SDN Clubhouse: 2 down and 1 coming up!

Well being for the first time on the other side of the convention, the side of working it and not just working the booths for cool giveaways. So my first unforgettable thoughts is how stressful and tiring the process is. It didn’t matter how much we planned or anything there were so many little issues to take care of you always managed to forget one or another. But what I am happy about is that as a team we managed to tackle everything that came our way and we came out in my opinion with “flying colors” and with a very positive response to the whole thing!

It was great to see friends like Gregor again and finally getting to meet several others I had not meet before. I didn’t bring a camera so I couldn’t catch all of those little meetings on film but I did bring my video camera so SDN TV will have some footage coming soon! Gregor did get some photos taken though, you can see them First TechEd Vienna 2005 Photos. I felt bad for Several SDN specimens gathered in a clubhouse and grooved with an excellent coffee in their hand. the poor guy was stuck with a cold most of the time, which seemed to become a theme as my team seemed to get hit as well with it. I think I faired well because a few weeks before I got my arms pumped full of shots for my up and coming trip to Bangalore which I’m looking forward to even though I am in my hotel room right now on a Friday night because I am under the weather myself. I did well though it took 2 weeks before it hit me.

Another great item that pops to mind is how our editoral teams managed to publish and post so many of the activities that were taking place straight to SDN, in fact Shai’s keynote from Vienna was done as a Shai Agassi Vienna Keynote Podcast.

So moving from Vienna to Boston was an exciting time as well because I managed to fulfill a goal of not only myself but of Mark as well. I finally got to meet Thomas face to face. Someone even made the joke later, “So that’s what 24,000+ points looks like”. Later on, due to some issues that arose I ended up having to present the Top Contributors before Demo Jam on stage. I have to tell you, it was a little nerve racking. I mean I’ve been on board since July and now all of sudden. But the team was positive and supportive and in the end I was told it turned out well, Shai even introduced me as the “Demi-God” because Mark, the “God of all Gods” sent me to do his bidding as he couldn’t be there. So it got me off on a light foot and a sense of humor in mind. So I was actually able to present Thomas, Prakash, Rich and Bhanu there prizes talk about a great feeling now I know how Mark must feel! As for the Demo Jam itself Thomas got some SAP TechEd 2005 Boston: Demo Jam on it!

Another fantastic thing going on was the Install your own Portal in the ‘Bring Your Own Box’ Portal Party at SAP TechEd ’05 Boston and compete for iPod nanos sponsored by Intel! that took place Marrian let me go in and take some video footage so I’m hoping to have that online soon!

Now of course my next stop in SDN Clubhouse at SAP TechEd ’05 in Bangalore so it’s off to bed so I am actually able to go out and join everyone and have some fun, or at least I hope I’ve been so busy working and helping with everything I don’t think I’ve stopped to participate yet?!