>How are any of the expenses paid for something like that. The building, the materials, etc? Serious question, not just trying to stir things up.
>
>Hi, Jay,
>
>That's actually a good question. In many instances CodeCamps are done at the microsoft offices. The one in Philly was at a local business community college.
>
>Usually it's run by some combination of people in the community, working with a regional manager or some other MS person. There aren't "binders" or anything like that...the attendees show up, sign in, they get a printed agenda (which they usually knew about anyway, it was usually on the website), and they have 3-4 different sessions from which to choose. A room might be small for a highly specialized topic, or it may have 50-100 people or even more. Each room has a projection unit, and the speakers are required (naturally) to provide their PPT and sample code on the main web site.
>
>It's "like" a conference, but not as formal. They provide pizza and drinks for lunch. (In Boston they had over 200 large pizzas).
>
>Attendance is free, speakers volunteer and do it for free. Again, having attended many formal conferences, I am amazed at the quality and quantity of content for free.
>
>Kevin

Ok, but who paid for 200 pizzas? MS? It's not just a big MS love fest, is it? Are the sessions at all levels, so beginners would feel comfortable? Are there workshops using PCs, or is it simply lecture-based? How do you find out where/when these are held?