SOBCon Event Report Day -1
Well I managed to arrive in one piece and thanks to Terry Starbucker, got to my hotel safe and sound too!
50mins after checking in we were back out to meet the rest of the early arrivals over beer and italian food.
What have I learned so far?
- Lots of people are just as shy as me but everyone is completely great company and just like you imagine them from their online persona’s (a good sign of things to come)
- I seem to be the only person sans business cards
- Chicago is a great city and I wish I had taken my proper camera out right away
- Never leave home without network cable and USB leads, I can’t get reliable wifi or download my DSLR pics - d’oh
- Bloggers are not very good pool players
- Guinness tastes different here
- It really is all about people, regardless if we are talking about “social media”, blogging, or “social networks”, just like soylent green, it’s all people
OK, not exactly startling revelations but the program proper doesn’t start until the boat trip tonight 
If you found this article useful,
bookmark it at Del.icio.us for future reference
Posted on May 02nd, 2008 by Chris Garrett in News
Articles you might also like:
Subscribe now with RSS, daily emails or weekly emails to receive more tips, new media news and a FREE ebook!
Man, I should BE there! I am an excellent pool player! And I can’t believe you know what Soylent Green is…ha!
Yeah, enjoy our beer. It’s kind of watered down. The restaurants there are great, though.
Excellent picture, Chris.
enjoy the conference and the city of Chicago - If you have time go on one of the boat tours of the city - they are great
Hey Chris.. seems like it was awesome.. you’re lucky buddy!
Thanks a lot for sharing the pic and vids.. it’s cool.. Enjoy the party!
Cheers!
- Wakish -
Love the Soylent Green reference! It was wonderful to meet everybody and I had a great time last night. I remember asking you how you found the taste of Guinness and you said it was sweeter. I love Guinness, but I think I would love it more if it weren’t so sweet. I hope someday to taste it on the other side of the Pond.
Chris, when I was reading your article on traveling to this conference, it suddenly hit me that you would be flying in from England. That in itself can be quite an experience. The first two trips that I made to India, we flew to Heathrow in England. That was really the hardest part of the whole trip to India. I lost count of the time zones that we flew through. Have a wonderful experience in Chicago. I have been there once years ago. Lake Michigan was something else. Have a glorious visit.
You mean to tell me that, when my friends come home from visiting the UK and say, “I don’t know why, but Guinness just tastes better in Ireland,” they aren’t just being pretentious?
Chris, it was great to meet you last night. Thanks for not naming names about the awfulness of the pool playing…
Joanna
@Adam, I know, it’s unbearable, but it’s really true. However, you should still mercilessly mock all of those of us who say it.
Chris, it was such a delight to meet you. I would never in 10,000 years have guessed you were at all shy. I had a terrific time wandering around with you & Dawud looking for something edible.
(And dropping ice water on you, Welcome to America!)
Chicago is an awesome place! One of my favorite cities. Enjoy your stay! Make sure somebody tapes your speech and get it posted.
Forget the beer check out the food it should be good and inexpensive. I enjoyed my time eating in Chicago when I lived there. However, can’t stand the cold from overthere, lol.
I knew you needed Business Cards Chris! It’s not too late, there’s a Kinko’s you can walk to from the hotel, order cards!
Enjoy Chicago. Do the touristy thing and walk to Millenium Park and have your picture taken with the sculpture “Cloudscape,” though Chicagoans call it The Bean.
If you love chocolate, go over to Moonstruck Cafe on Michigan Ave. before the bridge over the river. After your chocolate fix, walk just a short bit to stand on the spot where the fort used to be.
I have more things to do in Chicago on a blog post on the subject, but you’ll be too busy for that. What else? I think on that.
Have a great time in Chicago!
Elaine
Heya Chris! Great to meet you in person finally. I’m so looking forward to reading your book (now that I have my hands on a copy!)
Chris,
It was great to meet you. I got a lot of takeaways from your talk yesterday. Not sure if I did justice live blogging your talk at http://www.shashi.name/2008/05/sobcon08-chris-garett-more-bang-from.html
Cheers!
Shashi
Hi Chris,
It was neat to meet you and get a chance to say hello on the boat the other night. And not to worry, you weren’t the only one here sans business cards! Never. Even. Crossed. My mind. Oh well.
Have a great trip back home.
Hey Chris,
Home made mmmmmmmm
Great to meet you face to face and get to know the man behind the words.
Just as a sidenote, I had Mac and Cheese for dinner tonight after getting home from the conference, K knows I love it.
Hope to talk to you again soon.
By the way, I started reading the book on the flight. Good stuff!
@Sonia, I’ll be sure to keep teasing you all. :p
Yes, we were a lonely few without cards. Dubber’s is still my favorite… stylish.
@Ellen - That soylent green reference has been following me around now
@Terry - We did and it was fantastic, what a place!
@Wakish - It was a great time, I am sure you will have seen the rest of the crew gushing on their own blogs too
@Michael - If and when you do give me a shout and I will be right over to taste a pint with you
@Patricia - Thankfully my travel went without a hitch, it was just perfect from beginning to end. I think someone is looking out for me
@Adam - Weird but totally true!
@Joanna - Great meeting you too and thanks for all your chats and support
@Sonia - You know you didn’t have to throw water at me to get me to shut up
@Rafael - It is wonderful, I am having to reassess my top 5 world cities now …
@coquiunlimited - The food was tasty and plentiful. Not sure about Chicago pizza though, I think I might need another try before I make my mind up
@Elaine - Dawud and I did go to a Kinkos, but I didn’t get any done, I figured the book worked as well
@Chris - Great to meet you too, Team Chris really came together
@shashi - Thanks for the notes, and it was great to meet you too
@AmyL - The boat was brilliant wasn’t it? That skyline and Christine Kanes music just made it perfect
@Joe - I need to get me some more of that Mac and Cheese, I have the taste for it now. Glad you like the book
@Sarah - Dubbers moo card is good isn’t it? I love those Moo cards