Lotusphere2009

After the first round of Lotusphere session times were released earlier in the week, there was a big group of us in competition with each other. Well we still are but the session repeat times have now been released so you should, in theory at least, be able to get to each of the sessions if you pick carefully.

It also means I’ll be speaking, either with Bruce or on my own, on every day of the conference bar Sunday 😮 :

– Monday 1pm: Building a world class web 2.0 application with XPages (Dolphin S IV/V)
– Tuesday 4.15pm: How to use the wrong design element to do the right thing in Domino Web Development (Dolphin S IV/V)
– Wednesday 11.15am: Building a world class web 2.0 application with XPages (Swan Mockingbird)
– Thursday 8.30am (:-o): How to use the wrong design element to do the right thing in Domino Web Development (Swan 1-2)

Guess I’d better get back to practicing then!

Lotusphere is getting ever closer and with me presenting and working on a stand for the first time it’s pretty much highest up my priority list right now.

To add an extra pinch of nerves the times of sessions have been published (i’d heartily recommend getting the Genii Session Database). Bruce and I will be presenting one of the first sessions on Monday in the Dolphin up against some Lotusphere royalty in Paul, Bill, Julian and Rob. I don’t envy the choices there.

The session I’m doing on my own isn’t until Thursday morning so I shall try and be good at the Wednesday night party (which is at Universal Studios by the way). But then Thursday night I can finally relax. It’s going to be a very fun week. If you’re not already booked up then you’d better get your skates on.

We got an email overnight from Lotusphere telling us that to get into the US from the 1st of January next year you have to go through an application process before you travel:

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IMPORTANT VISA WAIVER PROGRAM UPDATE:

Beginning on January 1, 2009, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization or ESTA will be implementing new regulations in regard to VISA waivers for persons traveling TO the United States. The following countries will be required to use the Visa Waiver Program to enter the United States. Electronic pre-registration through ESTA is MANDATORY after January 1, 2009, for entry into the United States.

For further information please so to: https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
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I’ve not heard tell of this stupid new rule anywhere else so take note if you’re travelling to the US in 2009 onwards.

Twitter was all a-flutter last night as the Lotusphere session acceptance and rejection emails were being sent out. It takes a long time for them all to get out and my first one didn’t arrive until after 10pm when I had already turned off the computer for the night. So this morning I woke up to find that I had not one, but two sessions approved. This is a massive (and very pleasant) surprise for me as I’ve not spoken at Lotusphere before. So for the next month I’ll be working like a mad man to put together two sessions, and this is what they’re about:



and



I really can’t wait until January now. Hope to see you there 🙂

The warm up for Lotusphere is beginning a little later than usual this year. But I did meet Tim Clarke for the first time this week and he is looking to find out what people want to see at the Solutions Development Lab in Florida in January. If you have ideas then head over to his blog and leave a comment.