I got up a bit later than yesterday – 6:00 AM this time. I spent a good bit of time working on my presentation for later in the afternoon, so I actually missed the first session at 8:00.
At 9:00 the exhibits opened, so I went to see the vendors. This always turns into more of a reunion than an actual discovery of new products. By this time, we’ve already established relationships with our local vendors, so it’s more often just a chance to see these guys face-to-face. This year was a little different. I actually went around making serious inquiries since we have an RFP for new schools about to hit the streets. I wanted to make sure there was enough competition.
The first session I attended was done by Chris Peters from Clemson, dealing with Photoshop Elements. Much as with yesterday’s digital imaging session, it was material I know very, very well. However, it’s often good to sit through these presentations as a reminder. It’s also good to see how other folks are using imaging.
Phone calls and emergencies from the district meant that I missed David Warlick’s keynote on Web 2.0. However, I did catch his presentation on RSS feeds. It was very well done, and contained some of the information he delivered at FETC.
More vendors, then it was time for my talk on Google. Usually, the 4:00 – 5:00 time slot is killer, with very few attendees. Most have already left for shopping, dining, etc. That certainly wasn’t the case this time. The room was jam packed, and I expressed my appreciation for their attendance. There were some technical glitches with the Internet that created problems for the streaming video, but for the most part it went well. There were lots of questions, and I could easily have spent an hour covering more material. I may have to schedule a pre-conference workshop next year.