TechEd 2013 Is Just Around the Corner!

One of my most favorite IT Pro conferences is Microsoft TechEd.  This year would have been my 10th TechEd to attend in a row, but alas, I have a conflict and won't be there this year.  Still, I wanted to mention a few things you might want to check out if YOU are going to be there.

• If it's your first time attending, you want to be sure to grab some sessions from some historically popular speakers. You can't go wrong making sure that Jeffrey Snover, Greg Shields, Mark Russinovich, Mark Minasi, Stephen Rose, Paula Januszkiewicz, J. Peter Bruzzese, and Chris Henley are on your schedule.  Or at least a few of them. :-)
• Don't forget to check out the great TechEd Primer on the Springboard Series Blog
• Sometimes it can get overwhelming to sit in breakout session after breakout session. Don't overlook the smaller venue Birds-of-a-Feather topics where the conversations can be more intimate and detail oriented.
• If you are in certification mode, exams are 50% off!
• Are you a woman in technology?  Do you know a woman in technology? Enjoy a sit-down lunch served while listening to a panel discussion at the Women in Technology Luncheon.  Support your female colleagues and beat the lunch line - win, win!
• If it's not your first time attending and you think you have the "stuff" to present at a future TechEd, don't hesitate to participate in Speaker Idol. Hosted by Richard Campbell from RunAs Radio, you can win an all expenses paid speaking slot at the next TechEd.  The only rule is that you can't have presented a TechEd breakout session in the past. 
• What to make connections that last longer than a week? Don't forget about the Community Resource Zone where you learn about resources to expand your professional network beyond the reach of the conference or your office walls.

No matter how you schedule your week, you won't leave New Orleans disappointed.  You'll have learned a few things, made a few new contacts and be geared up to start some new projects in the office.  If nothing else, don't forget to come back and tell me what I missed!