Getting pumped up for Flash and the City 2010

01/27/2010 in RIA View Comments

Near the end of 2009 my boss approached me about training for 2010. I had complained enough about the lack of training in 2009, and about how important community events are. This happened around the same time that Elad Elrom (@EladElrom) announced on Twitter that he was preparing the community for Flash and the City 2010 (FATC2010). I had just registered and was stoked for what ended up a great showing at RIAUnleashed, kudos to Brian Rinaldi (@remotesynth), and jumped right into registering for FATC2010. This, mind you, was even before the majority of the listed speakers were secured yet, so now heck yeah it’s even better. With a $99 early bird and a $299 registration cost now, you can’t afford to miss an event like this. Not only will the topic based track be awesome, and the unreal lineup of speakers, but something brand new is being offered, a City track. The City track is a great idea, and a sweet way to see NYC. I have been to NYC many times and have never seen some of the City track events offered!

I had talked to Jose Russo (@joseeight) at RIAUnleashed about FATC2010, and he mentioned really building up the marketing and making FATC2010 stand out not only with the content but as a real event to remember. This was great and I completely understood the stance…given that I have been to many conferences with only time to fly in, hit the hotel and classes and fly out. This is the first event that I am bringing my wife along with me, and she is actually excited to be going, and the first time I feel she won’t be bored out of her skull waiting on me to get out of classes.

What I really like about it is that it’s an East Coast deal. Don’t get me wrong, I love the West Coast, but 3 years in a row for MAX?? Come on. I have been going to MAX since it was DEVCON back in the early 2000s, a couple times in Orlando and one liver threatening time in New Orleans. I swore off alcohol at least 3 times that week, seriously. We were Macromedia Partners at the time, had a big private shindig on Bourbon, lots of free booze, etc. Somehow I made it back to the hotel after leaving The Dungeon, and I still swear I saw Glenn Danzig there… I even paid my own way and bummed a room off an old friend to make it to San Fran in 2008. I got to share an elevator with Ben Forta, YES! I didn’t make it to LA in 2009, and that sucks, but hey I had a job so all good there! So, having an East coast deal and having it in NYC just completely rocks!

I am going to at least two larger events this year, 1: FATC2010, and 2: MAX in LA, yes in that order. I am still digging for funds for 360Flex and will hopefully go back to RIAUnleashed if not one other 1-2 day events like Flash on Tap. These venues not only let you stretch your legs a little, but offer great training in a small presenter to attendee ratio. Some of the biggest names in the Flash/Flex community are at the events giving tips and tricks and real life experiences. They are all real people that will shoot the shit, drink a beer, even buy you a beer (thanks @JesterXL for the brew in Waltham, MA) because they truly have a passion for what they do. So get involved, follow and discover the passion our community has for RIA development, I know I love it.

*Note: I am including twitter profiles because you should follow these people!

Not to leave anyone out, they are all awesome people in the community, but I really look forward to meeting in person folks like Jesse Freeman (@TheFlashBum), Elad Elrom (@EladElrom), Joel Hooks (@jhooks), Garth Braithwaite (@GarthDB), Peter Elst (@PeterElst), Grant Skinner (@gskinner), James Ward (@jlward4th), Jeff Tapper (@jefftapper) and Kevin Schmidt (@schmidtkevinall).

I look forward to seeing Kevin Suttle (@KevinSuttle), Jose Antonio Marquez Russo (@JoseEight) and Jesse Warden (@JesterXL) again of course. I heard that Chuck Freedman (@chuckstar) and Sean Moore (@seantheflexguy) will be there as attendees and look forward to meeting them for sure. Keep your fingers crossed for Antonio Holguin (@AntonioHolguin), he is trying hard to make it! I just wish Todd Anderson (@bustardcelly) was making it too, he rocks!

Most of all I want a picture with and a hug from Stacey Mulcahy (@bitchwhocodes) . Hell, I might even have to give a big ole East Tennessee Bear hug to Yakov Fain (@yfain), he seems really cool but a tad uptight.