What? Registration for CFUnited 2010 is open!?!

Heck yeah. I talked to several people at CFUnited and ask "If we reduced the price, would you register tomorrow?" Enough people actually said yes. So I'm giving it a shot. Mainly because this helps us secure the venue for next year. The size of this event makes us limited to the number of venues we can occupy. If we have the deposit available early we can negotiate on room prices and more to help keep the costs down.

So please help us in this effort!

We are opening 200 tickets at $499 for the 3 day price. But we also have to cut it off September 25th. So tell your friends who didn't have the opportunity to go this year. It is more affordable than ever. Once you have your ticket, that's half the battle!

2010 will rock and you might just be surprised that we will be able to make it even better.

Oh yeah, and a special gift will be also be added to each of the first 200 registered attendees. And you know Liz's gifts can be special. ;-)

We are 90% sure the event is in August

The event will be in the MD/DC/VA area

http://register.cfunited.com/

I am so appreciative of all the comments people have given Stellr about the event. I truly enjoyed this event from beginning to end and I am glad everyone felt the experience was worthwhile.

This is a developer's conference. If this was a "What does Liz like to do?" conference it would be purple purses as gift bags and photoshop topics and everyone would be getting pedicures during the evening event. But its about you. I've been studying the developer community for over 8 years. I know what you want and how you want it. I also know everyone deserves to be treated like a rock star. It?s my job to make CF look cool. Geek is cool, and it is about time. Being smart and creating amazing apps that do incredible things is something to be recognized for. It's also about community. People who have a common interest can do more for the world just by sharing ideas and find out short cuts to save time.

You can't build yourself a new rocket ship without knowing how the other guy did it.

And you can't build a new rocket ship without the right tools.

And you can't show off your new rocket ship without an audience.

And you can't take off in your new rocket ship without the experience of others to tell you what happens when you get to outer space.

Hopefully your new rocket ship comes with great food and excellent resort staff so that you can enjoy that success.

Anyways, that is my way of thinking. I put this conference together because I know people will create amazing online applications that will help other people and blow their minds. Information is the essential ingredient towards faster growth.

ColdFusion is just one of those things I want to be apart of. It's been the underdog and the brunt of jokes. I knew in my heart that if I could get people together and unite them with a common interest, that someday CFers all over the world would benefit. ColdFusion is cool. ColdFusion is a bad-ass language that if you are worthy enough to join this club of genius, then you will understand that in the end you have saved your company time, money, and gained free advise for a lifetime. Why do I buy the name brand items from my grocery store? Because I know if I have a complaint or the bag is busted, that company will do anything in its power to help me. If I got my meat for free, it might be a little harder to cook and I would have to do a lot more testing to get it to taste just right.

Not only that, we have welcomed the Flex community as well. There is brilliance to be combined in this great adventure. Technology is fascinating. Being involved with this community is like a roller coaster ride that has the most challenging loops at the fastest speeds.

Stellr was created as a service to this community. CFUnited is our product wrapped in platinum gift paper. What happens next? We want you to create apps with the experience in mind just like CFUnited. It deserves to be fun, desirable, long lasting, and appreciated. Stellr can help you accomplish that. And we just love turning you into a rock star!

What now? Everyone asks. CFUnited is 75% thinking about Lansdowne next year. Although I would triple the number of shuttles and take more care on travel and timing in the AM. I would make the evening events slightly more random so it's not the same event but having the same impact. I would have 3-4 breakouts but use those small rooms for several Hands-on classes through the event and repeat them during the week. I'd have to limit the event to 800 attendees. Can't fit more than that but I guess a few more than 800 could squeeze in. I would hired more room monitors to help out my speakers and I would let others organize their own activities to add some variety.

As far as express events, I m thinking about it. It is hard to break even for those kinds of things. So I will have to think up some new ideas. I will be at MAX doing CFUnited Express. We plan to help out some other events going on soon. Why, do you ask? Because the CF community is huge (750,000+), there is enough to go around. And the more we can get new members to join the conference going community, the better for all of us.

BIG Thanks to so many people. It's hard to leave anyone out.

Adam Lehman, first, because he came to me just after he got back to the states and he should have been in bed rest, but he said to me some things that were very important and he inspired me to keep things going after last year?s event.
Ben Forta, well he's going to always be at the top of the list for me. He hasn't missed CFUnited yet and I don?t think I've ever thanked him publicly for that.
Terry Ryan, I think you fit in really well with everyone and we really like you too.
Sean Corfield, he is always perfectly honest with me and he?s almost always the first to respond on my advisory list.
Raymond Camden is one of my good friends that I would do anything for and he has done so many unselfish things for everyone, I don't know how to thank him.
Scott Stroz is an insightful person and my favorite funny man.
Simon Free helped me with my Intro Jokes and he helps fill in everywhere he can, I owe him a lot.
Ben Nadel has shown me how in just a few years someone can make such an impact on a community with just an ounce of opportunity.
Joe Rinehart has this amazing way to see everything in a broader perspective and I?m glad he shares that with me.
Shlomy Gantz some how gets it right all the time and has helped me see my potential.
Charlie Arehart is the most detailed man I know and I would probably embarrass myself if it were it not for his watchful eye.
Gertz Franz is just an amazing person with a smile that is contagious and I know he is on to great things in the future that will benefit everyone.
Peter Bell is a great resource and willing participant.
Mark Drew brings the alternative perspective and makes me believe in possibilities.
Doug Hughes is genuine guy and a good business man.
Dee Sadler is a gal on a mission to educate and bring people together.
Jeff Coughlin is so much fun and wasn't scared to challenge me (even in flip cup).
Bob Flynn has been a loyal attendee for as long as its been running and we love his honest feedback.
Josh Adams has an appreciation for people and new experiences.
Andy Powell stepped up to the plate and helped me put together an awesome line up of people I never heard of but made a huge impact on the event.
Chaz Chumley turns a bad day into a good day and knows just what to say.
Nate Nelson keeps it cool and interesting.
Mike Brunt has the experience to make you wonder and appreciate the direction we are headed.
Michael Smith believes in me and recognizes my abilities.
Nafisa Sabu knows when to tell me its time to make a change.
Cara Beverage keeps us sane and takes care of everyone no matter the task.
Tara Kossari was reliable and brought lots of energy.
Elliott Sprehn helps makes it all happen and has a big heart.
Oguz Demirkapi helps document all the greatness and catches every moment.
Eric Stoike is a good friend with a ton of talent.
Brian Meloche is so excited to get the real perspective from each and every person.

All the attendees made it really easy for us. Even with the badge printing hiccup and shuttle confusion, we still managed to keep everyone happy. It's just one more thing I get to improve on and blow everyone's minds next year.

I hope this experience makes you appreciate your career choice. I hope you go into work this week with a twinkle in your eye and an extra skip in your step. I can't wait to see everyone again and please don?t hesitate to share your ideas with the Stellr team.

Thank you again.

Here are some of my favorite moments.

More photos at http://www.flickr.com/groups/cfunited/

Where is the best place to network after sessions? The Bar! Buy your new friend a drink and talk about the days lectures.

I have to admit that the Stonewalls Tavern was one of the features of this hotel that sold me. Its like the perfect bar. (Check out the virtual tour)

Worried about paying resort prices? CFUnited worked on getting Draft Beer prices that won't break the bank, mainly so you can buy your favorite speaker a nice cold beer and reward them for giving such an awesome presentation. ;-)

MENUS/DRINK PRICES

Stonewalls Tavern

Stonewalls casual setting is ideal for light fare and relaxation. Play some billiards and Nintendo Wii (1 control $5.00/hr), catch the game on our large-screen televisions, or just unwind by the fieldstone fireplace.

Hours

Monday - Sunday: 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Tuesday

Complimentary No Limit Texas Hold 'Em Tournament. Sign-up starts at 6:30 p.m. or dine prior to 6:30 and register early. We shuffle up and deal at 7:30.

Friday

Live Bands or DJ music beginning at 9:00 p.m.

No one under the age of 21 will be permitted inside Stonewalls Tavern without a parent or guardian. After 10:00 p.m. no one under the age of 21 will be permitted.

NOTE: Lansdowne Resort, including Stonewalls Tavern, is a smoke free Resort.

Ever wonder what you will be eating at a conference? The hotel has come up with a delicious menu and we want to share it with you.

Vegetarian and Kosher options will be delicious as well.

8/11- Pre-Conference Classes - Deli Style

Insalata Caprese with Ripe Summer Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Summer Vegetable Cobb Salad

Corn, Cucumbers, Mixed Greens, House-made Ranch Dressing

Premade Sandwiches:

Roasted Turkey Breast with Pesto Mayonnaise on Whole Wheat Potato Rolls

Slow Roasted Beef with Brie Cheese and Horseradish Spread on 3 foot long Ciabatta

Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese on Sun Dried Tomato Baguette

Strawberry Shortcake Display

Macerated Strawberries, Short Bread Biscuits, and Whipped Cream

Fresh Baked Rich Fudge Brownies

8/12 - Wednesday, First day of Main event - Mediterranean Style

Gemelli Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables, Roasted Pepper and Pesto Vinaigrette

Lansdowne Caesar Salad with Focaccia Croutons and our House made Dressing

Rosemary and Lemon Grilled Chicken Breast,

Grilled Mushrooms and Peppers, Balsamic and Herb Jus

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs, Creamy Ricotta and Herb Polenta,

Citrus and Herb Gremolata

Orecchiette Pasta Baked with Vegetarian Sauce Putanesca and Feta Cheese

Chocolate Espresso Cake with Mocha Buttercream

Classic Tiramisu On the Rocks:

Ladyfingers, Whipped Mascarpone and a Reduction of Coffee and Kahlua

8/13 - Thursday, Second day of Main Event - BBQ Style

Bean and Vegetable Chili,

Fresh Baked Cornbread with Roasted Jalapenos and Cheddar Cheese

Red Bliss Potato Salad

Macaroni Salad

Slow Roasted Chicken Al Diablo, Roasted Tomato and Corn Salsa

Grilled Atlantic Salmon, Tequila Macerated Pineapple and Black Bean Salsa

Smoked Pork Loin, Grilled Peach Chutney, Riesling and Basil Vinaigrette

Baked Mac N Cheese with Grafton Cheddar Cheese

Sliced Watermelon and Fresh Fruit Salad in Honey and Mint

Warm Mixed Berry Cobbler with Streusel Topping

Pound cake Display with Assorted Toppings and Garnishes

8/14 - Friday, Third day of Main Event - Pan Asian Style

Lo Mein Noodle Salad with Napa Cabbage, Crunchy Vegetables,

Crushed Peanut Vinaigrette

Salad of Edamame, Marinated Tofu and Roasted Mushrooms,

on Baby Spinach with a Soy and Sesame Vinaigrette

Lemongrass Marinated Chicken, Toasted Peanuts and Fresh Herbs

Short Smoked Mahi Mahi, Miso Honey Glaze, Crispy Mushrooms and Leeks

Bulgogi Marinated Flank Style, Spicy Marinated Vegetable Pickles

Vegetable Fried Rice with Baby Bok Choy and Sugar Snap Peas

Coconut Rice Pudding

Ginger Infused Creme Brulee

Cinnamon and Orange Flavored Panna Cotta

Fortune Cookies

8/15 - This menu will be added soon. Possibly a Deli style lunch like the pre-conference classes

Charlie Arehart is doing a pre-conference class on ColdFusion Builder. Announced today.

CU250 - Charlie Arehart - Getting Started with CFBuilder, for those coming from Dreamweaver, CFStudio, HomeSite, etc.

Register now

You've heard the buzz about ColdFusion Builder (code-named Bolt and referred to hereafter as CFBuilder), now get a walkthrough (hands-on from your own laptop if you bring one) from someone who's been down the same path, coming to CFBuilder from other non-Eclipse-based CFML editors like Dreamweaver, HomeSite, and CF Studio. In this day-long class, Veteran CFer Charlie Arehart will introduce you to CFBuilder, presuming you have no prior experience with it or Eclipse/CFEclipse. (Indeed, if you do have experience with those editors, this is not the class for you!)

Whether you want to or are being told to use CFBuilder, it's clearly the CFML editor of the future, and you'll come away with a clear appreciation of its strengths and capabilities. You may even, like Charlie, grow very quickly to like it.

Many who tried in the past to make the transition from those other CFML editors to CFEclipse (a close cousin to CFBuilder) struggled, partly from the significant differences between the editors, and partly from a relative lack of guidance (and indeed a sense of not belonging) for those making the transition. You were generally expected to tough it out and "get with the program".

Adobe has done several things to address those challenges in CFBuilder. There's still room for improvement, sure, but they've also added still more powerful features that make it all the more worth the transition, including many not ever provided in the other CFML editors. Charlie will gently guide those using the other editors to appreciate the power and even the simplicity of CFBuilder.

More Details and Outline

Do you have it all?

I brought in a celebrity to speak at CFUnited. I saw Janine Driver in DC in June and she's hilarious and has a ton of great tips for business professionals. She will show you how to climb the ladder in your career. She's trained many in the government and law enforcement agencies, now she's reaching to business professionals like us. (See the link to her recent TV show appearances below)

For all you "LIE TO ME" show fans: Janine Driver's mentor is Dr. Paul Ekman, the inspiration behind the new hit TV show.

Her topic is "The New Executive Presence"

Speaking Times:
Thu. 3:15PM-4:15PM
Fri. 9:00AM-10:00AM

Janine Driver, Body Language Contributor for NBC's The Today Show, has been dubbed the "Lyin' Tamer" and that's L-Y-I-N Tamer because...she knows when people are lying! Janine is a world-renowned body language expert, international speaker, author and life coach. She has been seen on the Big Idea with Donny Deutsch, CNN, the History Channel, ESPN, Fox News Live and many more. She is the author of The Masters of Success and will release her second book with Crown Publishing, "YOU SAY MORE THAN YOU THINK: A 7- Day Plan on How to Use the New Body Language to Get What You Want", February 2010. Janine's background is as fascinating as the subject matter she teaches. By day, she spent more than a decade as an award- winning Federal Law Enforcement Officer for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), training 30,000+ cops, lawyers and judges in the fine art of separating fact from fiction. By night, she thrilled audiences as a stand up comic who shared the stage with Chris Rock, Robin Williams and Ray Romano. Today, Janine teaches her recently de-classified body language strategies to thousands of businesses around the globe! Her motto: "If I can teach cops to get the bad guys to confess, then I can teach YOU to easily get the people in your life to say 'YES'!"


Watch videos of her recent appearances on TV

I decided to bring in something a little different to this conference. I hope everyone enjoy this rare experience.

How do you measure up hot shot?

Take this quiz to see if you how you do.

Jeff Peters is teaching an intense class August 11th 2009 on "jQuery and ColdFusion"

jQuery is one of the most popular JavaScript libraries in use. ColdFusion can auto-generate JavaScript for many favorite AJAX-type tasks. This class will explore how to make automated JavaScript and hand-rolled JavaScript work and play well together, while retaining the developer's sanity. Bring your own laptop and a healthy dose of curiosity. Techniques explored are also applicable to other JavaScript libraries.

jQuery and ColdFusion: A Quiz

Or register now! http://cfunited.com/2009/classes#class-CU248

Hello Talented CFUnited Attendees!

CFUnited is about great topics and learning as always. But its also about networking. When we network we find things that we have in common, whether its about our favorite hardware or our favorite SciFi shows. We build connections with people we have common interests with.

http://cfunited.com/go/survey/171

We came up with an idea that is unique for us and will prove to be an interesting experiment.

Museum and Open Mic Night for our talented community.

Let us know if you'd like to participate. You can bring 1-3 pieces of artwork (or photographs). If you would like to start a jam session on stage with a few others, we'd like to see that too. Magic tricks, poems, sculptures, etc are all welcome.

Scott Stroz will be our Open Mic Night host and one of the performers
http://www.boyzoid.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/6/18/I-Will-BeerPerformingat-CFUnited

Please fill out this form by July 31st to be added to performances and to enter your artwork.

http://cfunited.com/go/survey/171

We booked a band for CFUnited: BoxCar Collision

Alumni from 2005 probably remember this band. They are still in DC and really popular around the clubs. We'll have this band playing for a couple hours during one of our evening open bar events. Be ready to party!

About:
Formed in 2003, Boxcar Collision started when 4 friends started meeting weekly to jam. They were invited to play an open mic, and somewhere in-between the PJ Harvey and Gillian Welch covers, they realized they were a band.

Since then theyýve played Iota, The Velvet Lounge, DC9, and have written 15 original songs. Though not easily categorized, their sound has been compared to Rilo Kiley, The Pretenders, and The Smiths. Their debut CD was released in 2007.

Sample of their music: http://www.myspace.com/boxcarcollision

More photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14878769@N02/

Liz's inside info: I hear they have a new album coming out around the time of CFUnited, maybe we'll be the first to hear some of their new stuff. ;-)

Nominate the Best in the Industry for the Adobe Community Achievement Awards. Formerly known as the CFEmmys, Todd Sharp has reintroduced to CFUnited a chance to recognize those who display excellence.

Please enter your nominations by June 8th

Everyone is eligible and feel free to nominate yourself. Todd will narrow down the results and CFUnited will provide the list to the public before the vote on winners begins.

http://cfunited.com/go/survey/172