Announcing Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions at PDC09

What are Birds-of-a-Feather sessions?

“Birds-of-a-Feather” (BOF) sessions are moderated, open discussions on technology-related topics proposed by PDC09 attendees.  A topic may be related to PDC content, or any other technology topic that would be of interest to conference attendees. BOF sessions are not formal presentations with slides or software demonstrations. Instead, the format is casual and open.  Facilitators will have a microphone and whiteboard to lead discussions.  The BOF sessions are a great opportunity to meet with other attendees that have common interests and exchange ideas.

• When are the BOF sessions?

BOF sessions will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (November 17-19), during the daytime, in the same time slots as the regular conference sessions. There will be a room dedicated to BOF sessions throughout the conference.  BOF schedule information will be included in the Schedule page, prior to the event.

• Who is organizing PDC BOFs?

The PDC09 BOF sessions are organized by volunteers from INETA www.ineta.org, the world-wide organization for .NET focused user groups.

• How Do I Propose to Host a BOF Session?

You do not have to be a subject matter expert in order to host a session, although you need to have a genuine interest in the topic.  You may propose more than one session, however, preference will be given to other submitters so as many people as possible have the opportunity to host a session. Only conference attendees can submit session proposals.  Microsoft employees are not eligible to submit a topic proposal.

BOF Session Hosts have our thanks and gratitude, however, we are unable to provide complimentary conference passes or any other compensation. You are responsible for your own PDC09 conference registration, travel and other expenses.

• How are the BOF Sessions Selected and Scheduled?

Session proposals will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis starting Tuesday September 1, 2009 through Friday, October 31, 2009 at 5:00 PM PDT, or until all available time slots are filled.  Selections will be made on a rolling basis.  Selection and scheduling of the sessions is done by a volunteer organizing team of developer community members from INETA: all decisions are final. Submitters will be notified by email when their proposal is received and no later than Monday November 1, 2009 whether their session was accepted or declined. You must be willing to host a session in any of the conference time slots. Your session will not be finalized until you are registered for the conference.  Visit www.pdcbof.com for more information, or to submit a session proposal.

If you have any questions or comments about BOF sessions, please contact the volunteer organizing team at 2009@pdcbof.com