Chris Bowen's Blog : Events

New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday 34

cbowen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:15:48 GMT

Back in January, the New England SQL Server Users Group and Southern New England SQL Server Users Group combined forces to host New England Data Camp v1.0. It was a solid success, bringing a focus on all things data to a large Code Camp style event.

I’m glad to pass along word that the event is making a return on January 30th!

This time, New England Data Camp v2.0 has joined forces with the SQL Saturday series of events and will be SQL Saturday #34!

Where? When?

      New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday #34
      January 30, 2010
      All day (times TBD)
      Microsoft New England
      201 Jones Road, Waltham, MA
      [directions]

Who? What?

Anyone who works with data (yep, that’s a lot of us.) Developers, DBAs, Architects, Business Intelligence pros, etc.

Wondering what kind of content there may be? Nothing’s exact until the Call for Speakers closes, but the schedule from NEDC v1.0 should give an idea.

How?

Register here! (It’s free!)

Opportunities to Help

Like Code Camps, this event is being organized by and supported by volunteers and the community. Why not get involved?

Call for Speakers - All sessions are given by volunteers donating their time and expertise. Everyone is welcome to submit a session, and people new to public speaking are especially encouraged to join in.
Call for Sponsors – This event is made possible through the generosity and support of sponsors. It’s a great opportunity to help the community.

Grant Fritchey - “SQL Saturday #34/New England Data Camp v2.0”
Jim O’Neil - “Data Camp v2.0”
SQL Saturday Blog - “New SQLSaturday’s Announced”

-Chris

Second SharePoint Saturday Boston on February 27th

cbowen — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:33:55 GMT

After a successful event in March, SharePoint Saturday Boston is returning for a second run on February 27th at the Jones Road Microsoft Offices in Waltham, MA.

This free, all-day event offers a chance to learn through a variety of sessions and plenty of networking with hundreds of fellow SharePoint professionals.

Follow @SPSBoston on Twitter for event updates.

Registration is coming soon.

Call for Speakers

The first event had a great lineup of speakers, with about 25 sessions on various SharePoint-related topics.

If you’re interested in volunteering as a speaker, see the SharePoint Saturday Boston site for the submission form and contact details.

-Chris

A Cloudy December in Massachusetts

cbowen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:04:07 GMT

Though I clearly won’t win any cleverness prizes with this post’s title, I do want to pass along details of some cloud computing related events coming to the greater Boston area in December.

Boston Azure User Group – 12/3

December 3rd (6:30-8:30 PM) will be the second meeting of the new Boston Azure User Group, dedicated to learning about and sharing experiences with cloud computing and the Windows Azure Platform.

The meeting, held at Microsoft NERD in Cambridge, will feature Mike Werner and Michael Stiefel, detailing announcements made at last week’s Microsoft PDC.

Boston Cloud Services Meetup – 12/9

The Boston Cloud Services Meetup is holding their next meetup on December 9 and will feature several speakers on different cloud computing topics.

The group meets in Waltham at 6:30 PM. See the Boston Cloud Services Meetup profile for details and to RSVP.

CloudCamp Boston 2 – 12/10

Returning after a the first CloudCamp Boston earlier this year, CloudCamp Boston 2 is a free “unconference” focusing on cloud computing.

It will be hosted at Microsoft NERD on December 10 from 2-7 PM, with a joint event lunch from 12:30 to 2 with Cloud^3 (see below).

Xconomy Forum: Cloud^3 – 12/10

CloudCamp Boston 2 is being held in partnership with Xconomy, which is hosting a forum event called Cloud^3, held the morning of CloudCamp starting at 8:30 AM, also at Microsoft NERD.

Cloud^3 will feature three keynotes, six short “Cloudburst” sessions and more. Separate registration is required, and see the CloudCamp site for details of the partnership.

-Chris

Friends, Books, and Roadshows

cbowen — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:16:21 GMT

With three cities done, Jim and I have four more stops remaining on our “Don’t Fear the Coder” Northeast MSDN Roadshow:

December 3 - Farmington, CT

December 8 - Waltham, MA

December 9 - Providence, RI

December 15 - Augusta, ME

In an attempt to maximize the amount of stuff we need to carry from place to place, we’re testing out a new idea, “Bring a friend, get a book”.

For any of these remaining events, if you bring along a friend to the Roadshow, we’ll give you both a copy of Introducing Microsoft Silverlight 3.

How? When registering online (with the above links), you’ll be asked for a Referral Code…

Just enter the name of your attending friend (or they can list you if you’ve already registered), and you’ll each get copies of the book when you both sign in at the event.

Can it be that easy? Pretty much, but here are The Official Rules:

Government employees are not eligible for promotion
Both parties must be present to win
If onsite supply runs out, books will be mailed to recipients

See you on the road!

-Chris

Elite Web Optimization Event – Cambridge 12/9

cbowen — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:18:16 GMT

A good opportunity to learn about the Microsoft Web Platform, interoperability, the WebsiteSpark program and more is coming to NERD in Cambridge, presented NaviSite and Microsoft.

Elite Web Optimization Event
December 9th 2009 10:00AM-6:00PM
New England Research and Development Center (NERD)
1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02142

Free registration at http://microsoftandnavisite.eventbrite.com

Come spend a day with us to explore the Microsoft Windows Web Platform and the many managed hosting services provided by NaviSite, Inc., based in Andover, MA!

During this event, we’ll review what’s new in the Microsoft Web Platform and tools, the interoperability improvements in the Microsoft Web platform and the value that NaviSite Managed Hosting can add to your project/business.

We will discuss:

MS Web Platform – IIS management Console, Hyper – V and the Dynamic Data Center, SQL Server 2008 Web Edition, IISMedia Services3.0

WebsiteSpark Program

MS Interoperability – PHP on Windows, Web-PI, PHP Drivers in MS SQL Server 2008

NaviSite services and value add

The Great PHP on Windows Contest

MS Web Tools – Visual Studio, Expression, Silverlight

Microsoft Partner Evangelism Initiative

All attendees will be entered into a drawing to win one of the following:

Copy of Win7

Xbox360 Elite

ZuneHD

8GB Zune

FREE NaviSite Windows Dedicated Server for 2 Months

-Chris

Five MSDN Roadshows Touring the East Coast

cbowen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:07:58 GMT

Back in February of 2007, we kicked off the Northeast MSDN Roadshow with a tour of five cities to wax poetic about the then sparking-new .NET Framework 3.0. We drove many miles, threw things at audience members, showed a lot of code, and had a blast.

Fast forward 2 years 8 months and we’re nearing the start of our eleventh Roadshow series, the “Dont’ Fear the Coder” Tour, but what’s equally cool is that there are five MSDN Roadshows reaching audiences up and down the east coast (each with a spiffy new logo as well.)

Here’s the full list (painstakingly CTRL+C and CTRL+V’ed from my New Jersey based teammate Peter Laudati's blog. Thanks, Peter!)

Register for any of these at http://www.msdnevents.com

	MSDN “Northeast” Roadshow with Chris Bowen & Jim O’Neil Cities & Dates: 11/10/2009 – Burlington, VT 11/12/2009 – Albany (Troy), NY 11/13/2009 – Rochester, NY 12/3/2009 – Farmington, CT 12/8/2009 – Waltham, MA 12/9/2009 – Providence, RI 12/15/2009 – Augusta, ME
	MSDN “Metro” Roadshow with Peter Laudati & Asli Bilgin Cities & Dates: 11/12/2009 – Parsippany, NJ 12/10/2009 – East Windsor, NJ 12/15/2009 – New York, NY
	MSDN “Mid-Atlantic” Roadshow with G. Andrew Duthie, Dani Diaz, and Dave Isbitski Cities & Dates: 11/12/2009 – Pittsburgh, PA 12/1/2009 – Harrisburg, PA 12/3/2009 – Reston, VA 12/8/2009 – Roanoke, VA 12/10/2009 – Malvern, PA
	MSDN “Southern Fried” Roadshow with Brian Hitney & Glen Gordon Cities & Dates: 11/4/2009 – Greensboro, NC 11/5/2009 – Raleigh, NC 11/6/2009 – Columbia, SC 12/8/2009 – Atlanta, GA 12/9/2009 – Montgomery, AL
	MSDN “Tiki Hut” Roadshow with Joe Healy & Russ Fustino Cities & Dates: 11/30/2009 – Tampa, FL 12/2/2009 – Fort Lauderdale, FL 12/14/2009 – Orlando, FL

I hope you enjoy the next Roadshow, wherever you may be*! (*As long as it’s somewhere along the east coast.)

-Chris

Professional Developers Conference (PDC) Update

cbowen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:05:11 GMT

The Professional Developers Conference (PDC) is November 17-19 in Los Angeles, and will be one of the best ways to get your fill of the latest developer tech:

I went last year (and just confirmed I can make it again this year) and it’s several intense days of conversations and content. You can get an idea of what’s in store by reviewing the session recordings from PDC 2008, available for free.

Birds of a Feather Sessions

The Birds of a Feather (BOF) sessions are a great way to connect with other attendees and build from each others’ experiences. ("What is a Birds-of-a-Feather Session?") A number of BOF sessions will be selected and scheduled throughout PDC.

Though some sessions have been scheduled, it’s not too late to propose a session idea of your own! Submissions are open through tomorrow (Friday 10/30) at 5PM PDT.

You can also follow BOF on Twitter.

Free Pre-Conference Windows 7 Bootcamp

The day before PDC (11/16) is an opportunity to attend a number of excellent paid pre-conference workshops on a variety of topics.

You can also sign up for a free Windows 7 Developer Boot Camp that’s open to everyone (not just people attending PDC.)

Other Goings On

Hands-on Labs, Ask the Experts, The Big Room
PDC Tweet Up
Women in Technology Networking Luncheon
Meet the WCF, WF, and “Dublin” Teams
Windows 7 Application Compatibility Testing and Logo Program
Screening of the Visual Studio Documentary

$300 Discount Ends Friday, 10/30

There’s a tiny window remaining to register for PDC with a $300 discount. Make sure you register by the end of Friday, 10/30.

-Chris

Code Camps in Albany, NY and Stamford, CT Coming Soon

cbowen — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 06:28:13 GMT

Next Saturday (November 7th) will bring two more Code Camps to the northeast, one in Albany, NY and the other in Stamford, CT.

Code Camps are free, community events for connecting with and learning from fellow developers. If you can make it to one of these, it will be a day well spent!

Tech Valley Code Camp 2009

Back after last year’s first event, Tech Valley Code Camp 2009 will be hosted at SUNY Albany and is organized by the Tech Valley .NET Users Group.

    Tech Valley Code Camp 2009
    November 7, 9 AM – 3 PM
    SUNY, Albany, NY
    http://www.techvalleycodecamp.com

Register today to attend and while you’re at it, why not throw caution to the wind and volunteer to share your interests in a session as well?

Fairfield/Westchester Code Camp 2009

For those of you in the southern CT area, Fairfield/Westchester Code camp returns for a 2009 edition, organized by the Fairfield/Westchester .NET User Group.

    Fairfield/Westchester Code Camp 2009
    November 7, 8 AM – 6 PM
    UConn, Stamford, CT
    http://fairfieldwestchester.net/Code-Camp.aspx

Hats off to the community for putting these events together!

-Chris

New Cape Cod XNA Group – First Meeting Friday 10/23

cbowen — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:56:50 GMT

The new Cape Cod XNA user group will offer a chance to learn and share knowledge about creating games with XNA (which builds on .NET to make games for the PC, XBox 360, and Zune.)

The group’s first meeting is this Friday, October 23rd, at Venture in Hyannis:

      Cape Cod XNA
      October 23, 6:30 PM
      Venture
      Suite 14, 540 Main St, Hyannis, MA [map]

If you’ve always wanted to try your hand at making a game, then drop by and put those .NET programming skills to work (er, play)!

-Chris

Northeast MSDN Roadshow - “Don’t Fear the Coder” Tour

cbowen — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:17:05 GMT

As in 2007 and 2008, we like to run a pre-winter Roadshow series before the really deep snow blankets the roads. I’m glad to say everything’s lined up for us to to get the word out for the next series!

These are free events, running 9:30 to 3:30, featuring five sessions for developers and architects. Topics include Expression/Silverlight MVVM, ASP.NET Webforms/AJAX, LINQ, finding developer help, and WCF. The full agenda (in all of its themed glory) is below.

We’ll be piling into whatever vehicle we can find (that has plenty of cup holders for coffee) to visit seven cities in November and December:

November 10 - Burlington, VT [Register] New Venue
November 12 - Troy, NY [Register]
November 13 - Rochester, NY [Register]
December 3 - Farmington, CT [Register]
December 8 - Waltham, MA [Register]
December 9 - Providence, RI [Register] New City!
December 15 - Augusta, ME [Register]

P.S. There’s now a directions/parking/updates page to help with any venue updates before each event.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

And now the full agenda (prior Roadshow attendees know we just love a theme). Read on if you dare, but you’ve been warned…

MSDN Events Presents

The MSDN Northeast Roadshow:
"Don't Fear the Coder" Tour

It was a dark and stormy night. Your heart races as you wonder how you'll survive the looming deadline. Technology questions abound. A cat jumps at you for no reason. The stack of unread developer magazines casts a threatening shadow. What to use? When? How?

Worried? Don't be. Road and code warriors Jim O’Neil and Chris Bowen will clear up the fog surrounding key developer technologies. From current practices and tools, to glimpses of the near future, you'll escape with new insights and many stories to tell.

The Northeast MSDN Roadshow is a free series of deep technology sessions for developers and architects. Join Chris and Jim for these relaxed events to gain practical insights (and of course they’ll use their wits to transform “horrors” into “har hars”).

Registration is required, and seating is limited, so register today and join the Roadshow!

The Agenda: Clever Hacking, Slashed Efforts, and Killer Applications

Something WCF This Way Comes

The mysterious figure of Windows Communication Foundation approaches from the swirling mist, but are its intentions good? Rumors abound that it can be complex and not for the faint of heart. We'll take a renewed look at WCF, discovering a practical tale of services, connectivity, integration, and more. Our focus will be on WCF’s current nature, but we'll briefly preview what’s in store for us with .NET 4.0. WCF turns out to be a great ally, so you’ll be glad you stood your ground.

RIA Window – Expression, Silverlight, and MVVM

You’ll code your next Silverlight application with grace after you catch this session, which presents the primary motives for using the MVVM pattern. Focusing on the use of Expression Blend, we’ll cast a designer’s lens on Silverlight development enabling you to plot a hitch-free course for your future projects.

"Help!" – Grasping at Lifelines

In the fight to slay invading bugs and put fearsome requirements to rest, sometimes you need a helping hand. In this brief lunchtime session, we'll review options for finding assistance – ways to report and view issues you find, help systems, websites, team options, communities, and more. Breathe easy, there’s no need to wander alone in the dark.

LINQ De-crypted

Although it’s part of the foundation of the .NET 3.5 release, many developers have yet to uncover the amazing power buried in LINQ (Language Integrated Query). This session will bring to light important concepts found lurking in the shadows of the technology: the IEnumerable and IQueryable interfaces, extension methods, lambda expressions, and more. With LINQ’s defining components unearthed, you’ll vault to new heights in your development efforts.

Tales from the Webside - ASP.NET WebForms, AJAX, and More

Your journey through web development may at times seem like a montage of foreboding images. There are many paths to consider, but in this session we return to the main roads of essential ASP.NET development. From WebForms and server options, to scripting, AJAX, and other tools, we’ll catch up with the latest developments and take a quick glimpse down the road at what awaits us ahead. Until next time, enjoy trying your new web development options.

Code Camp 12 – The Schedule!

cbowen — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:56:26 GMT

We’re on the home stretch for this Saturday’s New England Code Camp 12: “The Developer Dozen” (what is Code Camp?), a free day filled with with technology sessions given by the area developer community.

       New England Code Camp 12
       Saturday, October 17th
       8:30 AM to 6:40 PM
       Microsoft, 201 Jones Road (6th Floor), Waltham, MA

Registration is still open!

http://TheDevCommunity.org

Sessions and Schedule

CC12 will feature 45 sessions by 29 speakers in 7 rooms, all for free!

The session grid (as always, subject to change) is below, and session descriptions are online.

We’ll have printouts of the grid and descriptions waiting for you at registration.

The Schedule (click to expand):

Saturday Evening Geek Gathering

A Code Camp tradition for years, we're informally gathering over at the Waltham Westin's lobby bar for a chance to unwind on Saturday night.

Drop by after sessions are over to relax, chat, and network with fellow New England devs!

Thanks to Our Contributors!

Last but certainly not least, thanks to the contributing companies who have made this event possible:

Lunch courtesy Magenic

O’Reilly

Pearson/Addison-Wesley

Pluralsight

Red-Gate

Wiley/WROX

See you at Camp!

-Chris

New England Code Camp 12 Update

cbowen — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:33:06 GMT

Things are rolling along well toward Saturday, October 17th, when New England Code Camp will descend for a twelfth time upon Waltham, MA! An update on sessions, the Call for Speakers, and contributing companies:

Camp is now up to 39 sessions by 25 different speakers, with more coming, all packed into one free day!

The schedule is coming next week, but here’s the current list of sessions.

All are welcome, and it’s free, so register soon at:

       http://TheDevCommunity.org

       New England Code Camp 12
       Saturday, October 17th
       Times TBD, but likely 8:30 AM to ~6:30 PM
       Microsoft, 201 Jones Road (6th Floor), Waltham, MA

Join hundreds of fellow developers for this semiannual favorite!

Call for Speakers Closing 10/7

We will assemble the final schedule soon, so if you’d like to deliver a session, please submit it by Wednesday, October 7th.

To join in the fun as a speaker, just follow these steps:

Sign in to an existing account or create a new one at TheDevCommunity.org site.
Complete a Speaker Registry profile (if you don't already have one.)
Go to the Code Camps home page.
Next to the CC12 entry, you should see a "Submit a Session" link.
Submit as many sessions as you'd like.
Please ensure that you also register as an attendee

Contributor Update

Sincere thanks to the contributors who have stepped up to make this Code Camp possible via financial support and/or supplying swag & giveaways:

Please join me in thanking these companies for their community support!

See you at Camp!

-Chris

P.S. As always, thanks to Bryan Phillips of Grey Wolf Design for the Code Camp logo!

Windows 7 Incubation Week Boston – October 5

cbowen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:39:03 GMT

After other successful Microsoft BizSpark Incubation Weeks, it’s good to have another coming to the Boston area.

Microsoft BizSaprk Incubation Week Boston will be from October 5th through the 9th at the Microsoft Technology Center in Waltham, MA.

This will be an opportunity for BizSpark startups to learn about and develop with new Windows 7 features, get coaching from guest speakers and experts, and generate some awareness for your efforts.

If you’re interested, there’s a brief window of opportunity remaining to nominate your team to participate, so contact Sanjay Jain right away. See Sanjay’s post for full details.

-Chris

Announcing the Boston Azure User Group

cbowen — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:47:17 GMT

Cloud computing is capturing an increasing amount of mindshare recently, with the Windows Azure platform as a way to build new cloud applications and integrate cloud-based services with existing ones.

With that in mind, the Boston Azure User Group has just been formed, offering area developers, architects, and tech professionals a way to meet to discuss and learn about Azure and cloud computing in general.

The group will be meeting at the Microsoft Cambridge NERD center, with the first meeting on October 22nd. See BostonAzureUserGroup.org for details as they emerge and to join the group’s mailing list.

Thanks to Bill Wilder (blog) for volunteering his time to organize and run the group!

-Chris

BarCampManchester 4 on September 26

cbowen — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:23:23 GMT

For tech folks in and near New Hampshire, this weekend’s BarCampManchester 4 will be a great opportunity to learn, share, and network.

BarCamp will be Saturday, September 26th from 9:30 – 4:30 at UNH Manchester and registration is free.

Like other BarCamps, it will be an “unconference”, with an ~~attendee-~~ participant-driven experience that encourages everyone to share insights and interests. (See also “Rules” of BarCamp, and tips on what to expect.)

See you there!

-Chris

Chris Bowen's Blog : Events

New England Data Camp v2.0 / SQL Saturday 34

Where? When?

Who? What?

How?

Opportunities to Help

Related Posts

Second SharePoint Saturday Boston on February 27th

Call for Speakers

A Cloudy December in Massachusetts

Boston Azure User Group – 12/3

Boston Cloud Services Meetup – 12/9

CloudCamp Boston 2 – 12/10

Xconomy Forum: Cloud^3 – 12/10

Friends, Books, and Roadshows

Elite Web Optimization Event – Cambridge 12/9

Five MSDN Roadshows Touring the East Coast

Professional Developers Conference (PDC) Update

Birds of a Feather Sessions

Free Pre-Conference Windows 7 Bootcamp

Other Goings On

$300 Discount Ends Friday, 10/30

Code Camps in Albany, NY and Stamford, CT Coming Soon

Tech Valley Code Camp 2009

Fairfield/Westchester Code Camp 2009

New Cape Cod XNA Group – First Meeting Friday 10/23

Northeast MSDN Roadshow - “Don’t Fear the Coder” Tour

Code Camp 12 – The Schedule!

Sessions and Schedule

Saturday Evening Geek Gathering

Thanks to Our Contributors!

New England Code Camp 12 Update

Call for Speakers Closing 10/7

Contributor Update

Windows 7 Incubation Week Boston – October 5

Announcing the Boston Azure User Group

BarCampManchester 4 on September 26