Comments on: How Do You Afford To Go To Conferences? http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/ developer | thinker | tinkerer Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:30:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jim http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-838 Jim Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:49:33 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-838 Sean - I was actually thinking about trying that... :) I need to think of something creative... If I did CFUnited I could ride up on my motorcycle and plaster myself with advertising!! Sean – I was actually thinking about trying that… :) I need to think of something creative… If I did CFUnited I could ride up on my motorcycle and plaster myself with advertising!!

]]> By: Sean Tierney http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-837 Sean Tierney Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:07:26 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-837 Jim, agreed. there is no substitute to the hallway conversations with the incredible people you meet at conferences. When I was consulting solo I budgeted 1k/yr to be at whatever conferences would make the best expenditure. I did CFUNITED twice and never regretted the expense. I would echo the comments above about doing room shares. I don't know all the cities for all the different events now but you can get rapid rewards vouchers for SW airlines on ebay and go anywhere they fly for about $220. Then there's the entrepreneur in me that notices you have significant traffic and comments on your blog and thinks: why don't you put a big banner on your blog that you'll paint your face and wear the shirt of any company 24/7 while you're there if they cover all your expenses. would make a helluva conversation starter while you're there, probably generate more traffic to your blog and would defer all the cost to someone else. Rick said it, "where there's a will..." sean Jim, agreed. there is no substitute to the hallway conversations with the incredible people you meet at conferences.

When I was consulting solo I budgeted 1k/yr to be at whatever conferences would make the best expenditure. I did CFUNITED twice and never regretted the expense. I would echo the comments above about doing room shares. I don’t know all the cities for all the different events now but you can get rapid rewards vouchers for SW airlines on ebay and go anywhere they fly for about $220.

Then there’s the entrepreneur in me that notices you have significant traffic and comments on your blog and thinks: why don’t you put a big banner on your blog that you’ll paint your face and wear the shirt of any company 24/7 while you’re there if they cover all your expenses. would make a helluva conversation starter while you’re there, probably generate more traffic to your blog and would defer all the cost to someone else. Rick said it, “where there’s a will…”

sean

]]> By: Jim http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-836 Jim Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:53:34 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-836 Henry - I agree online presentations are a great resource but I do think the biggest value of a conference is to actually meet and interact with other ColdFusion carbon units :) Henry – I agree online presentations are a great resource but I do think the biggest value of a conference is to actually meet and interact with other ColdFusion carbon units :)

]]> By: Henry http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-835 Henry Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:39:52 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-835 Why do we still live within the physical time and space constrain when we have something as wonderful as The Online ColdFusion Meetup Group @ http://coldfusion.meetup.com/17/ ? Why do we still hold expensive conferences when you can host one free online? We just have to figure out how to pay the speakers..? Why do we still live within the physical time and space constrain when we have something as wonderful as The Online ColdFusion Meetup Group @ http://coldfusion.meetup.com/17/ ?

Why do we still hold expensive conferences when you can host one free online?

We just have to figure out how to pay the speakers..?

]]> By: Jim http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-834 Jim Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:01:15 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-834 Dan Wilson pointed me to the Adobe Max speaker request form: https://adobemax.dabbledb.com/page/callforsessions/NLXYueHm If anyone else wants to go there and enter my name to give an Ant presentation... feel free. :) @Rick - I KNOW I'd get a lot of a conference but it's a difficult decision. I can go by myself to a conference or I can take my kids to Disney for a few days. Dan Wilson pointed me to the Adobe Max speaker request form:

https://adobemax.dabbledb.com/page/callforsessions/NLXYueHm

If anyone else wants to go there and enter my name to give an Ant presentation… feel free. :)

@Rick – I KNOW I’d get a lot of a conference but it’s a difficult decision. I can go by myself to a conference or I can take my kids to Disney for a few days.

]]> By: Joshua http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-833 Joshua Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:53:20 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-833 Typically we are a sponsor in some way to help promote our product, so I have to go. :-) Though we don't hit all the conferences. I will at least get to go to cfobjective and cfunited. Maybe more. Typically we are a sponsor in some way to help promote our product, so I have to go. :-) Though we don’t hit all the conferences. I will at least get to go to cfobjective and cfunited. Maybe more.

]]> By: Michael http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-832 Michael Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:45:04 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-832 Wow, and I thought it was just me. I will be going to my first conference (WebManiacs) next month. I work for the state and the Governor announced a moratorium on all out of state travel. I asked whether they could pay for the conference if I paid for the hotel and travel. That is a go and luckily the flight into BWI is ridiculously cheap. I would recommend checking out TripAdvisor.com if you are paying your own way because they gave a wealth of hotel reviews so I was able to find an affordable hotel only a couple miles from the conference and only 3 blocks from the White House. Wow, and I thought it was just me. I will be going to my first conference (WebManiacs) next month.

I work for the state and the Governor announced a moratorium on all out of state travel. I asked whether they could pay for the conference if I paid for the hotel and travel.

That is a go and luckily the flight into BWI is ridiculously cheap. I would recommend checking out TripAdvisor.com if you are paying your own way because they gave a wealth of hotel reviews so I was able to find an affordable hotel only a couple miles from the conference and only 3 blocks from the White House.

]]> By: Rick Mason http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-831 Rick Mason Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:35:42 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-831 The answer is you make it a priority. This is my sixth CFUnited and the first where my employer is paying. Grab the earliest discount, drive and share the ride with friends and finally share the room. Sometimes it means staying down the street to save a few bucks over the headquarters hotel. Where there's a will, there's a way... The answer is you make it a priority. This is my sixth CFUnited and the first where my employer is paying.

Grab the earliest discount, drive and share the ride with friends and finally share the room. Sometimes it means staying down the street to save a few bucks over the headquarters hotel.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way…

]]> By: Jason Dean http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-830 Jason Dean Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:14:10 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-830 My employer is paying for me and a colleague to go. We can actually walk to the hotel from our office here, so neither transport or lodging are issues. But if/when I decide to go to CFUnited, I will be in the same boat as Jim. I think the only reason we got this approved was because it is local. My employer is paying for me and a colleague to go. We can actually walk to the hotel from our office here, so neither transport or lodging are issues.

But if/when I decide to go to CFUnited, I will be in the same boat as Jim. I think the only reason we got this approved was because it is local.

]]> By: Jim http://thecrumb.com/2008/04/15/how-do-you-afford-to-go-to-conferences/#comment-829 Jim Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:11:59 +0000 http://www.thecrumb.com/?p=422#comment-829 Thanks for the feedback - I didn't think about the tax angle - that may be something I explore! Thanks for the feedback – I didn’t think about the tax angle – that may be something I explore!

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