2009 InAAU Conference

[SF0751]

Registration is now open for the 2009 InAAU Conference. This year it is being held at the Gaylord Resort in Kissimmee, Florida - about 1.5 miles from Disney. Anyone else planning on going?

Susan
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
- Anatole France

 

[mikeydidit]

http://www.inaau.org/Conference/tabid/71/Default.aspx

Here is the link to what Susan has posted about the upcoming conference. Looks like the middle of may. I would like to make it Susan. I still owe you a few from last year.. Maybe this year you could actually collect...



"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), Inaugural Address, January 20, 1953

For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594

 

[gblucas]

I am planning, but waiting for approval of the training budget. I have been to the last 2 and found them to be a wealth of information, and unfortunately I was unable to get all I wanted, because of the overlapping of classes. It seems each year I get a little more, and this one should be no exception. I also like that it provides for a little vacation for my wife to get away. We hadn't been to San Antonio before, and it was great. I have been to San Diego many times, but I never stayed downtown, so that was fun as well. I have been to Orlando, but not for many years and this should be a great place for a conference as well. I am looking forward to it, and have had it on my calendar since I returned from San Diego. The only thing left is the training budget and with the cutbacks that all companies are making, due to the economy, I just hope there is still a little left for me...

gblucas

 

[jfh9219]

I've attended INAAU conferences on & off for 12 years. They are easily the best money I've spent for the amount of information received. It is a fantastic opportunity to check what you are doing, what you should be doing and how you should be doing it. INAAU always seems to do it right. Great locations and great facilities. If the Kissimmee Gaylord is anything like Nashville's attendees are in for a treat.

Post 9/11, attendance dropped and has never seemed to recover to prior levels. I am afraid that with this year's economy the conference will be much smaller. Still the same number of great sessions though.

 

[SF0751]

Well, my trip just got approved yesterday - we are like most businesses, and they are looking for a potential return before approving any conferences, especially those that are out of state. When our training department asked me "what will you be learning at this conference?", I just sent them a copy of last year's agenda - all 25 pages.

My request was approved about 5 minutes later.

As we get closer to May, I'd like to plan for a Tek-Tips meet-and-greet...

Susan
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
- Anatole France

 

[gblucas]

I did the Tek-Tips meet and greet by putting a little table stand note with Tek-Tips on it. I did meet one person, who introduced me to a group of people that she knew. That was really the only group that I was able to meet. I think it would be an awesome idea to get some people together.

gblucas

 

[Novo1]

I would like to attend these. I see it is $250 to gain access to the membership but where do I find out what the cost of the conference is?

I need all the costs before my boss will approve this.

Thanks

 

[SF0751]

Conference Fees:
$1200.00 = Early Registration Fee (Register and Pay on or before March 06, 2009)
$1450.00 = Regular Registration Fee (Register and Pay between March 07, 2009 and May 01, 2009)
$1600.00 = Late/Onsite Registration Fee (After May 01, 2009)




Susan
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
- Anatole France

 

[SF0751]

Plus you need to include hotel and transportation costs. The conference hotel is ~$250/per night.

Susan
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't."
- Anatole France

 

[gblucas]

Just in case you haven't heard...Early registration cost has been extended to May 1st...$1200 for the conference if you register before May 1st. I have also found where you can get rooms at the resort for much less than the advertised pricing from within InAAU ($129). If you plan to book your own room elsewhere, be advised that there is a parking fee at the resort for the conference.

I really don't know what else to say, other than this is one of the best values available for learning in the "Avaya World".

Any questions about the conference, or previous conferences, just ask, many of us have been to them. This will be my 3rd conference and I am looking forward to going next month.

So much to learn, so little time...

gblucas

 

[DontDeleteMeAgain]

Any good golf courses near by?

 

[SF0751]

Not sure; but it is only a few miles away from the Disney compound. Maybe the folks in forum1064 could help with the golf question?

Susan
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
Then, when you criticize them, you are a mile away ...
and you have their shoes.”

 

[gblucas]

It is Orlando, specifically Kissimmee, FL. Golf courses?? there has to be be a ton, and I think that there is one right at the resort. I think it is an Executive course, but I am sure that there are plenty of places right near by. The resort is at the Gateway to Disney, so I can't imagine you wouldn't find a great place to golf on Sunday morning before the classes start, and find time in the evening as the week progressed. Keep in mind that Avaya does their big "Event" on Monday night, and Tuesday night is generally the "Vendor" night. This is really hard to pass up...(You would think I was on the InAAU committee or something, but I am not, just a very happy customer)

gblucas

 

[DontDeleteMeAgain]

i gotta try to get some budget dollars to try & go.

 

[Novo1]

Budget Dollars!! Ahh that is the big one. I have been to a Nortel Conference when we were a Nortel shop and found it very informative. Would love to get to one of these Avaya Conferences. As with most companies right now the economy is making it hard to spend money.

Can anyone give me some good arguments to use to get the budget for this approved? I need to convince them it's worth the investment at this time. I'd like to go but at this point they are not really up for the idea.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[SF0751]

The InAAU website has this document which does a good job of spelling out the benefits of attending to conference. In the past, I have simply printed out the list of conference classes (ALL of them) and then given the stack to my manager. My attendance was approved 5 minutes later.

Susan
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
Then, when you criticize them, you are a mile away ...
and you have their shoes.”

 

[gblucas]

I agree with Susan...Just flood them with information, and it will be hard for them to say no. I think that in my nearly 10 years as an administrator of an Avaya PBX, that I have been able to do much more because my current employer finds it important for each member of their IT staff to be able to keep up on their training in each of their individual fields of expertise. This has been my yearly choice to spend my training budget, and each year I am able to get more and more out of the training. The only thing that I have found, is that last year and it appears this will be a little "Spendy" on food. With that being said, you get breakfast and lunch served at the conference, and dinner at the Avaya event on Monday night, so all you are missing is a few other nights. If you have a BP, then find a way to get invited to their get-together on Tuesday night, or while you are on the show floor, vendors are always inviting you to a party on Tuesday night. If you are willing to look around, there are "freebies" everywhere.


gblucas

 

[gblucas]

Do any of you who are going to the conference know of a good way for us to all meet?

As I stated before, I tried to do this last year, but I was only able to meet a couple of Tek-Tips users. I would be great to get together somewhere. It is always nice to put a face with a name (or login) in this case.

If any of you have ideas...Put em' in writing...

gblucas

 

[SF0751]

Maybe we could agree to meet together at a specific vendor or business partner booth at the Welcome Reception on Sunday night? The reception is from 6-8 in the evening; perhaps we could even designate a time to meet.

Susan
“Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
Then, when you criticize them, you are a mile away ...
and you have their shoes.”

 

[phoneguy01]

I won't even bother asking my manager. With over 400,000 employees you'd think we'd still budget for things like this but I've heard only local training is likely to get approved. I heard a manager in the next cube telling one of his guys to give it a rest when the person kept asking to go to different conference and pay for it himself. You know it's tight when you can't even pay yourself and go...LOL Company liability issues and so on is what I heard him talking about. Anyway, I'm missing out on this one. I would have liked to go. Wonder what they're like now that most of the leadership stepped down there in San Antonio a few years ago?