"T" - for Technology
"T" - for Total Immersion
"T" - for Totally Awesome!

Tech·Ed 2006 has just wound down, and I'm still wound up.

For those of you new to technology, or who have been living under a rock for the last decade or so, Tech·Ed has been the premier annual event for those interested in learning more about the latest Microsoft technologies - a Geek-Fest of the highest order. For the last few years, Microsoft has also been holding similar conferences in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. That doesn't keep people from all over the world coming to the US for "the big one."

How big? Would you believe over 12,000 attendees, staff and exhibitors? That's right, enough technologists to populate a small city. The precision and coordination required to move, feed, and clean-up after this volume of people is astounding, and must be seen to believed.

Feeding an Army - over 11,000 served (Per Day - Twice!)

So, what draws these thousands of people to this place? Knowledge. That's the "Ed" in Tech·Ed - Education. From morning to night, every day is packed full of classes, chalk-talks, and roundtables covering all things in the Microsoft world, and seldom have there been more exciting things to learn about as this year. Over a span of a little more than a year, virtually every product Microsoft makes will have undergone a generational change - from SQL Server, to the Office system, to the foundation of Windows itself.

Of course, this is a SharePoint blog, and yes, SharePoint was one of the stars of the show. A large number of sessions focused either on SharePoint itself (whether WSS or MOSS) or on how some other application integrates with it. I spent a large part of my time in one of the new sections this year - the Technical Learning Center. The TLC, as wit was called, was divided into several sections, each focused on a different family of products. I was in the "Green" section, which focused on the Information Worker space (Office, Exchange, Dynamics, and Mobile). Each TLC had workstations where conference attendees could learn and practice at their own pace with Hands-On labs. In addition, product-focused pillars ringed the TLC, staffed by experts in that particular technology. By experts, I'm not just talking about MVPs like me (though we were there in force!) - I mean real, live, Microsoft product managers, developers, and other people who are in a position to provide the definitive answers to any questions you might have, or take your direct feedback into account for the future. Each TLC also provided "chalk-talk" theaters, and comfortable side-bar areas where small groups got together to discuss everything from technical issues, to the latest World Cup news, in depth.

In addition to the Sessions and the TLC's, there was the Expo. Hundreds of vendors had booths touting their wares, and no booth would be complete without some kind of giveaway program. Everything from a grand drawing for a multi-thousand dollar home theatre system, to the tackiest of trinkets was on offer, all for the cost of a scan of your badge. (Yes, we were all branded like products at Wal-Mart with an RFID chip in our ID cards…) Most popular drawing-gift of the show had to be the X-Box 360. I don't know how many of these games were given out, but it was a very large number. My own personal award for most disturbing gift was a tube of lip balm with a little rubber head on it (see photo). Creativity knows no bounds, I guess.

Clearly meant to represent someone who had
spent just a little too much time at the sessions!

Well, it is time for me to finish packing to fly home. This may have been my first Tech·Ed, but if I have my way, it won't be my last!