Microsoft 2013 Build Conference Additional Registration Slots

I noticed yesterday that the 2013 Microsoft Build Conference, which had been sold out, has added slots and registration has been reopened. See http://www.buildwindows.com/.

I will be speaking at Build 2013, June 26-28, in San Francisco. This is Microsoft’s primary conference for software developers. For many years the conference used to be called PDC (Professional Developer’s Conference). Build is always a popular event, and this year, when registration opened on April 2, the event was sold out within a few hours. But it looks like the event organizers wrangled additional space and resources (like Internet connectivity and food) at the conference center. Presumably, hotel space wasn’t a critical issue since there is no official conference hotel as there is at Las Vegas events.

I almost always feel that conferences are a good use of my time. It’s not so much that I learn super-secret information, but rather that I get to talk to a lot of people, and hear a lot of interesting presentations. When I return to work after a conference like Build I generally have a jolt of productivity and creativity too. I guess what I’m trying to say is that conferences get me out of my day-to-day routine and expose me to new ideas.

Of course the downside to most technical conferences is cost. When you include conference registration, air fare, and hotel fees, a three of four-day conference can easily cost $3,000 to $5,000 dollars.

I’ll post details about my session talk at Build once I get a schedule from the organizers. If you attend Build, be sure to seek me out and say hello.