360flex – Why you should be staying at the Marriott

February 2, 2010 By

If you haven’t heard, we have an official hotel. That’s right, boys and girls. There’s a spot where all the party people are going to staying under one roof. It’s the spot where you can stumble or crawl to your bed after an all-night rager of drinking, coding or perhaps a bit of both.

Why an official hotel that’s not connected to the conference center? For one, the conference center is on eBay’s HQ. They are trying to run a business, not make your beds or pick up your mess. Aside from that obvious reason, we want to keep having fun after we leave eBay. We’re still gonna party at Ebay after the last sessions; However, instead of taking the post functs to someone’s room, we want to take the party to downtown San Jose!

One thing that’s always nice at a conference is bumping into the “superstars”. While it happens a lot at the conference, it’s tough to pull someone aside to buy ‘em a drink to say thanks for contributing to the community. While we (the organizers) may not be the superstars you’re looking for, we will be at the hotel with all the speakers (who are the superstars). If you’re flying all the way to the show to meet and learn from these people, why would you bother staying anywhere else? Yes, it would be silly, especially after you read up on the deal we have for you!

We have a room block of Sunday night thru Tuesday night. We lined up an amazing rate of $99, for you all because we love you so. :) You don’t think we love you? How about this? In addition to the low rate of $99 for a Mariott (read: Not Sleazy 8 or Motel 6, or the Holiday Inn down the street, close but gross), we’ve also negotiated free wi-fi access for everyone’s guest rooms. That alone will save you some additional coin.

Assuming you’re arriving Saturday to take advantage of our awesome Sunday Hands-On training, and staying until Wednesday to make sure you don’t miss the final 4 sessions, which will rock and be worth your staying ’til the end we promise! You’re still only paying about $125 a night when you average the prices. Compared to other hotels in the area, that’s a damn good deal. Saturday night and Wednesday night are a bit beefier on the price because the majority of people just stay Sunday to Wednesday, so that’s what our block is for.

I’m sure you have all been to conferences where there’s the, “Which hotel are you at dialogue?” Then there’s time and effort spent on who will go where and when to meetup, etc. Make it easier on yourselves and sure to be newfound friends. Just stay at the Mariott so you’re all in the same place and will be easy to find each other. We’ll be there, the speakers will be there, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t be.

You can book online, easy peasy :) Just click here. Check out the Hotel and Travel tab for information on the hotel and getting around San Jose

While you’re booking your room, you have registered for the conference right? We have so much awesome lined up it’s hard to contain ourselves when talking about it :) Register now!

Filed Under: 360flex, Announcements, Community, Hotel, Reasons to Attend, San Jose, why Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

360Flex – Get your New Year’s Resolution on

January 12, 2010 By

It’s that time of the year.

You know, the one pictured in the image. It’s a time where the gym population magically balloons.  The times when streets fill with walkers and joggers (at least out west).  It’s a new year and, thus, resolution time.

Aside from the health one, there are two resolutions that are pretty popular.

  1. Learn something new
  2. Get a better job/position

Now, let’s see how it is that 360|Flex can help you fulfill those resolutions.

Learn something new

This one should be fairly obvious, but just in case let us reiterate some points.

  • There are over 40 sessions at the next 360|Flex, lead by industry leaders and devs in the trenches just like you
  • 2 Keynotes – Adobe always delivers a great keynote, often with big news for the Flex community.  The community portion of the other keynote is always an amazing glimpse into projects that blow your mind and inspire
  • Free Hands-On Sunday Workshops – That’s right, a lot of shows make you pay for your conference pass then extra for hands-on workshops.  At 360|Flex, you’re regular admission ticket lets you into the Flex 101, Mate and Flex/Hardware workshops.  Just bring your laptop
  • Panels – New to 360|Flex this year are panels.  This will be your chance to hear from many experts at once and pick their brains
  • Meet the Flex Team – We usually have a Birds of a Feather where you can pick the brains of various members of the Flex team

Get a better job/position

Whether you’re tired of your current job or just want to move from Junior Flex Dev to Senior Flex Dev at the same company, we can help:

  • Highly technical sessions got finally get you over that hump from Junior to Senior
  • The parties offer an opportunity to meet and interact with many Senior Developers as well as those from contracting or full-time realm.  Meet your peers, ask for advice and learn from them.
  • Hallway chatter is always amazing at conferences and 360|Flex is no different.  Many people come simply for the hallway chatter, where very heavy discussions happen on the fly.
  • People who are looking for Flex developers know that they can find developers at 360|Flex.  Learn about opportunities and the market to better help you decide to stay with your current job or to possibly seek out another

As you can see, 360|Flex can help avoid the “Nothing’s changed” feeling that usually accompanies resolutions.  Registers now and make that first step in achieving your goals.  ”Help us, help you.”  :)

Filed Under: Hands-On, Reasons to Attend, why Tagged With: , , ,

Gift Idea: Conference Pass vs New Gadget

December 11, 2009 By

As the holidays are coming up, we find there is the proverbial question: “What would you like for a gift?” I know for me, it’s a tough question. It’s not tough for me like it is for say my 5 yr old. He changes what he wants Santa to give him almost daily. No, instead, for me, I just can’t really say there is something that I want. Sure, there’s a bajillion new gadgets out there that would be neat, but it just seems silly to me to ask for one of those.

I’ve been pondering it though and I think there is something that I would ask for. In this new economy, one can really only depend on oneself for professional success. Gone, it seems, are the days where you could spend 30 years at a company, dedicating your life to help it succeed and where it would reward that dedication with retirement. My dad caught the tail end of that bus and had to retire “early” for fears of the company pulling those benefits altogether.

I know that there will likely not be Social Security for me. 401Ks just seem crazy to me because I don’t see how it differs from gambling in Vegas (at least Vegas has buffets!). No, the only thing that will pay for me to live it up in old age will be my hard work. I’ll need to create the future that I want to live in financially and professionally.

That’s why I think I’d ask for a conference pass as my gift. Yeah, I can hear all you naysayers out there, touting this as a gimmick to sell tickets. I’ll admit, it’s true. However, you have to remember, I helped start this conference for one reason: to help people better themselves by increasing their skillset in Flex and ActionScript. That’s still the reason why I work on this show. It may be my final 360|Flex as an organizer, but it won’t be my last 360|Flex ever. The vibe is too magical to miss. The community is too full of friends that I *must* see to keep my spirits high. The speakers are too amazing to miss from a learning perspective.

Therefore, if you find yourself wondering what to ask for (or give) that would be meaningful this holiday season, I’d suggest a pass to 360|Flex. While a new gadget gets boring after a few hours, a 360|Flex conference creates bonds and memories that last a lifetime. Don’t believe me? Check out what past attendees have to say. Here’s the registration site: http://360flex.eventbrite.com I hope to see you there in March.

Filed Under: 360flex, Business, San Jose, why Tagged With: , ,

360Flex Speakers: In it for the Love, not the Money

December 7, 2009 By

It just dawned on me. We’re highlighting the speakers for the upcoming 360|Flex in March while also republishing interviews from past shows. You know all these speakers for their superior Flex skills. It’s the primary reason that many of you come to the show. We understand, it’s why we pick them and have the show! So we’re on the same page. :)

However, there’s a bunch of stuff that goes on behind the scenes that you as attendees never see. Our speakers are not just passionate about Flex, ActionScript, Mobile and RIAs. They’re also passionate about 360|Flex itself. They feel an ownership to the show and rightfully so. While John and I play host, it is these people that are standing in front of people and laying out the goods.

Recently, some of the procedures around speaking were changed. John and I, as we always do, were looking for areas to improve. A lot of times, we take a logical approach and make modifications to achieve concrete results. Often times, these modifications are in response to direct requests from attendees.

While making logical modifications over the past three years has worked well for us, it didn’t in this particular instance. Some understood the changes and were in agreement. Others saw it as an attack on the very core vibe that makes 360|Flex the great show that it is. John and I were surprised by this but we did what we always do: open the floor for discussion.

As a business owner, nothing feels better than knowing people like your product enough to pay their hard earned money for it. It’s something that has happened well over 2000 times. However, every time we get an email alerting us money has changed us, it reminds us of that honor to serve you.

The epitome of business though is when your product/brand ceases to be just yours and is owned by the community it supports. You always hope people care about it more than with just the money. You always hope they love it as much as you do and care about it on personal level.

Our speakers care about 360|Flex for more than their fame and fortune. Let’s face it, a lot of them are famous enough without us. And we’ll be honest, while a free ticket and hotel room are nice, no speaker will be retiring from those paid benefits. To quote one speaker, “It’s an honor to speak at 360|Flex.”

I’m positive I speak for both myself and John when I say, “No, it’s our honor to have you all as speakers.” Now, you attendees, know a little bit more about the inner-workings of 360|Flex and why this show is as great as it is. If you haven’t registered yet, go here and do it. Then when you catch an awesome session or have a great discussion with a speaker in the hallway, take a moment and thank them for their time and effort. They are there for you attendees, not for me and John. Let them know you appreciate it.

Filed Under: 360flex, Business, Community, The Speakers, why Tagged With: , ,

RIAdventure 360 – The new way to conference

December 6, 2009 By

I feel like one of those giddy attendees. By that, let me explain. Sometimes, and I ain’t lying, but sometimes, even before the show begins, attendees tell us, “This is the best conference ever!” We’ll usually see them in the streets or at a local watering hole the Friday, Saturday or Sunday before a show. John and I laugh and say, “Thanks, but it hasn’t even started yet. Wait until it at least starts, then let us know.”

I always wondered what they meant or how it was that ours was the best show already. Now, I know. Usually, when John and I arrive for a show, there’s so much to do: check facilities, meet with catering, etc. This “preflight” checklist sorta takes away the magic for us. Not that we don’t enjoy the show, but just the few days before is a lot of work.

With RIAdventure being on a boat, there’s none of that for us to do. The ship handles everything for us. This allows us to soak in the anticipation and excitement. I’ve already bumped into many of the RIAdvenuters throughout New Orleans (though I totally didn’t recognize Doug with his new “intelligent” look – I’ll take a picture so you can see what I mean). We meet up with the rest of the speakers and attendees today. After the boat sets sail, the ship has provided a welcome reception for us.

I haven’t seen the speakers presentations yet. I haven’t had a RIA discussion yet either. However, you can just feel the magic in the air. Some amazing things are going to happen this week and I feel bad for those of you who won’t be here to catch it all. We’ll be taking lots of photos, notes and some Flip videos, but it won’t be the same. It’s like why I watch baseball and love it in the stadiums, but could care less to watch it on TV. There’s something magical about just being there to witness it (and participate) as it happens.

You may not be able to join us on the boat, but definitely come out to 360Flex this march in San Jose. With over 40 amazing speakers, it’s gonna be great too. There just won’t be 2000 staff waiting on you like on the boat. :) Register now and save $100.

Filed Under: RIAdventure360, why Tagged With: , ,
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