The wonderful eyeo festival
I think I'd be putting it lightly if I said that eyeo festival was inspiring. It was easily the best gathering of talented minds that I've been to over the years. I'd only be echoing the words of nearly every attendee if I was to go into any detail about what made the event so great, so I'll spare your time. The biggest thing in my mind is that eyeo must be an indicator of where our minds should be headed.
You can so easily forget about what artists, designers, and developers are doing outside the stereotypical agency world of microsites, Facebook apps, Twitter mashups, and the like. Much of this work isn't rooted in the web, and as a developer I am more inspired to look beyond the laptop and mobile screen. I know I have the skills and know-how, I just need to get my mind out the rut its been in and into the area that the speakers and attendees of eyeo have carved out.
Get yourself to NYC for Flash and the City
I had the pleasure of hanging out with Elad Elrom last night. He's one of the organizers of the upcoming Flash and the City conference here in NYC. I highly recommend attending this conference for the following reasons:
1. Its in F*ckin' New York City!
I know NYC isn't for everyone but there's everything you could imagine here. On top of learning and getting inspired about Flash you'll have everything NYC has to offer at your finger tips. The organizers of the conference know this and have created what they call the "City Track". They've organized a few "field trips" throughout the city that you can tag along with. Just think of all the cool stuff you'll be able to check out, eat, and do while you're here!
2. Its at the 3-Legged Dog Art & Technology Center
This place is just plain cool. Its entirely artist-run and have been supporting the arts in NYC since the center was built in 2006 just three blocks south of the WTC site. Personally, it feels good to be supporting such an organization.
3. The ridiculously good list of attending speakers
ZOMG! Srsly u guys! There hasn't been a large Flash conference in NYC...since...I don't know...2004? And that one pretty much sucked. But just look at the list of speakers! If you don't recognize the names, just trust me on this. They're are some really sharp people speaking about some great developments in the industry.
4. The Price is Right
Tickets right now are $299 (but lets just be real and say $300). In comparison to other conferences, this is CHEAP, especially for NYC standards. And if you keep your ear in the community (Twitter, blogs, etc), you might even be able to find a coupon code!
I'd say these are my main reasons for anyone to attend the conference right now. I'm sure I'll come up with more and if I do, I'll update this post. Naturally, I plan on attending seeing as I live here and I hope to see you along with my other friends and colleagues here as well! It's gonna be a blast.
SXSW Interactive 2009
So I failed to mention that I would be heading down to Austin, Texas for SXSW Interactive. Overall, it was a great experience. My only complaint is how exhausting it was. Getting up at 9AM to go to sessions and panels, then party into the wee hours of the night can really take its toll on the old legs and liver. Regardless of how I feel now I would certainly recommend anyone in the internet industry to attend this event. Attending the sessions and panels is a great way to stay abreast to trends and whats new or popular in the business. And if you care, the parties are a great way to do some networking or just meet some new people and share ideas.
Flash on Tap Postponed?
Ah bummer! It seems Flash on Tap has been postponed until May. According to the Flash on Tap Eventbrite posting, the new dates are May 28th to the 30th.
This is actually a terrific idea. How many Flash conferences are we up to in the fall now? I think the number is at 5 or 6 right? That's really about 4 or 5 too many. There aren't too many Flash conferences in the spring, and none in New England. Boston is beautiful in May, so I'm expecting everyone to mark their calendars now and start drinking some great beers in preparation for Flash on Tap.
You can start by attending The Return of the Belgium Beer Fest! (also here in Boston) I'll be attending the Night of the Funk, Friday the 26th. Hopefully Todd Anderson will be joining me (*nudge nudge*).
Developer Drinks Beer at Flash Conference, Has Good Time
At least that's what I'm assuming will happen when I arrive at Flash on Tap in Boston next month. I'm pretty damn sure the organizers can't go wrong. The lineup looks fantastic, and the format is also rather intriguing. During the day there will be various smaller sessions, but then after dinner there will be one track sessions (of the assumingly "more likely to be crowded" sessions) with beer tasting in between. This could possibly exhibit the most socializing/networking I've ever seen at a Flash conference. Oh, and did i mention there's going to be a bunch of catered food throughout?! This already sounds freaking awesome. I can't wait to go. I might even have some fellow ROKKANites with me.
You don't like beer you say? Well don't worry, the conference schedule is jam packed with brilliant people to keep you busy and interested. But who knows, maybe you'll actually find a beer that you might like! I have no idea what will be offered, but seeing as BeerAdvocate is a sponsor can only mean good things to come.
Additionally, Boston is a great city to visit for beer related activities. They have quite a few bars with great beer selections and food. Most notably the The Publick House & Monk's Cell in Brookline. I highly recommend that place as they have fantastic food and beer. I also just heard a rumor from Todd Anderson that the owners recently opened another joint nearby that focuses on American beer and BBQ. Radical.
See you there??
Headed to FITC Chicago. Free Books?
So I just got the OK from work to go to the FITC Chicago event. I'm pretty excited because I'm actually quite interested in the sessions that are going to be happening at the one day event. Most particularly I'm looking forward to hearing Samuel Agesilas (levelofindustry.com fame) speak about Orchid. I'll also be hoping to maybe hear some news about his Saffron project. That of course would just be a bonus. At any rate, is anyone else going? Perhaps I'll bring a few copies of the book to hand out if anyone would be interested.