Andy's Lotusphere Guide - 2007 edition!

First time at Lotusphere? Fear not young traveler! The "Andy's Lotusphere Guide - 2007 edition" is here to help!

1. There are three websites I recommend you check out ahead of time:

• The official Lotusphere website. 'Nuff said.
  
• "The Totally Unofficial Gonzo Lotusphere Page". This is the original unofficial website for our beloved Lotusphere. Lots of good information in this site, as well as discussions about all things Lotusphere in the "Talk" section.
  
• Bob Baehr's Lotusphere website. Another good site for all things Lotusphere.

2. Go and get yourself a new pair of tennis/walking shoes NOW. Wear them and break them in. This will save your feet some pain after the first day of walking around the conference. And you will do a LOT of walking around while you are there. You may also want to get a new pack of white socks at Wal-Mart or Target. The real cushy kind. Those help too.

3. Your conference badge is your life. DO NOT LOOSE IT! Pretend you're Gollum and the badge is your "precious". If you loose it, you're out of luck!

4. Go to Genii Software's website and download the Lotusphere Agenda Database. It's a Notes Journal database that contains the sessions, their descriptions and times. It has a handy add to calendar button. Very useful on planning your time. Especially great if you sync Notes with a mobile device like a BlackBerry or Palm. Ben Langhinrichs does a great job every year making this available to all. Thanks, Ben!

5. If you need to, order more business cards now. You will go through a lot of them. Downside - Your phone will ring for a couple of weeks afterwards. Upside - You use them to win cool stuff like iPods!

6. Meet people and make contacts. Very useful and fun.

7. Your first time at Lotusphere is like your first day at college. You will be wandering around wondering where in the hell SW10 is. Ask people! Or if you look lost enough, (like I did my first year), someone will help you out.

8. Go to the vendor sponsored events at night. They are always a lot of fun, (and saves you from having to find something for dinner that fits your expense account).

9. If you are certified take advantage of the Certification Lounge. Hang out, get some eats, and get a chair message.

10. Stop by the Jamfest. The name says it all.

11. Pay attention to the weather forecasts leading up to Lotusphere. Orlando can be really nice and warm in January but it can also get downright cold at night. Pack appropriately.

12. Dress for Lotusphere is casual. Jeans, shorts, polos and t shirts seem to be the norm. Even kilts for some! But don't take the Gollum comment to literally. Running around in a loin cloth call your badge "precious" may cause people look at you funny. If I see it, I'll look, take pictures and blog about it!

13. Have fun! Lotusphere is what YOU make of it. Take advantage of everything that you can, but pace yourself. Sometimes by Wednesday, you may start burning out.

14. Don't miss breakfast and lunch. I've really enjoyed the food that the catering folks put out for us. Especially at breakfast. Drink lots of OJ, eat a bran muffin or two and have a bowl of cereal. Really pays off for the rest of the day. Also, be sure to thank the nice folks that are there taking care of us. They always seem like real nice people and seem to appreciate someone thanking them.

So there you have it! These are the most important points that I have to offer about making the most of your Lotusphere experience. If you have anything to add, PLEASE feel free to leave additional comments below.