The Anaheim Effect

I seem to recall attending the SharePoint Conference in Anaheim last week, but it was a blur. Maybe it was because I tried to maintain a fairly full session schedule, while still delivering on a number of content and program commitments, filling my spare time with partner meetings and learning about some of the new vendors out on the floor. Or maybe it was because of the full social agenda each night. Or maybe it was because I couldn’t walk 20 feet without finding someone else that I hadn’t seen in ages (or had never met in person, just Twitter profiles) which made every conversation an exercise in attention deficit disorder. It really was a blur.

As I sit here engrossed in yet another project, gearing up for yet another road trip (I’m heading over to Berlin this weekend for the European SharePoint Conference, followed by a partner event in Brussels), I thought I should at least follow up with my NothingButSharePoint article on my secret agenda for SPC11.

Here goes:

• I did, in fact, crash Shane and Todd’s admin session on Monday, delivering around 30 of the infamous kitten-killer t-shirts. Yeah, the problem was that the room had about 600+ participants, half of which literally rushed the stage at the end for the shirts. Shane threw out what I had, and then pointed people over to the Axceler booth for more….which I didn’t have. All I can say is, if you want one, send me an email and I’ll do my best to get one to you – or let you know where to find me/them at a future event.
• Fpweb’s new booth met all expectations, although they didn’t take my suggestion and see how many people they could pack into the upstairs conference room. Nor did they have a dance party upstairs. Next time.
• I was able to record several new videos for TheOneThing series, as well as a couple videos for a new project being launched later this fall with compatriot Owen Allen. Watch for them. I’ll be pushing heavily through Twitter (follow me at @buckleyplanet)
• I handed out 50 of a limited edition CherPoint t-shirt in an obnoxious green. Don’t worry, I’ll great more later…..just not in the green.
• I attended a number of sessions, and even provided write-ups for CMSWire on Shane and Todd’s session, as well as the Forrester session where they presented their results of a 1,000-company survey on adoption and migration. But maybe you’ve already read them….
• I consumed a grand total of 2 Diet Coke’s at Oktoberfiesta, which turned out to be the biggest party (outside of Disney) at SPC, as expected. Not a surprise, what with 9 companies sponsoring/participating. Very proud that I kept the caffeine to a minimum, as I am getting back into running shape, and hope to complete another marathon next spring with my oldest son, who has become quite the distance runner….and is making me look bad. Oh yeah, and we even had a Cher impersonator, walking around taking pictures with folks…while pointing.
• I tweeted a whole lot. But maybe you noticed…

I thoroughly enjoyed the event, and am looking forward to participating in next year’s event – which will be back in Las Vegas. While not a drinker or a gambler, I have to say that Las Vegas is the preferred location for this type of event. While I enjoyed the short walk between Anaheim Convention Center and the Marriott, it was no Las Vegas. I love the people watching, the interesting diversions (its like a circus and a rock concert and theme park all rolled into one), and the sheer spectacle (again, the people watching) of Las Vegas. With the forthcoming release of SharePoint (SP2012?), I feel its going to be a fun ride.