asterisk users - Sep 2009 - AstriCon 2009: 30 days, 5 reasons & discount code

We're down to slightly less than a month between now and AstriCon!   
October 13-15 is drawing close.  If you've not booked your travel  
reservations to Phoenix, now is the time to do it!

Sept 23rd is the cutoff date for the room discount, and we've  
requested another block of rooms for attendees.

The Renaissance is the exclusive hotel of AstriCon 2009.  It is where  
most of the attendees and exhibitors stay, and is a great place for  
networking!  Please make sure you book your hotel rooms right now to  
ensure you get the AstriCon fantastic discounted room rate.   
Availability is on a first-come first-served basis and the cut off  
date for the special rate is September 23 2009.

   Renaissance Glendale Resort & Spa
   http://cwp.marriott.com/phxgr/astricon09/
   Special rate - $144/night

There are other hotels in the area, so if the hotel fills (as it did  
last year) there are other options.  But getting a room at the  
Renaissance is probably your best bet, since you won't have to trudge  
across the arid parking lots or drive to another venue.  There are  
lots of restaurants close-by in the new entertainment center - I  
didn't go to the same place twice last year!

To answer the question that seems to be on everyone's lips: yes,  
AstriCon looks to be as big than last year, if not significantly  
bigger.  I know the economic situation is weighing on everyone's mind,  
but Open Source Asterisk installations are up and what is hurting the  
"big guys" is putting some wind under our wings.  AstriCon is where  
you'll see lots of people who are winning deals, creating revenue, and  
building the market of the PBX that is now the most-installed platform  
in North America (we're hoping to say world-wide VERY soon.)

Now, to encourage having everyone book a TINY bit in advance instead  
of all at the last minute (who, you? book at the last minute?  I know  
I'm not talking about you.)  I'll again announce that we have a  
discount code that you can use on your sign-up, which will give you a  
15% break on the conference price.  The code is "AC09" and you'd
enter
it on the registration page (http://www.astricon.net/ 
attendRegister.aspx) to get your discount.

Top 5 Reasons to attend AstriCon:

  * The talks!  This is yet another stellar line-up of talks this  
year, with a wide array of fascinating examples of how Asterisk is  
being used to solve novel problems.  How can you make your business or  
project more profitable and effective?  These talks focus on those  
questions, and more.  The sub-tracks on cloud computing and government/ 
large enterprise implementations are creating quite a bit of interest  
this year, and the speakers have extensive practical advice to  
dispense on all topic areas.

  * Trade information - Open Source isn't just the software.  To a  
large degree, our user and development community members cooperate  
with each other to solve all kinds of problems.  Ask others about  
their experiences, and offer your own in the informal setting around  
the conference.  The market around Open Source software doesn't just  
have code as its only currency!  The conference is for information  
exchange, and this just might be the most valuable thing you take home.

  * Vendor area - check out the new technologies from hardware  
vendors, software vendors, and service providers! The market changes;  
make sure you know what the most current methods and products are.

  * Put names to faces - that person you've been talking with for a  
year on IRC or IM but have never met?  That consultant whose emails  
you've been reading on the mailing list?  That customer you've been  
trying to get pay attention to you?  Chances are good they'll be at  
AstriCon, and having that face-to-face conversation is sometimes the  
trigger you need to get a project going.

  * Meet entirely new people - the best experiences at AstriCon come  
from the most unexpected places.  That person you sit beside in a  
talk, the lunch table you share with others, the person in the  
elevator with you - the interactions you have will expose you to new  
people whose projects will amaze and interest you, and possibly even  
lead to your changing your methods or finding new business.

I really hope I see you there!

JT


---
John Todd                       email:jtodd at digium.com
Digium, Inc. | Asterisk Open Source Community Director
445 Jan Davis Drive NW -  Huntsville AL 35806  -   USA
direct: +1-256-428-6083         http://www.digium.com/