Edit: Some links no longer work. I do not see much paper at events these days.
Originally posted November 19, 2013 on AIXchange
This article got me thinking about my own experiences at the recent IBM Power Systems Technical University conference. I always say that if you only get to go to one IBM education event during the year, this is the one to attend. There’s always something new to learn, and if you find yourself in a session that isn’t at the right skill level for you (too easy/too hard/too whatever), you can easily get up and go to another room down the hall.
In my case I had the chance to spend some time during the conference with IBMer Chris Gibson. I’ve known Chris for years, but since he lives in Australia, this was our first chance to say hello in person. It was also a great opportunity to actually hear IBM “rock stars” like Nigel Griffiths (@mr_nmon on Twitter) and Jay Kruemcke (@chromeaix) during their sessions. Thursday night’s “meet the experts” (or “stump the chumps,” depending on who you ask) event is always a highlight, as attendees answer all sorts of questions from the audience in a freewheeling discussion where customers can get more insight into IBM’s future plans.
One interesting change this year was that IBM distributing an electronic version of the session planner. In years past, upon registering you were handed a booklet containing the whole week’s sessions at a glance. This year we got a URL and login info so we could do everything electronically. Android users could even install an application.
The electronic approach had pros and cons. One nice thing was that information about session changes (additions, drops, changes in venue, etc.) were sent immediately to attendees’ handheld devices. Providing session feedback from my phone was also a snap. Using the directory of attendees, feedback could also be shared with conference goers and conference organizers. In addition, the electronic version made it very easy to search for topics, presenters, etc.
Some downsides to this approach included limited bandwidth and spotty network coverage at the venue. I found cellular coverage to be lacking in some areas. I imagine though that most attendees had at least one phone and one tablet/laptop with them — getting the wifi working fairly quickly wasn’t a huge issue. However, at times it took awhile to load session data , and frankly, I just missed having my usual paper copy.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one, because later in the week, hard copies for each day’s sessions were made available at the registration desk. I like the paper schedule because I can look at the grid, circle the sessions I’m interested in, and know at a glance where I’m headed in the next hour. The paper schedule also offers the added benefit of making it easy to track down sessions slides that interest me. This year there was an index file to help us find specific sessions.
Obviously the trend toward eliminating paper is well-established, but it’s still good for some things. It will be interesting to see how IBM approaches this at future events.