts are great too especially when there is a new tech being discussed (lightswitch last year comes to mind)
This is a VITAL aspect of this event, if you do not make a new friend at TechEd you have failed. There are plenty of ways to do that, first just speak to the presenters (they love it). The media is also there and worth engaging with (just remember what is on the record).The expo is a great place to meet many companes and network – take the time to explore it (and get the free stuff)The community booth is a special area for user groups and presenters to meet you and then, take some time to pop past multiple times.ATE is a special event that “forces” all the presenters and staff to meet over drinks in a central place so if you want to meet someone, this is a great opportunity.Don’t walk into random rooms – in 2010 Aki, famous techno journo needed to interview someone, he found an empty room and entered…. Then tweeted later for someone to unlock the doors.
DevIdol is a competition which is open to all attendees (no media, staff or presenters) and you get a few minutes (5min?) to present. You are rated and the winner gets to be a presenter (plus all the perks) at TechEd 2012!This is a great thing to do, I recommend it to all (William Brander won it last year). If you are not the speaker type, then come and watch. You see a bunch of speakers and have a TON of laughs at it. Some awesome fun for a few hours.
