VB Conferences

[Eric Reece]

This is sort off the topic, but I can't think of a better place to ask the
question. I see two "major" VB conferences coming up. One is VBITS, the
other is VBConnections. I'm located in the Midwest (USA) so international
travel is not pratical (at least for my organization.) That leaves me with
the Orlando VBConnections in May or the VBITS Chicago in late April. As
a VB professional interested in keeping up with the times, which conference
should I attend? I've heard about VBITS in the past, but never the VBConnections
conference. They are covering similar topics. The VBConnections conference
also allows cross attendence to a C++ Connection taking place at the same
time. Any recommendations? Also, does anyone know of links to other VB
related conferences?

[Jacob Grass]

I went to VBits in San Francisco last month (I, too, am located in the
midwest). I learned a great deal of information. There were a great deal
of sessions, so it was a bit of information overload. But, there was never
a time slot where there wasn't a relevant session that I could attend. That
said, I would recommend the VBits conference. However, I do not know
anything about VBConnections.

You can find information about VBits at www.vslive.com
I don't know of any general conference sites. . .

HTH

Jacob


"Eric Reece" <ericreece@financial.wellsfargo.com> wrote in message
news:3a899586$1@news.devx.com...
>
> This is sort off the topic, but I can't think of a better place to ask the
> question. I see two "major" VB conferences coming up. One is VBITS, the
> other is VBConnections. I'm located in the Midwest (USA) so international
> travel is not pratical (at least for my organization.) That leaves me
with
> the Orlando VBConnections in May or the VBITS Chicago in late April. As
> a VB professional interested in keeping up with the times, which
conference
> should I attend? I've heard about VBITS in the past, but never the
VBConnections
> conference. They are covering similar topics. The VBConnections
conference
> also allows cross attendence to a C++ Connection taking place at the same
> time. Any recommendations? Also, does anyone know of links to other VB
> related conferences?

[Kenny Acock]

Eric,

I would recommend VBits (which is now VSLive.) If VSLive in Chicago is anything
like the one in San Francisco, you can sign up for just VBits, or VCDC, or
both.

--Kenny

[Robert Scoble]

> If you are looking for .NET info, you will find much the same content at
> both conferences, really (note that they get the same keynote speakers
from
> MS, generally speaking the same speakers from MS otherwise). Third parties
> are just ramping up (they were not allowed to speak at prior conferences
> about .NET per Microsoft mandate -- conspiracy theorists unite!) so I
doubt
> you will see much difference between the two in relation to content there.

That's not true anymore.

I'll leave judgment on the quality of our speakers to our attendees, but
we've been at it a lot longer (nine years vs. one) and we have a major
amount of support from VBPJ magazine which no one else has. We also are now
spending a lot in speaker training, which no other conference is doing, and
that has already started paying dividends in the quality of speakers.

The size of our conferences are quite different too (the latest
VBConnections had about 200 attendees, the latest VBITS had about 2000,
although Chicago and New York tend to be around 1000). Usually that
translates to more Microsoft MVPs and industry leaders coming out for our
conferences vs. any others.

Robert Scoble
Fawcette Conference Team

###

[Robert Scoble]

> I would recommend VBits (which is now VSLive.) If VSLive in Chicago is
anything
> like the one in San Francisco, you can sign up for just VBits, or VCDC, or
> both.

Unfortunately the Chicago and New York VBITS are still just VBITS (VB-only
conferences). The San Francisco and Orlando VBITS are part of VSLive! now.

We found that most VB'ers tend not to want to go to C++ conferences anyway,
although C# is starting to get a portion of the VB audience interested.

Robert Scoble
Fawcette Technical Publications Conference Team

###

[Dan Fergus]

Robert,

I don't know wher you got your 200 number, I was a speaker at the Scottdale
show and while I don't know how many total attendees there were I had over a
hudred in my addins lecture and close to a hundred in my CE presentation.
And I was one of only 3 or 4 sessions about VB at that same time.

As we all become more and more net programmers the ASP sessions at the
Connections shows are very useful. When I wasn't speaking I was sitting in
on some of the ASP presentations. Quite informative. And as VS.NEt becomes
more the norm, we will be able to flip between C# and VB and maybe even C++
sessions. They should mostly concentrate on the CLR and not so much the
language.

I will state this gently since I still like VBITS (and hope to present there
again after our new baby gets a little older)....
the Connections shows are very good. In the past they have been a little
light weight but if you look at the speaker list they are getting more
techincal and, in my opinon, better. I saw several people at VBConnections
wearing VBITS t-shirts so there is some cross-over. I am not sure which I
would choose if I could only go to one or the other. I've attended both and
I've presented at both. I hguess it would have to depend on the dates and
work schedule. But do not dismiss Connections because of it's perceived
second class status. It will surprise you.

www.devconnections.com
www.vbits.net

Dan


"Robert Scoble" <rscoble@fawcette.com> wrote in message
news:3a8c8ca5$2@news.devx.com...
> > If you are looking for .NET info, you will find much the same content at
> > both conferences, really (note that they get the same keynote speakers
> from
> > MS, generally speaking the same speakers from MS otherwise). Third
parties
> > are just ramping up (they were not allowed to speak at prior conferences
> > about .NET per Microsoft mandate -- conspiracy theorists unite!) so I
> doubt
> > you will see much difference between the two in relation to content
there.
>
> That's not true anymore.
>
> I'll leave judgment on the quality of our speakers to our attendees, but
> we've been at it a lot longer (nine years vs. one) and we have a major
> amount of support from VBPJ magazine which no one else has. We also are
now
> spending a lot in speaker training, which no other conference is doing,
and
> that has already started paying dividends in the quality of speakers.
>
> The size of our conferences are quite different too (the latest
> VBConnections had about 200 attendees, the latest VBITS had about 2000,
> although Chicago and New York tend to be around 1000). Usually that
> translates to more Microsoft MVPs and industry leaders coming out for our
> conferences vs. any others.
>
> Robert Scoble
> Fawcette Conference Team
>
> ###
>
>

[Deborah]

And for whatever reason, there see to be *way* more women at the connections
conferences!

"Dan Fergus" <dan@vbforest.com> wrote in message
news:3a8d60ae$1@news.devx.com...
> Robert,
>
> I don't know wher you got your 200 number, I was a speaker at the
Scottdale
> show and while I don't know how many total attendees there were I had over
a
> hudred in my addins lecture and close to a hundred in my CE presentation.
> And I was one of only 3 or 4 sessions about VB at that same time.
>
> As we all become more and more net programmers the ASP sessions at the
> Connections shows are very useful. When I wasn't speaking I was sitting
in
> on some of the ASP presentations. Quite informative. And as VS.NEt
becomes
> more the norm, we will be able to flip between C# and VB and maybe even
C++
> sessions. They should mostly concentrate on the CLR and not so much the
> language.
>
> I will state this gently since I still like VBITS (and hope to present
there
> again after our new baby gets a little older)....
> the Connections shows are very good. In the past they have been a little
> light weight but if you look at the speaker list they are getting more
> techincal and, in my opinon, better. I saw several people at
VBConnections
> wearing VBITS t-shirts so there is some cross-over. I am not sure which I
> would choose if I could only go to one or the other. I've attended both
and
> I've presented at both. I hguess it would have to depend on the dates and
> work schedule. But do not dismiss Connections because of it's perceived
> second class status. It will surprise you.
>
> www.devconnections.com
> www.vbits.net
>
> Dan
>
>
> "Robert Scoble" <rscoble@fawcette.com> wrote in message
> news:3a8c8ca5$2@news.devx.com...
> > > If you are looking for .NET info, you will find much the same content
at
> > > both conferences, really (note that they get the same keynote speakers
> > from
> > > MS, generally speaking the same speakers from MS otherwise). Third
> parties
> > > are just ramping up (they were not allowed to speak at prior
conferences
> > > about .NET per Microsoft mandate -- conspiracy theorists unite!) so I
> > doubt
> > > you will see much difference between the two in relation to content
> there.
> >
> > That's not true anymore.
> >
> > I'll leave judgment on the quality of our speakers to our attendees, but
> > we've been at it a lot longer (nine years vs. one) and we have a major
> > amount of support from VBPJ magazine which no one else has. We also are
> now
> > spending a lot in speaker training, which no other conference is doing,
> and
> > that has already started paying dividends in the quality of speakers.
> >
> > The size of our conferences are quite different too (the latest
> > VBConnections had about 200 attendees, the latest VBITS had about 2000,
> > although Chicago and New York tend to be around 1000). Usually that
> > translates to more Microsoft MVPs and industry leaders coming out for
our
> > conferences vs. any others.
> >
> > Robert Scoble
> > Fawcette Conference Team
> >
> > ###
> >
> >
>
>