Defrag Blog

I spend most of my time on this blog writing about conceptual defrag things, but I wanted to take a bit of time today to talk logistics, or as I like to call it, “defraggy stuff.”

Most people don’t realize that Defrag is actually run by myself and my amazing wife, Kim (hi baby!). That’s it. No staff of dozens, marketing campaigns, PR firms, and outreach of millions. I don’t say that for sympathy, but rather to let you know that when I say you get “personal touch” at Defrag, I really mean it. When you email us, you get us (directly). When you have a problem, there’s no one to “elevate” it to - there’s just us to go solve it. Bottom-line: Truly personal service with a smile (and sometimes a dirty joke, or reference to 80s hair metal).

That said, it’s important that you know a couple of things about coming to Defrag (you ARE coming, right?):

1. Wifi and Power: I asked on twitter the other day about the coolest conference schwag you’ve ever received. Someone responded by saying - “just give us good wifi and power.” This person has, of course, never been to Defrag. GREAT wifi at defrag is a given. I’ve written extensively about it. We spend money on it. We use good people who know what they’re doing. It will happen. As for power, we place power strips at all of the tables in the general session room, and there are outlets all over the place. Wifi and power: check. NEXT!

2. Pre-conference dinners: The evening of the 10th, at 7pm, we’ll run the Defrag pre-conference dinners. Those of you that were at Defrag know exactly what I’m talking about here. We started these a couple of years ago, and they are one of the highlights of the show. Basically, we have 4 dinners that divide into groups of 4 (so, roughly 100 people total). Four sponsors take their group of 25 out to dinner to have a conversation around a broad topic (cloud computing, or the death of email, or something). It is a wonderful opportunity to kick-start your Defrag experience by meeting 24 other like-minded folks (and have a great free meal) prior to the conference ever starting.

How do you get in? Watch your email inbox. I’ll send out the invite about 7 days before Defrag, and it is literally a rush to get in — last year, the defrag dinners booked solid in under 5 minutes (no joke). Of course, if you don’t make it in, you can always join me in the hotel bar — as my set-up responsibilities prevent me from heading offsite for the dinners (but not from slipping downstairs for an adult beverage).

3. The Evening Reception: At the end of Defrag day 1, Chris Sacca and Chris Shipley are going to have an on-stage conversation reflecting on everything they’ve heard/learned that day. It’s a perfect lead-in to our evening reception - my favorite part of the conference. Ice sculptures, an open bar, great appetizers — and all of it leading to further networking with folks that you’ve met. Dig in!

4. Before, During and After: A bunch of thing fall under this category. First off, EventVue — which is the social networking service we’ll launch for the conference. Folks from last year are already clamoring for it, and it is by *far* the best tool I’ve ever seen for discovering and making contacts at an event like Defrag. Be sure to spend time on EventVue once we launch it.

Second, there are a bunch of random activities that you might be interested in. For example, I’ll be launching a cab-sharing wiki to help folks split the cost to/from Denver International Airport. Also, we’ve got a group of runners and cyclists that is assembling - look for a way to connect with them for a pre-conference, morning run or bike ride in Denver. Lastly, there are whispers of people staying over to go skiing. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen or not, but stay tuned.

5. Bottom-line: Defrag is, first and foremost, about the interactions. Interactions around what’s on-stage (which you simply will NOT find anywhere else); interactions between attendees; interactions before, during and after. We’re doing everything we can to make Defrag unlike any other event experience you’ll have this year. Forget convention centers and loads of people you’ll never hav the opportunity to meet - after you’ve been to Defrag this year, coming back should feel like meeting old friends for a drink to discuss all of the exciting things on the horizon.

You won’t get it unless you attend. I can’t explain it, you must experience it. Join us.