And then there were two
.
As fast as it started, TechED Europe is now behind us. Most everyone has went home today, of the crew we have been hanging out with this week, only myself and Bart DePetrillo the CEO of NewTelligence are left and we are about to hit the beach.
TechED was such a great conference, average session evaluations were up and the attendance was up year over year. The 10th Anniversary of TechED Europe was very special. The Imagine Cup was just well done and the contestants so impressive and inspirational. I have seen many of the contestants in the halls and parties and talked in length to them about their career goals and ambitions after they graduate. The sessions were terrific and my two sessions on Thursday and Friday went super. Surprisingly all tired from Thursdays party, Fridays session was very highly ranked, one of the best in the data track overall. (Thanks everyone who attended for the great scores and remarks!)
Thursdays Attendee party was such a hoot. RDs rocked the house with some out of this world Karaoke, Clemens Vasters, Christian Weyer and I sang Madonnas Like a Virgin. At one point Christian stripped on stage and Clemens and I got on the ground on top of each other singing up to him. There are photos and videos of this someplace, will post them soon. There was a lot of love between the German RDs and their New York colleague.
After my sessions on Friday, went out sightseeing for a few hours with my Dutch pals and saw the unfinished Cathedral and climbed to the top and took some awesome overhead photos of the city. Then we went to the speakers dinner at some over the top fancy place. Sat with my Dutch pals Remi and Mark, and speakers at the table included RDs: Goskin, Billy Hollis, Joval Lowey, and MS speaker and pal Kevin Collins and the very popular and soon to be RD Kimberly Tripp. We then went out and partied like rock stars. Kimberly was worried about her reputation partying with Clemens and I until sunrise
(Kimberly, it can go either way!) I got home so late that I was able to take the subway home and have breakfast in the Hotel restaurant (when in Barcelona
)
Tomorrow I fly to Paris for the Tour de France, then home. Having been on the road for the majority of the last two months and the last 2 weeks straight, it is time for a break. Looking forward to going home.
See you all in Amsterdam next summer for TechED Europe 2004!