>Did everyone ('99 attendees) get the DevCon survey notice from Advisor via email? I got it and filled it out. Several of the questions have to do with topics. I suggested in the form that there be a session or multiple "mini-sessions" on VFP within enterprise consulting and/or general consultancy issues.
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>My reasoning is that I may or may not run into MSMQ and XML in the next year (both had sessions) but I'm damn sure going to have to write proposals, market, fulfill change orders, manage client expectations, etc.
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>Anyone agree? Disagree?

I didn't go this year but I found in past years a "lack of the business topics" and this is where most consultants fail. That hurts VFP's name not in content but in reputation.

I am employed at a company but getting pitch ideas, word templetes that detail a good proposal, ROI, etc. would be great!

At past devcons there was a consulting pannel at best and it was always against a session that only met once.... Hard decissions.

But what would I like to see at future confrences?

Well it seems that most of the sessions are beginner based with a few advanced sessions. Get a core of intermediate sessions that have / has content that works, and is more main stream in the needs of our users. We seem to forget all to often.

E-Commerce is getting very big. Is it all XTML, not really, not today and not next year. Maybe getting an e-commerce split out to it's own session(s). How to link to credit card vendors, how to configure secure connections, how to vaidate if others are snooping around?

Increasing System Performance. Just a session on how to re-think your basics. Anyone but Mac Rubel for that session. I can read his articles in FPA.

Getting speakers from past award winning systems. Each year these teams get awarded. How about they host a session on what they did and why they were selected?