PDC Lunch sessions

As you Euan said, we are deep into session planning now… I gotta say, I LOVE the PDC. It is by far my favorite conference. As a product team member at MS, the quality of the feedback from customers at the PDC is amazing. As someone occasionally involved in the big picture planning here at MS, I love the forcing function the PDC brings. And as an attendee, I love the amazingly deep content I am immersed in at the event.

Now my question… Should we limit the number of lunch session we give to provide a brief respite in the daunting stream of content or should we pack them out with as much good stuff as we can? The lunch sessions are 45mins long in the same set of rooms as the regular sessions and there are some box lunches you can grab. As Euan says, I argued pretty heavily for the “Tips and Tricks” style talks over lunch so you can come late or leave early and still get some real value.

What do you think? Pack with Tips and Tricks or slow the fire hose of content? BTW, please let me know if you are planning to (or even aspiring to) come this year, it helps me know how to weigh your vote ;-)

Comments

• Anonymous
  May 19, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 19, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 19, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 20, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 20, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 20, 2005
  While I personally want all the content I can get for that week, I'd say give 'em a break over lunch.
  
  I'd hate for anyone that attends the PDC to miss out on some of the most important parts of the conference: interpersonal networking, random technical discussions around a lunch table, "cabanas" (technical lounges at PDC03, I think), hands-on-labs, and demos at booths.
  
  Veterans of tech ed and pdc attendence will probably make time for those things - and make them happen for themselves.
  
  But I'd hate to make anyone think they could only get value from the PDC while in a session... that's just not so!

• Anonymous
  May 21, 2005
  I like the idea of a tips session that you can come to part of during lunch - we do have to eat!. If you're prepared to make the effort, I'll be there. And I am coming to PDC.

• Anonymous
  May 22, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 22, 2005
  Further comment:
  It would be nice to feel now and then that I wasn't missing anything crucial while taking time to chat to people in the booths, check out the goodies, and even have lunch.
  
  (If I make it to PDC again this year I can see myself having to hire mules to carry back all the books I'd never find here...Last time I limited myself to just the C# one but that was partly because the security book had already done my back in...and Oh, if there are new mobile devices....)

• Anonymous
  May 23, 2005
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• Anonymous
  May 24, 2005
  While some respite from the information may be nice but if your brains are not dribbling out of your ears at the end you haven’t done enough :)
  
  T and T would be good, but in a largish forum it may be hard for everyone to interact. As an alternative how about marking some lunch tables as content specific with a Specialist provided per table to promote discussion.
  
  b.

• Anonymous
  May 27, 2005
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  June 13, 2009
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  June 17, 2009
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