Shedding Some Light

Simple, quick reminder: the Early-bird registration deadline is this Monday, August 31st. I would hate to see you lose out on the $50 discount.

If you still need to register, please head over to the registration Web site today: http://geekgatherings.com/Registration

Every registered attendee gets admission and white papers to all regular conference sessions. Don’t miss this chance to learn from the best and mix with your peers.

Hard to believe, but only 50 days until we gather in Gilbert.

We’re delighted to tell you that we met (via Skype) and made the decision to move forward with this year’s conferences. Registrations to date are almost identical to last year’s on the same date, giving us confidence that the conferences remain financially feasible.

We’re also happy to tell you that we’ve added Rick Borup to the speaker list (see link for his bio and sessions).

Thanks to those who have registered so far. We really appreciate it. That said, we still need your help to pull this off. Gather, share, learn, expand your knowledge in Gilbert.

Registrations still available at http://geekgatherings.com/registration. Please do not hesitate.

Andrew MacNeill posted the latest version of the FoxShow featuring an interview about Southwest Fox and Southwest Xbase++ 2015 with the three organizers: http://traffic.libsyn.com/akselsoft/FoxShow80.mp3

Thanks again to Andrew for helping us get the word out about the two conferences. I’m always amazed how quickly he puts together the podcast after we record the interview.

Geek Gatherings LLC posted the speakers and the sessions they are assembling for your learning pleasure this October. Head over to Speakers, Southwest Fox sessions and Southwest Xbase++ sessions for all the details. A terrific line up of top notch presenters and some outstanding topics. Registration will open June 1st with the same prices as last year. We are meeting at the same conference center and hotel as last year too.

I am giving my usual and timely updated VFPX.Edition(“2015″) session and a brand new productivity session called Your Developer Life Improved By Thor, which I am very psyched about.

White Light Computing is a Platinum Sponsor again, our 12th straight sponsorship of Southwest Fox. White Light Computing is also doing two $150 scholarships to two lucky attendees that register before the July 1st deadline (get the Super-Saver rate for sure).

There are ways to help promote the conference, and please send any testimonials you might take time to write to: info [AT] geekgatherings.com. Please get the word out at your office, at user groups, on the various community forums, and any other place developers get together. We appreciate all the help and support you can offer.

Already looking forward to the conference this year as there are some terrific offerings and fun planned. Only 161 days until we gather in Gilbert.

Registration for Southwest Fox and Southwest Xbase++ is now available. See the speaker page for a list of speakers and the session page for a list of fantastic sessions. The Super-Saver Registration, which saves you $125, is available only through June 30th, so don’t wait. You also can select a free pre-conference session at the same time.

White Light Computing is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for the eighth year. Our whole team will be at the conference. Frank Perez and I are speaking at the conference too.

Putting on a conference is a risky endeavor. Conference centers require a guaranteed minimum income to block the dates of a conference; for a conference like Southwest Fox/Xbase++, that minimum is in the tens of thousands of dollars. We have to commit to the conference center by July 2nd and need your support by July 1st to make that commitment. We will not do “We need your help” appeals this year so please do not wait, get registered by June 30th! We know most of you like to wait until the last minute to avoid the credit card bill arriving too soon. We will not charge any attendee credit cards or cash any checks until sometime in the second half of July or early August (once we’ve committed to going forward), so this no longer is a reason to wait.

I look forward to seeing you in October!

Last minute, just 14 hours to go! Now is the time to get your ideas submitted.

Just a reminder that session proposals for Southwest Fox 2014 and Southwest Xbase++ are due by 8 AM EDT this Friday, March 21. If you’re interested in speaking, please see http://www.swfox.net/callforspeakers.aspx for instructions. We look forward to hearing from you.

We are grateful for all the submissions so far, but we are anxiously awaiting to hear from the rest of you what you would like to share with your peers. Thanks for considering.

We’ve issued the Call for Speakers for both the Southwest Fox and Southwest Xbase++ 2014 conferences. If you are interested in presenting at either conference, please check out the Call for Speakers page.

This is your chance to share what you know with others in your development community. There is no higher calling as a software developer and a great opportunity to take what you have learned and bring that knowledge to your peers in person.

Someone recently asked the organizers why they should submit sessions to a conference their boss is going to send them to anyway, and what they would get from the experience. Honestly, speaking is really more because you want to do it than what you can get from it. We responded with the following:

1. Preparing materials is a great way to really learn a topic deeply. (my personal favorite reason)
2. There is the pleasure of knowing you are sharing your knowledge with others. For some of us, it is addictive.
3. For independent developers, it’s also a great way to become known as an expert and as a result sometimes you get more business.
4. You get invited to the speaker dinner. Who doesn’t want food and drinks and some laughs with your friends?

There are many more reason to speak at a conference. It is personal and the reasons for doing it are personal. Additionally, you get my personal gratitude. I know the effort it takes to prepare sessions and I know the sacrifices made by each person who accepts the challenge. Speakers are remarkable in so many ways.

All the details are found in the Call for Speakers doc.

Once again, Geek Gatherings is using the conference Submission, Registration, and Evaluation site developed by White Light Computing. Think up some topics and make it your next stop.