Alan,

One of the things I have found with the shows is that a suprising amount of business gets done at the parties. In fact, sometimes you don't see any of your fellow gay webmasters at all during the day (all sleeping in and recovering) but at night they pop out of every nook and cranny. So one thing I would expect are some late nights.

For us, the main reason we attend is the social networking. It is nice to put a face to a screen name, and to grab a beer with someone. You can also learn a lot about a person once they are drunk, or how they behave to a waiter or hotel staff. We have made a lot of business decisions based on the fact that "so and so" is a complete fucking asshole and we would rather not be associated with them.

One of the other things you might find is that the seminars are only as helpful as the questions you ask, or are asked. A lot of the seminars (not all of them) are just big commercials for different programs and promotions. In order to get real advice, you need to ask real questions...either while the panel is in progress, or by pulling the person aside after the fact. There are notable exceptions to this, and some panel people are more than willing to share a lot of their knowledge...but you never know until you get there....so if it turns into a commercial, dont be afraid to ask.

For me, not being the most technical or computer savy...you can expect to have a lot of what people are saying (especially if they are arguing about traffic) to go way over your head. Just make mental notes, (or real ones) and ask what the fuck they mean when they are done. ;o)

For the most part, I have never been "shot down" or told I was asking a stupid question, etc. So it really is a perfect place to learn.

But mostly, you will make friendships, and cement existing ones....or in more cases than you would expect...find out that someone you thought was cool is actually a complete fucking idiot.

- Good luck -

See you there, - Michael