360Flex Asks for My Opinion, Well Here It Is (like it or not)
360Flex's Tom Ortega wants our opinions about what we want or don't want when it comes to attending a 360Flex.
First off, what the hell is wrong with you, Tom? You're asking your customers what they want?
No conference I've ever attended has asked directly (well, kind of directly) what I wanted before the conference. I was overjoyed when Ted Patrick announced that this year's MAX was going to be better and more focused on the developers, and I was equally happy when he said that the event would be more like I had wanted it to be for years. But no one ever asked me for my opinion about my expectations. I remember sitting painfully through a session at the MAX 2004 in New Orleans where the presenter was obviously distressed about being a presenter. At the end of the session he confessed "This is the first time I've ever presented." WTF?!? That was not what I wanted from my MAX experience. This year's MAX was awesome.
Now, back to the questions from the 360Flex team. It seems that Tom and John are running a balancing act between a) food, b) paid speakers, and c) location. Let's take each of these one at a time.
Food: I hear what Tom is saying about food. Organizing a conference and dealing with conference center's food services, a requirement of most if not all conference centers, is a pain. And, yes, it is a racket. I thought that the food at the first 360Flex in San Jose, CA was great. Conference food is expensive and if you can't bring in your own caterer then I guess we're stuck. Get us the best deal you can and remember that no matter how good the food is, people are going to complain. Don't let people's ignorance get you down, Tom. They didn't come to the event to eat. At least they shouldn't have.
Paid Speakers: Do it. I'll pay more to attend a conference if I know that the conference is compensating the presenters. But I will also tell you this: if that presenter puts his presentation together "on the train on my way to the conference," I reserve the right to ask for a percentage of my money back. Not that I'll get it back, but it won't stop me from asking. And, yes, that happened at the first 360Flex conference, but I know that Tom and John have learned a lot of lessons since then.
Location: Chances are that any conference will eventually be held in Atlanta. If ever a 360Flex is held in Atlanta (or, God forbid, a MAX) then, yes, I will care what location it will be held at as I will either drive or take mass transit every day to that event. But if I am attending a 360Flex conference in San Jose or Seattle, then as long as I can get to and from the conference hotel and the airport, and to and from the conference hotel and conference floor easily then I don't really care where the conference is held. Of course, finding that balance is tough. MAX 2007 isn't exactly a showcase for location; I spent my fair share of $10.00 bills on taxis to avoid the crowded or late conference buses — but I am just seriously impatient.
Bottom line for me: if you have to raise prices to obtain the best speakers, then do it. But since you asked about the other things, I'll happily not complain if the speakers are awesome, but I don't like the food or am tired from moving my fat ass down the street. Tom and John, keep on keeping on.
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You can bet, if we move to a model (I think we will be) of paying more speaker expenses to get them at our events, we'll expect more than "I whipped this up the night before"
We're traditionally pretty lax on getting materials ahead of time, but if paying "for the down time if prepping and such" I might go medievil on some one who doesn't make the deadlines LOL.
Thanks for reading. And thanks for putting together 360Flex conferences. They are, indeed, an inspiration.