an event apart

since i had some time today without the constant flood of email, i decided to go through the many pictures that were on my camera and found some from an event apart chicago. i attended aea for the first time and realized that there is a following associated with this event that is unsurpassed.

first, the event is broken up over a day of mostly design speak and a day of light dev speak. i found the topics to be well suited for the presentation style and the overall event was very interesting. i had a chance to talk to the owners (eric lives in my hometown, cleveland) and learned some interesting strategies around putting together a 2 day event that always sells out.

 

one of the most interesting things i learned is that not only is the content important, the speakers are equally or even more important. at lunch with jeffrey, he even explained how they redesigned the website to emphasize the speakers with their respective sessions. the speakers are all very well respected in their fields and are chosen for their draw. something that even big companies can learn from.

 

all in all, i thoroughly enjoyed the conference and look forward to it coming back to chicago.