by
Andy Eccles
I attended most of the Citrix iForum events since 2003. I had got used to the type of sessions you get, the arrangement of floors full of vendors and usually some pretty interesting people to speak to. The only thing that always seemed a shame was the heavy marketing focus.
That's obviously not a fault of the event but I'd often get home afterwards working out how I could tell my boss why attending was worthwhile (he of course would have paid for me to attend) so that I could justify going again next year. It was sometimes pretty tough coming up with a convincing argument.
I would always have learned something. More commonly just by chatting to guys at the event rather than the actual presentations and sessions. I usually forgot to mention that last part to the boss.
So over the last couple of years when I'd been reading about BriForum, I had always planned to go.
This year was my first chance - I told my boss that Brian Madden's training and website are great resources - and that by association, this conference would be too. I wasn't really convinced, but hey - it was worth a try.
Well, it certainly was. This is no Citrix iForum.
Firstly, for those of you who haven't been, I have never experienced such an excellent combination of presenters who are not only knowledgeable, but mostly they're entertainers too. Of the sessions I attended; Claudio, Gabe, Brian, Rick, Benny, Jeroen, Thomas, Ron, Tim, the subject matter to be delivered could so easily have been dry and dull, but no.
Not once, even in the graveyard session after lunch was I tempted to have a quick nap. Best. Presenting. Ever.
And because the event is kept relatively small, there's a real community feel. Typically I would run into people who I already knew of - some I'd met before, others I hadn't - but I've either discussed nerdy SBC stuff with them in web forums, or read articles that they've written. Great to put faces to the names. These guys who are famous for building the community we all use really do exist!
There's just one problem with the event. Looking at the conference guide (a nifty web app created by Felipe's team) you have to decide which session to attend. Unfortunately most of the time I wanted to attend two. Or three. Now I'm pretty good at multitasking, but being in three places at once is beyond even me. So now I have to wait for the videos. You really are spoiled for choice on content. Hey guys, are those videos out yet? ;-)
Added to the superb sessions are the fun stuff - prize draws, the hilarious Geek Show quiz (and associated set), and evening meals out in a great city with like-minded people, I guess the best way to describe it is to say that it's so complete.
To summarise, it's the most informative, relaxed and genuinely fascinating conference I've ever attended. Justifying this one to my boss will be easy, I came away with so much detailed knowledge of some products I'd never even heard of, and learned finer detail or tuning tips for those products I already implement.
To everyone who is involved in creating this event, thankyou so much. See you again at the next one.
To those who haven't been before, what the hell are you waiting for?! Get signed up for 2008.
Andy Eccles
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