EduGeek@Microsoft Conference Details. Reading, 24th Feb 2011

Published on 25th January 2011 03:13 AM

This is the offical announcement that there will be a joint EduGeek/Microsoft conferance to be held at the Microsoft campus at TVP (Thames Valley Park), Reading on the 24th Feb 2011. The subject areas to be covered are:

Office 365
The new schools' licensing scheme
SCCM
Cool stuff from the Microsoft labs
Primary schools (this will most likely be a break out session where you can meet the 'right' Microsoft people and discuss your issues)
Sneak peek of upcoming Microsoft technologies
And an EduGeek 'Ask the admins session' to round off the day

The timings will be as follows:

08:30 - Registration and coffee at Microsoft
09:00 - Introduction and start
10:30 - Coffee
12:30 - Lunch
13:30 - Afternoon sessions to start
15:30 - Coffee
17:00 - Close

We have not yet worked out the program of talks i.e. who talks when, so please bear with us on this. The conference is strictly limited to 55 places and will be on a first come, first served basis, and of course, attendance is free. If you wish to register please send an email to the address below with the heading 'EduGeek/Microsoft conf registration' and give me the following details:

conference@edugeek.net

Full name
School
School address
Will you be staying in a hotel and for how many nights. Also if you are planning to join the EduGeek admins in the evening (23rd-24th Feb) for drinks and discussion.
EduGeek Username

The relevant details will be passed onto Microsoft for registration purposes.

Accomodation

Just a quick note to let any of you who are planning to stay the night know that if you can't streatch to Novotel prices, there is an Ibis Hotel right next door to the Novotel Reading and you can get a room for about £44 per night (http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-54...re/index.shtml), and we'll get you a beer (and possibly food) or two in the evening of the event.
We look forwards to seeing you there for what promises to be an interseting day.

Categories:
EduGeek News,
EduGeek Conf

98 Comments

teejay - 28th January 2011, 02:21 PM
- Reply
Right, time to go sweet talk the HT into covering my travel and accomodation expenses
It falls in half-term, so I'm coming whatever, just depends whether I'm bringing my tent or not

Edit: Nearly fainted there, HT agreed straight away!

Dos_Box - 28th January 2011, 02:28 PM
- Reply
When you register PLEASE include your EduGeek name. Otherwise I can't find you easily and use the header: 'EduGeek/Microsoft conf registration' as it make finding lost mails so much easier.

TheScarfedOne - 28th January 2011, 02:46 PM
- Reply
Cheers DB, are we going to use this thread to arrange meeting times etc. Booking into the IBIS now :-) for both nights.

localzuk - 28th January 2011, 02:48 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Dos_Box

Please resend. I can't see it anywhere

Re-sent.

zag - 28th January 2011, 03:23 PM
- Reply
sent

Happy to show people round at night as well (if beers are involved).

I live in the block of flats behind the Ibis

elsiegee40 - 28th January 2011, 03:43 PM
- Reply
I'm also booked into the Ibis for the night

localzuk - 28th January 2011, 03:45 PM
- Reply
I shall be booking my hotel on pay day. Trying to get my boss to pay too.

teejay - 28th January 2011, 03:48 PM
- Reply
Ibis booked for both nights :-)
Now, question is, do I book the train, which takes over 4 hours, is 3 changes and to get a sensible price I've got to hang around till 1pm on the Friday, or do I drive, hmmm.

teejay - 28th January 2011, 03:51 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by zag

sent

Happy to show people round at night as well (if beers are involved).

I live in the block of flats behind the Ibis

That would be great :-)
What's the parking like round there, Ibis say they have discounted covered parking nearby, but wondered if there's any on-street/cheap parking?

TheScarfedOne - 28th January 2011, 04:16 PM
- Reply
Im spying a lot of the usual rabble so far in the list!! So - looks like lots of people in the IBIS then ;-). Fun times.

teejay - 28th January 2011, 04:25 PM
- Reply
I've yet to attend any EduGeek meet, so really looking forward to meeting everyone at last

elsiegee40 - 28th January 2011, 05:27 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by stuartwilkie

Im spying a lot of the usual rabble so far in the list!! So - looks like lots of people in the IBIS then ;-). Fun times.

Me... "usual rabble"...! Too old for that

Dos_Box - 28th January 2011, 05:48 PM
- Reply
Forget on-street parking around there. It's paid or nothing.

zag - 28th January 2011, 06:16 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Dos_Box

Forget on-street parking around there. It's paid or nothing.

No parking at all unless you stay in the Novatel who have their own underground spaces.

Garrard street multistory is the closest but its expensive during the week.

teejay - 28th January 2011, 06:33 PM
- Reply
Just phoned Ibis, parking through them is £10 per 24 hrs in two nearby carparks, one of them an NCP, you just sort it out with them on arrival. This will work out cheaper for me than the train, unless I go via a real round the houses route via London with 4 changes and getting back really late on the Friday.

Dos_Box - 28th January 2011, 06:41 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by zag

sent

Happy to show people round at night as well (if beers are involved).

I live in the block of flats behind the Ibis

Ric and I had a VERY good look around Reading last time we were there. We found one good pub. The rest were either..erm...interesting, dangerous or chain pubs. The same goes for eating houses as well. In fact the pub opposite the Novotel/Ibis was one of the most intersting. They'd torn out the fixtures and fittings in (what we took to be) an attempt to renovate the place. Only to put them all back. In the wrong place. With stuff missing.

zag - 28th January 2011, 07:43 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by Dos_Box

Ric and I had a VERY good look around Reading last time we were tehre. We found one good pub. The rest were either..erm...intersting, dangerous or chain pubs. Teh samegoes fro eatging houses as well. In fact the pub opposite the Novotel/Ibis was one of the most intersting. They'd torn out the fixtures and fitting in (what we took to be) an attempt to renovate the place. Only to put them all back. In the wrong place. With stuff missing.

LOL thats a very old mans pub!

There are actually some nice independent pubs around the town center, the Oakford. Purple turtle, Hobgoblin, Allied arms are all worth a visit. The Warwick and Lyndhirst are also excellent pubs with great food.

elsiegee40 - 28th January 2011, 07:58 PM
- Reply
Originally Posted by teejay

Just phoned Ibis, parking through them is £10 per 24 hrs in two nearby carparks, one of them an NCP, you just sort it out with them on arrival. This will work out cheaper for me than the train, unless I go via a real round the houses route via London with 4 changes and getting back really late on the Friday.

Saved me a call

Ric_ - 28th January 2011, 08:05 PM
- Reply
@localzuk & @plexer: I too cannot see the emails from you guys... there's lots of other ones mind so if you could re-send, we would be grateful.