A little plug for the alma mater.... the Philly filePro conference

[John Esak]

Hello Everybody,

In just a fraction over five weeks from today, FP Technologies will be
holding the 2007 filePro Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has
been several years since the last convention, and I for one, can't wait to
see all my old friends, and learn what's new (and planned) direct from the
horse's mouth. I'll get to beat up on Ken Brody for the 1,267 edits he wrote
in the past few years that took only one line where mine had four. And, I'll
get to present him and other FP Tech gurus with 4,397 (at present count) new
suggestions I have just waiting for immediate inclusion in the next release.
:-)  Better yet, I'll get to knock about some of the current programming
challenges I have with the brainiest filePro developers around, and
hopefully, as has been the case with all the other filePro conventions in
the past, I'll come away with some really good solutions. At worst, I'll
have a kit full of good suggestions, possibly some scribbled code on napkins
to try when I get back home, and certainly, there will be a bit of nifty
software to test-run also. The special DVD Lauren mentioned from FP Tech
which has a timed, fully functioning copy of filePro on it for various
platforms is something I've been really *wanting* for a long time. Can't
wait for that either.

(Of course, (if you're reading this Rick from my company) I'll make sure you
are registered to attend also. This way you can remember (and write down, or
record all the stuff I'm going to miss or forget. :-))

This is the single best gathering anyone working with filePro could possibly
attend, so it's a real bargain for my company to send more than just one of
us. We can't get this kind of filePro training and general community
interaction anywhere. So the cost is really no obstacle, and well worth it.
This will be true even if it is only *half* as good as my experiences at all
the previous conventions... (and does anybody mind that I keep interspersing
convention with conference???  What the hell is it anyway? I'll settle on
one as soon as JP or somebody else nails it down for me.) 

Now, let me see, where was I... oh yes, the con...thing (now don't take that
the wrong way! :-)) it's going to be one hell of an event... how's that?  An
event?  Well, that's exactly what it is going to be... one of those great
"events" you just don't want to miss. Why?  If not for all the fantastic
stuff regarding one of our favorite tools of choice which helps us run our
businesses (and those of our clients), then because of me. Yup, that's
right, little old me! I'm going to make this a particularly amazing show. 

Once again, I've been asked to do the Keynote speech, and you know what that
means. Well, you really only would know if you've seen one of my shows
before. If you have, you know what to do. Tell your friends, call in the
kids, alert the press! It's going to be an extravaganza, I promise. Will it
be about filePro... certainly. Will it stray a little into those fantastic
reaches you've all come to expect from me in my keynotes... certainly. Will
it be more fun than you've had in a very long time. Bank on it! Can it be
described any more precisely than that? Certainly... but will I do that
here. No.

Come to the Philly conference. My suggestion is do not wait for the one
scheduled for 2008 in Florida. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make
that gathering, and neither will most of the folks I know. Not just the ones
from around the Northeast area, but many folks will be going to Philly even
if they are closer to Orlando. It is the time and the location that make the
difference, and cause the Philly meet to be the best choice for lots of us.
I've talked to friends who are coming from the South because the date is
better than mid-February. I've talked to some folks coming from as far as
the great Northwest, and even from as far as Australia! (No, the Aussie
isn't Tony Ryder, He and his family are visiting Karen and I for 6 weeks in
December and January, and a few weeks of that time we will be spending at
Disney World and in Florida. Hence, the reason I won't be able to make it
back down there in the February time frame. I did, however, speak with Ken
Cole in the FP Room a week or so ago, and he said he will be scheduling the
Philly conference in with some of his other commitments in the states at
that time. Good deal! Or should that be G'day.)

Honestly, there is going to be a lot going on in Philly, and my best advice
and suggestion to you would be, go there! If there isn't a very big turnout,
who knows, maybe FP Tech will cancel the Florida date, and then you would
miss out on it both ways from Sunday. Now hold on... I'm just
conjecturing... I have absolutely NO idea what FP Tech will or won't do in
any circumstances. Heck though, when they put out the questionnaires for
date and place suggestions, it just turned out that the two most popular
choices were what has been set up. I'm sure they want to please everyone,
and maximize their potential for best attendance from as many as possible as
well. But, putting the 2007 and 2008 shows so close together, however, may
have watered down their pool geographically quite a bit. The very best thing
any of us can do to keep filePro conferences happening anywhere, anytime, is
fill this first one up as much as possible. A good showing in Philly will,
I'm sure be as positive a push for Florida as a low turnout would be not so
good.  So, I'll promise again to do my very best to "bring it" to Philly,
and do a show that will disappoint no one. (Grin... I almost can't keep it a
secret... you see I *know* what I've got planned! :-)  But nothing will rip
it out of me... you've just got to be there to experience it so you can tell
your grandkids, "I was there!" Don't let this be another Woodstock... where
you're constantly telling yourself, "I wish I had done that. I was going to
go, but didn't. Was just on the verge, but decided against it at the last
minute... besides, did you see all the traffic on the New York Throughway?
I'm glad I went swimming at my friend Larry's house instead." Sure. Don't
let this be Woodstock 2 in your life. :-)

See you there.  Oh yeah, I may give away some goodies, too.... 
but that's another thing.

It's on November 4th and 5th 
Here is a link to find out all the other stuff and register as well. 

Point your browser to this link to go directly to the information and
register-on-line pages for the Philly Conference.

  http://fptech.com/Company/Announce/20070801.shtml

5 weeks is not much time... my suggestion is to start making your
reservations now to save on your airfare. If you book it 4 weeks ahead
you'll save big bucks. (And staying over the Saturday before would probably
lower it even further. I'm not sure if the hotel is booked for that night at
the cheap rate though, but the lower airfare might balance things out and
get you a couple extra days to visit Philadelphia anyway.

Finally... Karen and I live only an hour and a half away from Philly. Maybe
we can arrange a little party out here before the show... it would have to
be the Saturday afternoon/evening before the conference I guess. I'll think
about it and check with the ball and chain to see what she thinks also. More

soon.


John Esak
FilePro Class of '79