EduTech Posted December 30, 2010 Posted December 30, 2010 I just wanted to Re-Post this up on here, a note that Dave Coleman has just posted up. It may come in useful for some of you whom are thinking of attending BETT Show 2011 Tips for The BETT Show 2011 James.
woodham Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 any chance of posting up a copy that does not require a Fac**ook acount cheers Andy
somabc Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 For those that don't use facebook. This year myself and Alan Richards will be on the Microsoft stand at the BETT show 2011 12th – 15th January, we will be talking with people about HyperV and the cost savings associated with that technology. But don’t just stop at talking HyperV with us as this technology has also enabled us to roll out Lync and SharePoint 2010 amongst others so any tech questions please ask. Last year i was also lucky enough to be on the Microsoft stand and i wrote an article called Tips for BETT the twitter hashtag was #tips4BETT well i thought i would be worth repeating the tips as they are so good i would also welcome any new tips via comments and lets see if we can make it to the magic 100 top tips for BETT. If using an iPhone, take a backup battery device, USB charger and mains charger. 4goggas: If an online app runs slowly during demo, you can bet a dollar it’ll do worse on a school network. Avoid, despite sales pitch grumbledook alternatively arrange for others to see sessions you can’t get to so you at least have some feedback on things merlinjohn Be cool. Keep mind open/suspend prejudices so you get pleasant surprises. Avoid conflict and paper (heavy). Duck n dive. Weave grumbledook try to arrange with others you know to see similar demos so you can compare notes later. It’s good to get different viewpoints. ianaddison change your avatar to a proper pic and/or add your twitter name to your badge so we know who you are grumbledook explain to colleagues that BETT is not a junket, but preparation for the expedition to the south pole! Fun but taxing! deepexperience1 Hide the barcode on your badge or face a barrage of phone calls every Friday afternoon orunner Take photos not brochures orunner Has anyone said bring your own sandwiches yet … or take out a loan in order to buy lunch chrisrat I guess the most important thing is to try and enjoy it. If you don’t, Bett is a loooonnnggg show. digitalmaverick: take lots of stickers with your details on them easier than filling in lots of forms with your tel no & email chrisrat if you want to save your back, a small backpack! chrisrat along with a pinch of salt, take an open mind lisibo – fill your pockets with raisins – they’ll fight off hunger pangs and work better than bread crumbs when want to find way back out chrisrat plan, plan and plan again. If you don’t it can take days of wandering to find your way out! chrisrat for exhibitors: stop staff members wearing perfume/ aftershave – if you are a large stand, it can be like walking into lisibo if you fail to wear comfortable shoes + get blisters, there’s a chemist over the railway bridge that sells blister plasters lisibo – wear comfortable shoes – your feet will thank you (with thanks to @chrisrat for the reminder of last year’s agony billgibbon – Don’t let techs see *any* educational software until after teaching staff have bought it, or they’ll find ways to ban it martin88 Don’t let teaching staff see *any* educational software without asking tech first, they’ll want it!! martin88 – Take away as much free pens, mugs, freebies you can get your hands on. ClaireAshton – drink lots of water, don’t wear much – it’s really hot in there, get some fresh air, exercise in the hotel at night, if you iusher wandering halls aimlessly is either (a) exhausting & pointless or (b) serendipitous – frequently both (the best tip!) ClaireAshton: as a visitor avoid picking anything up off stands, other than pens, sweets and the odd mug. Bags of literature are dumped outside ClaireAshton: come to stand D20, if only for a one in three chance to win a coffee and/or cake! And to spot me in uncomfortable shoes grumbledook: – Don’t be worried if you don’t recognise people. Not everyone looks like their avatar. Some would worry you if they did lisibo – meet up with virtual friends for moral support – helps you not to be freaked out by size of it – in my experience! grumbledook Use a video camera (eg Flip) to make short 30 seconds comments to listen to later. You could also send yourself SMS about stuff! grumbledook use a camera to photograph things that excite you. Make sure you get the stand name / number. More stand details from show mag grumbledook don’t be scared to leave space in your plans. Many stands have fantastic demos so that you need to decide what to see on the day! RayFleming Make sure you’ve spaced out your presentation viewing schedule to last the day. Better than all AM sitting and all PM walking RayFleming Don’t wear new shoes. Better old, scuffed and comfortable than new and shiny – and painful by day billgibbon Try at least to smile at the stallholders, even if you’re not interested in what they have to offer. They’ve got a hard job… domnorrish If coming from cent. London, avoid the poorly served & very. crowded Olympia branch of the District line – walk 10 mins from Kensington high street ianaddison: visit the Espresso stand – they had great chocolate and free bottled water last year. Much cheaper than buying! deerwood don’t take a bag of any sort. If you see anything interesting, note details on your phone and get back to them afterwards dannynic forage for food amongst the stands. Can last the day on mints, sweets and some stands even gave away water last billgibbon Don’t think you can see it all in 1 day. Plan what you want to see, but allow time for some surprises iusher if you can’t afford Olympia food, there’s a Tesco Express here http://bit.ly/8ZY8QQ -it sells out of sandwiches early-be swift billgibbon Don’t rely on hearing your mobile phone if you’ve arranged for a contact – put it somewhere where you’ll feel it vibrate! dannynic grab as many free pens as you can to last you the rest of the year dannynic coordinate with friends to find out who’s giving away the best freebies billgibbon Carry a bottle of water – talking a lot at a louder level (it’s very noisy) will do your throat in. billgibbon: Wear your most comfortable shoes – the floor is really hard theokk bring a wifi dongle and corkscrew dtester: Take a sturdy rucksack to put the brochures and info THAT YOU WANT in, know why you are going and focus on that when there iusher: better to come away with a couple of good, useable, ideas for use at school than umpteen 2GB memory sticks. Seek the former out dannynic don’t grab every single flyer and brochure you are offered. You’ll end up weighed down iusher: [1] pre-register so you can get your badge mailed to you [2] bring a chair [3] bring lunch so you don’t get ripped off Enjoy the show and stop by to say hello. Dave Technorati Tags: BETT, BETT 2011
vikpaw Posted January 4, 2011 Posted January 4, 2011 Nice list Dave, how about these (some cross over): -use the BETT planner from the website, to plan a route of places you definitely need to go. often wandering around aimlessly means you cover the same patch 4 times and miss those gems on the cheaper corners. however, i found the tool a real pain to use, but just downloading the map to iphone was quite handy. -print your badge out, the mosh pit at check-in is a real b*t*h first thing in the morning - avoid at all costs. -if you don't have business cards, take some labels like other tip above, with email / phone number on, cos you'll make lots of friends! -be sure to go to your existing suppliers and introduce yourself, nothing like putting faces to names and discussing those niggly issues in person - it's not all about new shiny ideas. 1
Dos_Box Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 You can download the BETT 2011 floorplans from here: Floorplan - BETT 2011 It is well worth your while looking at these before you visit, especially as many exhibitors have moved from their usual stand locations. What is interesting is that last year someone let slip that there are now companies who want to locate themselves closer to the EduGeek Help Point so as to make it easier for our members to find them, and have a look at some of the companies in the immediate vacinity to us Oh, and the stand opposite us (Entistic Ltd), for once will not be shining bright lights or making random noises in our direction
Little-Miss Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Oh, and the stand opposite us (Entistic Ltd), for once will not be shining bright lights or making random noises in our direction That's good to know...i'm easily distracted!
Domino Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Oh, and the stand opposite us (Entistic Ltd), for once will not be shining bright lights or making random noises in our direction But will they be making holes in things with LAZORZ?
GrumbleDook Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Shucks ... I wanted a new engraved pen too!
Little-Miss Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 I've just noticed the "Network Managers Lounge". Sounds very exclusive lol!
Little-Miss Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Blimey, its only when you really start looking that the floor map that you start to realise how much is there!
TechMonkey Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 First year ever going this year & I'm starting to get scared! I think I did less planning going to Africa!
GREED Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 First year ever going this year & I'm starting to get scared! I think I did less planning going to Africa! Me too. Maybe we need to group togetherm, safety in numbers and all that?!
Dos_Box Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 If it is your first time at BETT, I feel I must warn you about the packs of 'Stalking Baggage' that can be seen in and around the arena. Usually they are in stealthy pursuit of female attendees, and lurk at junctions or get underfoot whilst following their prey. Just be careful not to stand or trip on one of these otherwise elusive creatures as apparently they are quite rare, and now confined to large educational events. Seroisly though. There are people there draggign all kinds of dangerous baggage around behind them with little or no regard to the havoc they are causing in their wake. And no. I still do not know why some people feel the need to bring these otherwise useless little bags with them.
vikpaw Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Blimey, its only when you really start looking that the floor map that you start to realise how much is there! Exactly! That's why i was recommending using the interactive tool to highlight points of interest on the BETT website, but it's so painful to use i gave up half way. Shucks ... I wanted a new engraved pen too! I still have mine I notice that stand never seems to have the same company, i guess they don't make much money when everyone's back is turned to them You can download the BETT 2011 floorplans from here: Floorplan - BETT 2011 It is well worth your while looking at these before you visit, especially as many exhibitors have moved from their usual stand locations. What is interesting is that last year someone let slip that there are now companies who want to locate themselves closer to the EduGeek Help Point so as to make it easier for our members to find them, and have a look at some of the companies in the immediate vacinity to us Oh, and the stand opposite us (Entistic Ltd), for once will not be shining bright lights or making random noises in our direction Oh NO! Smoothwall have got a stand right next to ours. Thank heaven we like them As for the rest, i notice HP, INTEL, TASC, NEC bloomin' heck, it's a busy corner, with Premier Mounts backing us up. That G86 sounds like that useless inventions company from Japan that used to be on children's telly ages(!) ago. Wonder if the same old boy (Mr Charisma) will be on stand G91 again, we have to think of some game to play, or maybe include him in a competition / challenge. Me too. Maybe we need to group togetherm, safety in numbers and all that?! Absolutely, especially on saturday when it's full of kids. I say, muster at stand G89 around 10am in the morning, then do the conga around the stands, whoever else wants to join in can get on board before attacking the rest of the show.
GREED Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Absolutely, especially on saturday when it's full of kids. I say, muster at stand G89 around 10am in the morning, then do the conga around the stands, whoever else wants to join in can get on board before attacking the rest of the show. Sounds like a plan... I'll see you at the head of the line!
featured_spectre Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 For Thursday I have my whole day planned out to perfection, Friday, well whatever Dos Box wants me to do, same with Saturday!
GrumbleDook Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 No-one on G91 at the moment, but I am interested in what XFace are doing with multi-touch.
Dos_Box Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 We shall have Vik and Mike doing the rounds, tweeting and uploading video as they go along, so if you are coming Friday\Saturday, there should be plenty of intersting things to see and do already noted by our roving reporters
Little-Miss Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 i plan to Twitter my time down there... Will there be a webcam? lol
featured_spectre Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 they say the camera adds 10lbs...when people look at me they'll ask how many cameras are on me!! lol
Little-Miss Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 Ick good point, i'd look like some sort of pale skinned umpa lumpa...
vikpaw Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 No-one on G91 at the moment, but I am interested in what XFace are doing with multi-touch. my plan must be old, it says Nationwide Retail Systems.
AngryTechnician Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 I've just noticed the "Network Managers Lounge". Sounds very exclusive lol! They had it last year, and they had people on the door checking if your badge (or that of a colleague you were with) said Network Manager on it! Why, you may ask? Welllllll... there was free coffee in there. I can't speak to the quality since I don't drink it myself, but it was a very handy place to sit down and have some nosh.
vikpaw Posted January 5, 2011 Posted January 5, 2011 that reminds me, a sneaky way in 2 years ago, was via an open door to the international lounge, that's only for, yes you guessed it, those with international badges, but it saved the huge cue to get in. it was freezing, and that year i didn't have a coat
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