getting the most out of siggraph

SIGGRAPH is a monster!

Granted it is an exciting wonderful monster but with 6 full days of morning to midnight activities you need to do some preplanning if you want to see and do all the things you are hoping to.

a few important tools for navigation
The Advance Program that has been mailed out contains synopsis of programs and panels. These are also fairly detailed descriptions of the different art galleries, installations, social functions, special interest groups and special sessions. There are almost more interesting things than a person can possibly see.

Read through everything now and start prioritizing your interests. Check out the locations of the events you want to attend and try to group them so you don't spend all your time running from one end of the convention center complex to the other. There is a handy cardboard "Convention at a Glance" card inside the front cover that you cut out, added with your own notes and stick in your pocket.

If your heart cries out for something more high tech looking than penciled notes, the SIGGRAPH website now has the schedule builder up and working.

www.siggraph.org/s98/scheduler/index.html

With this tool you can create your personal schedule for the convention, then print it out and stick it in your backpocket/briefcase/purse for easy reference. It covers the following categories.

Considering there are three levels of registration, some people will only be going to the Exhibit halls. For the Exhibits I'd suggest printing out the map from the website, then writing the names of the booths you really want to see by their location numbers. It will save constantly having to dig the program out of your backpack to figure out where an exhibitor is located.

www.siggraph.org/s98/exhibitors/floor plan/index.html

I generally try to hit the exhibitors on my "must see" list first to make sure I get them all in. Then once that's satisfied I go up and down the rows checking out all the other booths. The Advance Program does not have a detailed map but the convention registration package you receive when you sign in will.

When you reach your hotel there is bound to be tourist literature that will have a local map of the convention center area. Clip that out and spend a few minutes looking our the restaurant and tourist attraction portions and adding X's to the map for the ones you want to go to.

Those three pieces of paper will contain just about all the information you need to stay on schedule and find your way around inside and outside the convention center without adding a lot of bulk for you to haul around. Stick the little street map in your wallet when you go out dining and socializing at night.

Personally, I hate to be burdened with pounds and pounds of stuff to carry around at the convention. After hauling registration material, convention abstracts, flyers from 27 exhibitors, software, and free t-shirts for 5 or 6 hours all I can think about is getting back to my hotel instead of "where can I score more t-shirts" like any right thinking convention goer should.

Fortunately this year there will be two shippers on site at the convention center. Kinkos will have a booth handling office services and UPS shipping and the SIGGRAPH organization itself will also have a shipping booth. Send yourself a package every day. Your goodies will be waiting for you when you return home. And you will spare yourself the wonder and delight of getting the sealed software boxes through security and cramming 3 big shopping bags containing sixty pounds of loot into the overhead bins.

staying in shape for the event
One of the most important topics that isn't usually covered in this sort of article is your own physical comfort and well being. If you are hungry, foot sore and exhausted from hauling around the loot you've acquired, you are not going to have a good time. If you are so miserable all you want to do is go back to the hotel, you might miss out on a breakthrough product or killer business opportunity

Orlando is currently having an unseasonable heat wave. Temperatures are running from the mid 90s to the low 100s and that's not likely to improve in the next couple of weeks. Wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing. Nice sportswear will get you through all but the fanciest of parties.

Keep in mind that you will be standing on concrete floors for 8 or 9 hours each day; and that's before you head out in the evenings to the stand up cocktail parties and buffet dinners. I'd recommend good quality athletic shoes for men and women alike. Ladies, the fellows will NOT be scoping out your feet so don't torture yourself with the spike heels. If you must wear dress shoes for an interview I recommend getting the Spenco Everyday Insoles to go inside them. You can get them at medical supply houses and athletic footwear stores.

Speaking of socializing, here is another old wives tale that happens to be true, order a glass of water along with your favorite beverage. Drinking the water keeps the alcohol from dehydrating you and that lessens the hangover. Sipping on the water along with your cocktail keeps you from drinking too much too fast and making a fool out of yourself in front of a potential client. Besides water is generally free so your cash will stretch further during your night on the town.

Try to start the morning with a good breakfast. I know this sounds like your mom talking, but the food at most of the little food stands in the convention centers is expensive and not very good. If you skip breakfast, you'll find yourself at ten AM with nothing but a seven-dollar hot dog between you and starvation. A good breakfast with lots of carbs and proteins will ease you over a deadly hangover a lot faster than a sugar donut will. If your hotel offers a the free continental breakfast bar take a apple for mid-morning snacking but go eat a hot cooked breakfast elsewhere.

Have a great convention, see ya there!


Linda Ewing is Staff Editor of Visual Magic Magazine, and founder of Digital Duck Prodcutions. She can be reached by email at linda@visualmagic.awn.com and has a homepage at www.geocities.com/~kvack/.


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