tech-ed 2011 survival guide

17-20 OCTOBER 2011DURBAN ICCSurvival Guide

If there is one piece of advice I have

Comfortable Shoes

Before the event

• Know yourself– Where your skills are and what levels they are– What you need to know in the future

• Identify Trends– What is hot?– What is new?– channel9.msdn.com

• Get plenty of sleep that weekend before – cause it is a VERY busy event

Welcome to...

• www.TechEd.co.za• Session Catalogue

Decoder Ring

• APS309

• Format: Track, level, session index

• APS – Application Server• 3 – Level

– 1 – Hello World– 2 – Hello Work– 3 – Deep and Shiny – 4 – Seriously DEEP!

• 09 – Unique Identifier

Don’t judge a session by it’s cover

• Title: Power features in .NET 4: Investigating the features of .NET 4 which you don’t know about

• Abstract: The .NET 4 Framework has over 100 new and improved features! Do you know them all? This demo-heavy talk is perfect for those who never have used .NET 4 and want to upgrade their skills as well as developers using it today wanting to learn something new! We will cover some of the big features you may have seen and a lot of the smaller power features that you may not have seen. These features will make your life as a developer easier!

Session Hints

• There are five video sessions– These are videos of US Tech-Ed Sessions– AVOID! You can download and watch later– Check the description & title carefully

Session Types

Breakout Whiteboard

Sessions• Take paper & pen and take notes!

– (sessions are not recorded)

• Ask questions during the talk– If/when possible– Presenters prefer it to those who come up afterwards because

you share with all.

• FEEDBACK!– Rate the sessions, this is very important to the speakers.– Provide comments, these are read and make it better.– This is real time, so you can influence speakers and the event!

Micropolis

• Expo centre has a fancy new name• LOTS of work being put in there this

year• Only open on Wed & Thur– So don’t leave it too late to visit– Really worth an hour or so to visit each

stand!

Partner Summit

• Partner Summit is another Microsoft conference• Focuses on Microsoft Partners, sales, marketing

etc…

• Co-hosted for first time with Tech-Ed– Joint opening keynote, opening party & closing party

• So some session rooms will be Partner Summit only

Networking

• Engage the presenters & the media• The Expo

– Especially the Community Booth

• Ask The Experts Stand

• Twitter: – @teched_africa– #TechEdAfrica

• Don’t walk into random rooms– Else you may be locked in

Thanks for some of my new 2011 tips

• Pieter Germishuys @pgermishuys• Samantha Perry @samanthaperry