Hey Folks,

Tech Conferences and MEI and the others put on a really well-organized show. The sessions are good, the facilities are good, and the staff really bends over backwards for the attendees. Only a few problems......

This was the second year in a row that the conference started on Mother's Day. Now, those of us with wives and small children know how important it is to our wives to be treated nicely on Mother's Day because the kids are just too small to do it. My wife was quite annoyed that she had to do all the cooking, cleaning, and kid-chasing because I wasn't there.

Secondly, if you are going to hold a conference at a family-friendly resort, why not make it at a time when the whole family can enjoy it, like a few weeks later when the kids are out of school? I know the hotel rates are higher, but it may be worth the extra expense. Alternately, hold the conference somewhere less expensive or where the buck buys you more, such as a Canadian city.

I think it's high time that somebody besides Val holds a conference in a Canadian city in the late spring or early summer when the weather is beautiful.