In less than a week, Disneyland will be better suited to be called SharePointland.Technology gurus will descend upon Anaheim, Calif. October 3-6 to learn the latest and greatest from Microsoft SharePoint, network with colleagues at the larger-than-life social events and hopefully leave with more knowledge than they came with.
Although this will be my inaugural SharePoint Conference, PointBridge is in no shortage of veterans eager to advise and guide to optimize attendee experience. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up around the office:
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Create your Conference Blueprint
Microsoft’s roster ofbreak-out sessionsis big. Take some time between now and October 3 and strategize about what you would like to take away from the conference. Review the session descriptions and determine which will help you achieve your goal. And don’t send all your employees to the same session. Instead, note the sessions of interest to your organization that overlap; divide, conquer and take notes. -
Stay Caffeinated, Stay Involved
Resist the urge to kick off your shoes at the end of the day and relax. Grab a coffee and take advantage of the social activities Microsoft and other sponsors have coordinated just for you. Besides being fun and highly entertaining, these events are great networking opportunities and time that can be spent getting to know clients, partners and co-workers. Here are a few events you won’t want to miss: 10/3 – The Red Party
8:00 pm – 12:00 am
Heat Ultra Lounge
Register10/4 –
Disneyland Park Private Party
7:30 pm
Disneyland Park
More information10/5 –
Oktoberfiesta
7:30 pm – 1:00 am
Tortilla Jo’s Restaurant
Register -
Who’s that Super Human SP Conference Attendee?
While the laws of physics prevent us from being in two places at once and reading minds is not yet a trade taught at universities, social applications and mobile devices have helped us bridge the gap between super human and regular Joe. Keep a pulse of what’s going on at the conference by staying connected to social sites using your mobile phone. Are you on Twitter? Make sure to follow #SPC11 and other session hashtags. You can even create a profile on MySPCand connect with other attendees. -
Don’t be Shy
You’ll be hard-pressed to find another opportunity to engage with so many SharePoint experts in one place. I’m always pleasantly surprised by how open and friendly conference-goers can be. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with your tablemate or let a speaker know how much you enjoyed their session. Make sure to bring business cards, update your Linkedin profile and make connections. You never know where they’ll take you… -
Win a Trip to SharePoint Saturday Honolulu!
Stop by the PointBridge booth #742, fill out a 4-question survey to let us know how your organization is using SharePoint and you’ll be entered to win airfare for one and a 3-night hotel stay to SharePoint Saturday Honolulu on December 2. We’ll announce the winner Wednesday, October 5 at 4:45 pm at the PointBridge booth. You must be present to win. See you then!
