After the conference several of us descended on a local establishment for beer and conversation. I’ll admit, several of the folks were talking up South by Southwest pretty well! It was a really great chat: Jim Thatcher mentioned his connection with Sarah Swierenga (who used to work where I do, and with whom I’ve been talking with over the past few months). Pat Ramsey (who I’d chatted with at lunch) was talking about his thoughts on how to unite a room full of geeks at a conference, isolated at their individual laptops at a conference about social networking. Debbie (Who Glenda had asked at lunch about me) and I had a great talk about livejournal versus other blogging sites.
Glenda was talking about South by Southwest, and how the real meat of the conference took place at the pub, not in the sessions. It’s really so true. I felt so fortunate to sit and BS with all these folks at the end of it all. I didn’t have any formal data, but my sense is that most of the folks around the table were the presenters at this event, and I loved sitting with them and shooting the shit.
As I have told the organizers of Access U at any chance I got, I am very glad I attended. Yes, some sessions did not exactly meet my specific needs, and I hope I did not offend with any of the comments I have posted in this blog regarding the sessions. One of the biggest benefits was the sense of community. While I was a bit of a bird of another color at the conference being from a corporate environment, I loved being immersed in the environment. It is one thing to read online resources about accessibility and another to speak with others working on the same issues you are. I am fortunate enough working in a team environment at work, but as I was telling Kathy Keller, often I feel like my mass emails on accessibility tips and tricks go unread. It was wonderful to bask in the shared geekiness and enthusiasm for the area.
The one drawback of attending Access U is the distance from the majority of the participants. While many of them have participated in past years and will continue to participate in the future, I can’t say that I will be back to participate again. At least I will be able to continue to communicate with the folks I have met virtually… once again showcasing the power of the web and the need for universal access!
About your comment on interactions at the pub, this sounds rather similar to other cultures where business is often done, or cemented in such situations. I know from being in the UK and Japan that going out for drinks after a business meeting is absolutely essential for bonding and setting up long term relationships. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s usually the most enjoyable part of the day for me!