The Abstracts are in…now what?

Blogger: Mike Riley

The abstract submission deadline for Kscope13 has come and gone. So now what happens? Well, we have several milestones to reach on our way to the end of 2012. First, our abstract review teams now have all of the content in their hands. Kscope13 Content Chairs Natalie Delemar and Chet Justice have a variety of teams hard at work in each topic area. Their goal: to select the content that will once again reinforce that Kscope13 is the user group conference that you need to attend! This is no simple task, by any means. With a record number of abstracts submitted, these teams will evaluate each and every one of them with the goal of selecting the absolute best of the best for each topic area. Their challenge is very difficult, and without their efforts, the conference would undoubtedly suffer. Each of the teams represents the topic areas well, and the teams include many ACE Directors, ACEs, and other subject matter experts. They will spend many hours between now and December looking at the submissions. And the abstract isn’t the only thing taken into consideration when they are doing their reviews. They evaluate the speakers based upon their bios and firsthand knowledge of the quality of the speaker. These teams traditionally do an outstanding job, and they should all be commended for taking the task on.

Kscope13 Content Chairs
Natalie Delemar chet justice.jpg
Natalie Delemar Chet Justice

While these teams are working, the Executive Conference Committee is also hard at work, meeting weekly to discuss many of the tiny details that all contribute to the value and experience that is Kscope13. The team is headed by this humble writer, with Content Chairs Natalie Delemar and Chet Justice, ADF and Fusion Development Team Lead John King, Vendor Chair Gary Crisci, ODTUG President Monty Latiolais, and ODTUG Executive Director Crystal Walton filling out the team. We also have invited participants from time to time to contribute to the effort. Our main focus has been the content and will continue to be our main focus through the content selection process. In addition, the conference budget has to be submitted to the ODTUG Board for approval and inclusion in ODTUG’s Fiscal Year 2013 Budget. Our goal is to provide you a great conference experience, with tremendous value for your training dollar, without going into red numbers for the event.

Our Exhibit Hall once again is going to be jammed with companies this year. We have many already signed up, and if your favorite vendor wasn’t there last year, drop them a line and tell them you’d like to see them there. In addition, you can contact aimee@odtug.com to let her know who you’d like to see at Kscope13.

So, what should you be doing? Well, if I were you, I’d be planning on talking to those folks in your company who are in charge of the training budget. Tell them about Kscope, and the value that you’d receive by going to New Orleans, June 23 – 27, 2013. Convince them that you’ll come back from the conference energized, enthused, refreshed, and ready to share the learning that you will receive at the conference. If they are not convinced already, you’ll at least be prepared to go back in when the agenda is announced, and point directly to the sessions that you are planning to attend. I guarantee you that you’ll learn enough at the conference to justify their investment in your training.

See you in New Orleans!

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