Musings from a DevLink first-timer

DevLink was my first conference as an employee with ComponentOne. Here's a bit about my experience. Until I got the assignment, I didn't know much about Chattanooga besides them having fast Internet. Good enough for me. I arrived on the scene of the convention center a day before the conference began. I ripped open the boxes and worked on setting up the booth for the next 30 minutes or so. With a smug look on my face, I admired my work that boasted features such as t-shirts, socks, magnificent Wijmo stickers, and a hamper full of clean swag. Funny thing though, I forgot to lay down our tablecloth. I frantically dragged another booth's table near mine, wondering if I broke some kind of rule. I laid down the cloth on the newly-stolen table and tried to slide on my swag masterpiece (or swag-sterpiece for the cultured among us). The idea was solid in my head, but to my chagrin gravity sent pins and hundreds of other tiny objects to the ground. When the conference began, I was most ecstatic about the free meals for breakfast and lunch. And the socks...it was cool that we were giving away socks. Why socks, you ask (as many attendees did)? Well, aren't you wearing socks right now? Everyone needs socks. Back to breakfast. I grabbed some yogurt, added a ridiculous amount of toppings, to the point where it was no longer a yogurt dish, and then returned to base. There weren't many exhibitors set up in the hallway. My location was between a company who makes products faster and a company who had some nice ladies and gentlemen giving away non-fun-sized snacks. I can't tell if that improved the foot traffic of my booth or hampered it (socks joke). Speaking of socks, everyone wanted 'em. They were taken faster than Liam Neeson can give safety instructions. Also, I should take this time to clear up the biggest question I received at the conference: What the heck are those red stick things? Those, friends, are air-fresheners for your car and they smell like delicious, juicy cherries. You would do well to snatch one up next time before they run out! The conference lasted three days and I spent most of my time talking to the fantastic folks attending the conference. I got the opportunity talk about our awesome products and share my excitement about our recently released Wijmo 5 beta. For real, if you are into Angular, check it out...it's a beast. Throughout the days I learned that Tennesseer's (Tennesseean's?) sure are passionate about development. Everyone was super-nice and I had not a single negative experience. It was cool to see a lot of .NET developers excited about our components. The buzz in the air was all good. I left each day having a warm, tingly feeling that we had made the right decision to spend the week talking with our friends in the south. Although, it's quite possible that feeling was the juxtaposition of the frigid convention center temperature with the sweltering Chattanooga heat as soon as you step outside. Nah...it was the people. As I arrived at the airport to leave, I left knowing I had spent time in a charming city with a rich history, welcoming people, and great amenities.