Introduction
Welcome to this week's
edition of the Tribune. Given that many of the SitePoint team (including
myself) are attending Web Directions South next week in Sydney, I thought
in this issue that we'd focus on the topic of conferences. I'll put
forward a case for why you should attend at least two every year.
But first of all, we need your feedback. It will only take two minutes
of your time, and you'll get the chance to win a SitePoint kit for your
efforts.
Then, we'll discuss why quality conferences are great value--you can
even make money from them! I'll give you some advice on how you can get
the most out of your conference experience.
We'll also take a look at some of the reviews of previous conferences on
the SitePoint web site. Looking through the archives, it seems there has
been one of the team at just about every major conference on the planet!
So what conference should you attend?
We'll wrap up by giving you a list of 15 conferences that are happening in
the next six months all over the world, with links to their web sites, so
you can research them in more detail.
Enjoy the read!
Miles Burke
tribune@sitepoint.com
ektron
What do you
want your website
to do?
Ektron CMS400.NET gives you all the tools you need to
create, deploy, and manage your Web site - all rolled into one
application
- Corporate Web Site: Put authoring in the hands of your
subject matter experts
- Intranet: support inter-departmental communication
- Social Networking Platform: Make your site an online
destination
- Web 2.0 Toolbox: Make your site more interactive & engaging
- Ektron Starter Sites: Build your site faster and smarter.
Version 7.5 now available! Watch an
INSTANT DEMO or download a
FREE TRIAL now
More Than a Penny for Your Thoughts
We're looking for your opinions on the SitePoint Tribune. With your
feedback, we can better provide the information that you want to
see. Not only will you feel all warm inside for helping us out, we'll even
sweeten the deal with a chance to win a copy of SitePoint's Web Design
Business Kit 2.0, which retails for US$247!
The survey ends next Friday (September 26th) and takes about two minutes
to complete, so please head on over to our simple
survey form and give us your opinion. Good luck!
Summary
Editor's Perspective
Why You Should Attend Two Conferences a Year
So why attend a conference? Let's start with education. You'll learn
more from attending one conference than all the books and blog posts you
can read in one month. This may sound like a tall order, but seriously, if
you are actively listening to the presenter, it's hard not to learn more
than by simply being there.
Secondly, the fact that you are there in person (as opposed to, say,
listening to a podcast) means that you participate in the full experience;
non-verbal cues (such as body language or facial expressions), as well as
presentation slides and Q&A sessions that are normally cut from the
podcast, are all factors that can make a session more rewarding, and
provide valuable insights too.
Then there's the networking. Some may derisively call it schmoozing,
however, this is a very important benefit of conferences that should not
be underestimated. The contacts that you can make by grabbing a meal or a
coffee during a break can be worth the cost of the conference alone. I've
won at least $50,000 worth of business just by attending the last two Web
Directions South conferences--and that's without even really trying!
I've also found that by socializing with the presenters, I learn more
about their areas of expertise than by just watching them on stage. I've
become friends with a few speakers as a result, and have regular email
dialogue now with my international contacts.
So how can you benefit the most from attending a conference? Here are
seven tips:
-
Gain as much advance notice of the schedule as you
can. Normally, with more than one stream, you'll need to make
some decisions--which presentations to watch and which ones to miss.
You'll want to read up on the presentation topics to ensure you make the
best choices. Bring along a list of your preferred schedule to avoid
missing an important session.
-
Make contact beforehand with other delegates you know
personally. If you're going by yourself, you can arrange to meet
for coffees and not feel so isolated. If you don't know anyone attending,
you might like to introduce yourself on the conference blog, or
alternatively, search the blog posts for other like-minded attendees and
arrange to meet up with them.
-
Stay for the whole conference. Don't get the day two
doldrums and skip sessions. It goes without saying that the presentation
you miss will be the one everyone raves about afterwards.
-
Don't be hesitant to ask questions. If they don't
cater for question time during the presentation, seek out the presenter at
the break and ask them; you'll be amazed at how approachable they are.
-
Schmooze. You'll meet loads of new people at the
social events that accompany these conferences, who may eventually become
friends, colleagues, employers, or clients. Be genuine though, and don't
set out to "work the room."
-
Buy the book. If they are selling books, get hold of
the ones you believe you'll benefit most from, and get them signed whilst
you're there. It's a great souvenir of the conference and a valuable
education tool as well.
-
Find accommodation in the conference's vicinity. You
don't want to be traipsing across a busy city every day, and you'll
probably need to charge that laptop or digital camera every so often.
Maximize Your Revenue with 
- Maximize revenue through a dedicated sales
force in major ad markets
- 100% transparent - accept or reject specific advertisers and
campaigns
- View campaign pricing, targeting settings and creative
- Access detailed campaign reports, and site demographic reports
- Get answers directly from our publisher services team
Apply Now >
From the Archives:
Conference Experiences
Want to read about the experiences you could have had if you'd been to
some of the recent conferences? You are in luck; we have a stack of blog
posts from the conference trenches on the SitePoint web site.
We'll start by reading Kevin Yank's take on the
first day of Web Directions South 2007, which sets the scene for the
type of discussions that followed at that conference. Matthew Magain
guides us through his experiences at the granddaddy of all conferences,
SXSW Interactive 2007: day
one, day
two, and day
three. He also relates his parting thoughts on the event in his blog
post, SXSW
Interactive: Final Wrap-up, which does a terrific job of capturing the
vibe of that particular event.
Wyatt Barnett gives us a report on his
first day at MIX08, while SitePoint co-founder Matt Mickiewicz
describes his experience at Web
Directions North 2008. (Is it just me, or is the timing of this
conference smack in the middle of ski season at Whistler more than just
coincidence?)
With so many of the SitePoint team either attending or speaking at Web Directions
South 2008 in Sydney next week (see the entire list of SitePoint
authors, bloggers, and staff speaking on Matthew Magain's blog post, Learn
JavaScript From The Master At Web Directions South), expect to see more
posts and articles about the event. If you're attending, keep an eye out
for us, and please come up and say g'day!
Upcoming Conferences
Here are just 15 web conferences around the globe that are happening
over the next six months. Choosing an event away from home also gives you
a welcome opportunity (and excuse!) to travel.
Sept 23-26, 2008 Web Directions South 2008 Sydney, Australia
Oct 13-14, 2008 An
Event Apart Chicago Chicago, USA
Oct 15-16, 2008 WDDC 2008 Orlando, Florida, USA
Oct 24, 2008 BLOG08
Amsterdam
Oct 24-26, 2008 <head> Conference global (online)
Nov 3-4, 2008 Mexico
Web 2.0 Cancún, Mexico
Nov 3-4, 2008 Future of Web Design New York, USA
Nov 5-7, 2008 Web 2.0 Summit San Francisco, USA
Nov 6-7, 2008 Edge of the Web 2008 Perth, Australia
Nov 7-9, 2008 Web Directions East Tokyo, Japan
Nov 12-14, 2008 IceWeb
2008 Reykjavik, Iceland
Feb 2009 (TBC) Web Directions North Vancouver, Canada
Feb 16-20, 2009 Webstock 2009 Wellington, NZ
Mar 13-17, 2009 SXSW Interactive Austin, Texas, USA
Mar 18-20, 2009 MIX09 Las Vegas, USA
Know of other web industry conferences? Please send the conference URL
and any information to tribune@sitepoint.com for future editions.
I trust you've got something out of this edition of the Tribune. If you
are attending Web Directions South next week, I hope to meet you.
Thanks for reading!
Miles Burke
tribune@sitepoint.com
Editor,
SitePoint Tribune
Jina
Bolton is a designer and artist, working and residing in Silicon Valley. In
this candid interview, she reveals where she finds inspiration for
beautiful design, why she is fascinated by sushi and robots, and what
makes a style sheet "sexy."
Ever
wonder what makes a real JavaScript guru? How about someone who has used
JavaScript, CSS, and HTML to successfully implement a 2-D side-scrolling
platform game? In this two-part series, Myles will help you elevate your
JavaScript skills to the ultimate level!
We all
know forums are a great place for networking, getting advice, or getting
answers to problems we couldn't solve on our own. But did you know that
your participation in a forum can drive high quality traffic to your site
too? Josh explains why.