Alpha Conference in October

[PevishaJ]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Thank you Guys! I am really interested in the mobile development side of Alpha!

Pevisha :)

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

After numerous inquires�.here is what I was told about the schedule:

The conference will run from the 8th - 10th
It will start at 9am on the 8th, and the conference will end at +/- 4pm on
Friday the 10th.

GUYS! PUMPKIN COFFEE IS BACK!

Also, thanks for the schedule information! Now I know when to go catch the traaaain!

Alpha posted even MORE information!!! http://alphasoftware.com/alpha-world...rence-2014.asp

See you OCTOBER.

[pettechservices]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Looks like I will be hopefully making it to the conference now.. driving from NJ and know nothingalloway of Boston.. I'm not even sure how to search for hotels in that section of Boston. Can anyone shed some light where you are staying aside from Conference hotel? Will you be taking rail line to conf? Thanks!

[Steve Wood]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

I created a Twitter hash tag #AADevCon2014. You can use this before and during the conference to keep in touch. Use it to see where others are going or staying at the conference, or to find out where you buddies are hanging out.

[Ben S.]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

I just got company approval to attend the conference and I booked the last available room in the hotel (or so I was told). I am looking forward to meeting other developers and learning what makes you so passionate about Alpha. I am new to Alpha, coming from a VB6/Access/SQL Server background in a corporate environment. I'm still developing desktop applications in a world where the web is commonplace and mobile is the next frontier. I looked at a lot of other platforms before choosing Alpha. It seems to have the most going for it.

Outside of conference time, I'd like to see examples of how other developers are using Alpha to solve business problems. I want to see how you've migrated what users expect from a rich desktop application into browser/mobile experience.

My flight lands at 1:30 PM Tuesday. I'm interested in hanging out or having a meal with anyone else who arrives early. I have never been to Boston.

Ben
Pittsburgh, PA

[Steve Wood]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Ben,

Welcome. We have a Twitter hash tag of #AlphaDev. Use that perhaps if you are hanging out in the hotel lobby or restaurant looking for someone.

I will be there a day early as well and will be floating around.

[CharlesParker]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Wish I could attend but cannot. I have a conference in Disney to attend the 3rd week of Oct and cant afford to do both!

[CharlesParker]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Yeah and I can spend a Friday night on the beach, looking at the ocean in Ft Lauderdale for 55.00 a night. Have breakfast downstairs for about 10.00. I do not understand these hotels wanting so much money.
Nothing about alpha in this. I just don't understand the price of hotels.

It is an ongoing thing across the country. I have been a part of planning committees for a small conference of about 300 in several cities. Atlanta, New Orleans,MS,etc no matter where you go the cost to have coffee for attendees is usually about 65-125 for a container. want to use their projector? - you could buy one for less. In New Orleans, vendors cannot carry their own boxes to their booth you have to have their people do it and it's hundreds of dollars! I have had some vendors ship catalogs to my house instead, and I brought the packages to the loading dock for them myself - saved the guy 800 dollars!

It's sad but the cost to have a great show at a decent venue costs the producer a bundle. Hats off to the folks at Alpha putting it all together! It is really hard if you have less than 1000 attendees. Negotiating with hotels for room rates is a joke as well, think about it I am bringing at least 300 guests to your hotel so what do you do? You offer me a "Discounted room rate" that is higher priced than the average room rate anyone can get online? wow!

Regardless, it is what it is! The last time we looked at a hotel that didnt behave like that my wife went with me (and the board) to meet with the hotel manager to discuss the details and to have a look at the place, there was a stripper pole in the bar...YEAH that went over big, lol so needless to say we just suck it up like the rest of the world and book our meetings at the better establishments.

Someday SOMEONE will open a chain of hotels, WITH ample meeting space and accomadations and actually charge reasonable flat rates for things.
I know for a fact wendys could cater in meals cheaper and HIGHER quality than most downtown bag lunches or buffets that you see with conferences that include meals but thats another pet peeve of mine.

Lastly, and most importantly you will want to spend time networking with others. I usually close the bar at events. That means being able to pace yourself with drinks, buy everyone a round and get to know folks. Networking is the single most important thing an attendee can ever accomplish at a conference!
Make contacts, make friends - enjoy the ride.

Rant over, lol

[Tim Kiebert]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

.... Make contacts, make friends - enjoy the ride. ....

That's why I am going. Oh, you mean we might learn something as well??? Any other Aussies going? Leaving Sunday morning and will be in Boston all week. Staying at an Airbnb place.

[bmerrison]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Hi Guys;

2 x things, firstly i am not a big twitter user so could somebody assist me and confirm which 'hashtag' I should use [or both?]

Secondly I am coming from the UK and will be in Boston a day or so earlier and would love to meet some of you for a coffee or a beer maybe before / during the conference

I am staying at the Omni Parker House on School Street

Cheers guys

Bryan

[rderksen]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Wife and I are driving down from Canada and really looking forward to this. Being in IT at a distribution company we don't get to go to very many conferences unlike the sales division....LOL

Arriving Tuesday and looking forward to meeting everyone.

See you soon!


Richard

[TheSmitchell]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Will anyone be commuting via Train to/from Providence every day for the conference? Train Buddy is seeking companions.

[Ben S.]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

Besides this thread and Twitter hash tags #AlphaDev and #AADevCon2014, is there any other public discussion going on regarding this conference? I'm hoping that more than a handful of people are registered for this conference.

[josephmoeller]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

I'll be flying solo into Boston on Tuesday afternoon and was looking at activities that might be fun before the conference.
The first thing that stood out to me was Red Lantern Boston - Unlimited Sushi Tuesdays for $25.
The other thing I found was the "Historic Pub Crawl with the Freedom Trail Foundation" which is a 90 minute tour from 5:30-7:00pm and requires a $43 reservation booked a day in advance. It seems like something cool to do while in town that isn't as pricey as a show (which I may consider for Thursday - Lion King?). https://thefreedomtrail.org/book-tou...ub-crawl.shtml

So, my plan is to do the historic pub crawl, and then go to unlimited sushi. It's my first time in Boston, and I'm looking to make to most of the trip while also making long-term alpha developer contacts. Let me know if anyone is interested in joining for either and perhaps we can go in a small group.

[Clipper87]

Re: Alpha Conference in October

My flight arrives at 6.35 pm & I booked a room about 1 mile away from Red Lantern so around 8pm in Red Lantern seems doable for me.