360MAX – Digital Primates Paying it Forward!

When Digital Primates came to us to sponsor 360|MAX, part of the sponsorship package was a free pass to MAX. Seeing as how they’ll be there anyway, they told us we could give it to someone in need of a ticket.

It just so happened Ali Daniali, Charity Code Jam Master, was in need of just such a ticket.

Digital Primates is a great company, and long time supporter of ours, and it’s cool to see companies like them and Simplified Logic give back to the community in these ways. In case you’re curious Simplified Logic gave all their extra 360|Flex passes for ATL, away to the community, rather than not use them.

Make sure you stop by and say hi to the Digital Primates crew!!

Also if you’re interested in Ali’s Charity Code Jam efforts, find him, there will be a Jam at 360|Flex San Jose 2010, so don’t miss out, the Karma points are two for one!!

It’s not too late to register for the RIAdventure Cruise! Remember everyone that joins us on the boat, gets into 360|Flex SJ 2010 for free! 2 events, 1 boat, all awesome! Don’t miss out! Register now!

360Flex – wrapping it up

I wrote some thoughts down on my site, but wanted to post a more official wrap up as well.

What went right

  • Bug quash: They didn’t have the turn out they had hoped for, but I know some bugs got quashed, so that’s a plus.
  • Pre-Conference training: It’s always a pleasure to have Matt Boles with us, this time he took his own time and travel to come and deliver an awesome Flex 101 hands on. What was cool is that while it was “Flex 101″ Matt upped the Anti with some Blaze DS action, so it was a good class for even experienced developers.
  • Welcome Reception and Speaker Sponsor reception: The Rock Bottom Brewery was an awesome location. I really liked it. The food was tasty, the beer yummy, the people nice. The parties are fun and challenging. Tom and I want to make sure they don’t suck but also want to make sure to meet as many people as we can and thank them for coming. That meant being “Gatekeepers” of the drink tickets, keeping the Rock Band action going, making sure if we ran out of food, that more was ordered, etc. AND walking around saying hi to people.
  • Monday’s Keynote: Matt Chotin is awesome. He’s a great speaker and makes the keynotes funny and informative.  It’s always a pleasure to have him at 360|Flex!
  • Charity Code Jam: It almost didn’t happen. Like literally the week before 360|Flex Indy, we were helping Ali and Shannon lock down the details, etc. While we wish we could actually support it fully, we can’t, so we’re really glad someone (webapper) stepped up to help out! The Charity Code jam is just one of those things that feels good. After so many hours of coding non stop, missing sessions, missing the sun, etc. to stand in front of the entire conference to show off what you’ve accomplished, is just awesome. Hats off to everyone who participated, and Ali for organizing it. I really truly hope a company (Adobe! Are you listening! This is HUGE) hires Ali to organize jams at every confernce.
  • Monday night party: We did all our evening events at Rock Bottom, which made it easier for folks to know where to be and when. Same awesome time as Sunday, Rock Band going nuts, folks grabbing a booth to chat, and meet.
  • Wednesday keynote: I love the Wednesday keynote. Sunday and Monday Tom and I work the reg booth, so we meet everyone that comes in, but it’s only for a few seconds usually. We see everyone at lunch, and the parties too, but inevitably there’s people we just never get to connect with. I see the Wednesday keynote as the time to connect with everyone (everyone that is awake that is, LOL). We talk about numbers (something I frankly challenge all other conferences to do), we talk about the code jam, we let community members present their projects, it’s just a great time for Tom and I too look ou at the crowd and see our customers/friends/drinking buddies and really appreciate why we do it. Without sounding corny, the Wednesday keynote really helps refocus Tom and I on why we’re in this business.
  • Our Sponsors! They’re awesome and each one deserves your business. Check them out, see what they have to offer. Without Sponsors 360|Flex would be impossible to offer.
  • Our Speakers! 40+ of the biggest names in the Flex development community. People who are launching open source projects, offering consulting services, and just sharing what they know and what they’ve learned to help everyone else. Our speakers are awesome!

What went less than right

  • Pre-Conference training: We only had one offering this time. I wish more companies would get involved in this. It’s a great way to educate a huge group of possible users of your tool, and get your name out there in front of a ton of people who might not otherwise investigate your offering.
  • Monday Keynote: One of these days I hope to have the check in process so under control that we’re either done by the time the keynote is supposed to start, or able to leave the desk for a bit. My wife Nicole rocks for helping, she’s invaluable, but I wouldn’t leave alone with you monsters :) I think the only keynote I’ve done on a Monday might have been Seattle maybe? Or San Jose ’07? I want to do more of those.
  • Monday Keynote content: We forgot to address “House keeping” items, like the OPEN slots being filled, the session survey being ready by Monday afternoon, etc.
  • Tuesday night party: Officially it was the “Adobe Party” but that was name only. I don’t know if it’s a curse or what, but when it’s an “Adobe Party” it’s kinda weak. Usually it’s our fault, not Adobes. This time was no exception, I selected the food I thought would be a nice fit, and would last. Unfortunately it didn’t last, and unlike previous nights, there was no food to be ordered since the restaurant was packed because of a concert, there was not extra food to be had. Party Fail :(
  • Session Surveys: the app rocks, but it wasn’t ready in time, and we had a hard time conveying it’s importance and how to use it.

Overall 360|Flex Indy was a huge success! Tom and I are very proud of the event, and extremely happy to have had everyone with us, we appreciate that there’s several options out there for technical conferences, and appreciate the faith, and hope we delivered, and we’ll see you next time. Please make sure if you haven’t already, tell us what we did wrong, and right, and spread the word. Word of mouth is more valuable to us, than anything else.

If you’re in the Mobile space, check out our InsideMobile event. If you’re looking at the RIA space (uh yeah, Flex developers, hello) check out our InsideRIA event. Both events are partnerships with O’Reilly, and we’re really excited about them!

360Flex – Meet the Charity and the App

I’m pretty sure this is the first time we’ve actually made noise about the intended charity and the app to be built, so I’m glad to get a chance to finally do that. Plus it gives everyone an idea of what we’re going to see come the Wednesday keynote when Ali presents the groups progress! No pressure!

This year the Charity Code Jam will be supporting: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! Definitely a step up in the scope of the charity from the local level to the much larger national level (Nothing at all wrong with local, don’t get me wrong, love helping local businesses).

Come Wednesday the app we hope to hand to the LLS, will be:

Scope: To Build for the Nike Women’s Marathon a flex based runner tracking system utilizing live GPS and RFID streaming data. The purpose is to auto check-in runners as they make it over the finish line. This would be assist in mapping out progress of a runner in live-mode, assist LLS staff in the check-in process but also help provide information to runner’s coaches, supports and LLS Staff.

A tall order for sure! but one I have absolutely no doubt the awesome, and whickedly smart attendees and speakers of 360|Flex can meet! Forthose unaware of the Code Jam and how it all works. Ali shanhai’s attendees into a room at the conference, (or a suite at the hotel, after hours) and they work non stop to deliver an app to the Charity. Typically this delivery is during the Wednesday keynote.

Last year, Tom and I were able to give the charity a check for $7000, alongside the awesome RIA that Ali and the team delivered!

We’re hoping to be able to get up on stage on Wednesday and hand over another check, it all depends on profits from the event.

Register now to be a part of something awesome! There’s still time! Register Now!

360Flex Support the Charity Code Jam!

You guys rock! That really has to be said at the start of this post. The Flex Developer community is abso-frakkin-lutely awesome.

We announced that there wouldn’t be a Charity Code Jam in Indy because Ali didn’t have the resources to make it happen, Adobe wasn’t supporting the Code Jam this year.

It seemed there’d be no Code Jam, until the Community stepped up.

Blake, Jeff, and Shannon all reached out in various ways.

We’re happy to announce that Webapper has sponsored Ali’s travel expenses so the Code Jam is officially on!

Jeffrey Houser and Blake Eaton have also volunteered some funds to help cover the miscellany

Details to follow, but we wanted everyone to know, that Code Jam is on. If you’ve got a hankerin’ to really rack up some karma points, building an RIA for a charity that might not otherwise be able to afford one, is a good way to do it.

We’ll do a post with more details as soon as we have them.

360Flex – Quash bugs, help Charities

Part of what makes 360|Flex conferences so special for many people is the chance to get outside their normal flow and do something they normally wouldn’t. The Flex Charity Code Jam has existed since 360|Flex Seattle and has been the love child of Ali Daniali, He’s a rock star, and some one (Adobe are you listening) should hire him to do this stuff all over. Charity + Flex == AWESOME.

This year for 360|Flex Indy, Leif Wells is upping the bar on awesome! He’s leading the Adobe Bug Quash effort on Sunday May 17th. Adobe’s first Bug Quash was last weekend, in Seattle, bringing people together from all over to reduce the bug count in the open Source Flex SDK.

Tom and I are really excited that this will be taking place during 360|Flex Indy, what better place to help fix Flex SDK bugs, than the largest gathering (don’t be fooled by imitators, LOL) of Flex developers in the world.

We know the Bug Quash is happening, we just have to tell Leif which room. Once we’ve got more details we’ll make sure to post them. Make sure you’re in town Sunday. Between free Pre-Conference training, Bug Quashing and welcome receptions, Sunday’s a busy day.

Don’t miss out! you won’t get a better collection of experts together in one place than 360|Flex. Missing this conference would be a sin! I’m pretty sure I read that somewhere! Register NOW