Oh Colleen ... you did read the site, which I did also. However, in all of that information, you only see the commercial side of things. Don't forget that this is a technical education meeting. Since your experience in such events appears to be lacking, let me tell you about the last one of these things I attended.
First we have the exhibitors. These folks buy a booth and display their wares along with all of the other folks exhibiting. They pay a very large fee because it is the attendees they are after. Microsoft has the draw to bring in bunches of folks who may be looking to buy just what an exhibitor has to offer.
Next, we have the attendees. These folks pay a registration fee. At the one I attended, the fee was $35.00 for admission to the booths and advertising parts. It was an additional $20.00 to attend the presentations. This conference is more expensive, but that is because it includes your registration for the Microsoft Developer Network which carries the hefty price. The one I attended did not include the Developer Network, but offered it as a separate package to buy for a hefty price all its own.
Finally, we have the speakers. Generally these folks have published technical articles in the various professional journals on some applicable area of the field. These folks submit their names and copies of their research to a selection panel. This selection panel then chooses from the available papers those that they think have merit and will tend to attract attendees. The chosen few do indeed get up in front of whoever attends that particular session and give a talk on whatever area of technology they have been researching. These folks do not pay a fee to attend. Their attendance is complementary. However, it is not totally free. They do pay their own travel and hotel expenses. If you will trot over to events.microsoft.com you will notice that for speakers, no price is listed. rather, they tell speakers that they will be provided an RSVP code at a later date. Just so you don't miss it as you do occasionally, here is the quote: "Staff, Speaker, Crew Registration ... All approved staff, speaker, and crew will receive an RSVP code in early February from their staff, speaker, and crew coordinators." (I see after I wrote this that Kristi already copied that for you.)
The part of the Microsoft site that you do not see is the list of speakers and the titles of their presentations. This is because the list is in flux until just prior to the actual event. So, if you want to prove that Larry is not speaking at this event, I suggest that you call Microsoft. That is the only way you will know. As to the booth fee covering being allowed to be a speaker, you have drawn an incorrect conclusion. The two are not linked and booth buyers do not by virtue of having a booth gain the right to present. But, your links and copies of irrelevant information are nice and do represent a bit of time invested on your part, just meaningless to the present conversation. I do congratulate you for having read it though. Perhaps there is hope left for you. Come April 23 we shall see, won't we?
You also have said that Panam is trying to say that they are in the bigtime because they have a representative presenting at a Microsoft event. I beg to differ. The fact that Larry is presenting does not speak to the "Big Time". Rather, it is just another piece of credibility for the company. It goes like this: Panam has, as its director of R&D a person who is so qualified and so involved in cutting edge technology that he is selected for this honor, and it is indeed an honor. From this you are perhaps thinking that if such a professional is on the PABN team, then PABN must be a bit more than a scam and actual R&D must be going on. What R&D? Heck, I dunno, but neither do you. All we do know is that we are amassing a stable full of professionals who can get the job done, don't you think? |
