Publications like MC RPG Developer and online events such as Webcasts play an important role in keeping you up-to-date because they deliver targeted information. But they, by nature, are not conducive to in-depth learning. You participate from your office, where distractions interfere with your concentration and the pressure to "get back to work" makes it difficult to process what you've learned. They also tend to lack the interaction that aids depth of understanding and long-term retention of the subject matter.
Earlier this year, Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, Skip Marchesani, and I set out to make it easier for RPG developers to get the in-depth education they deserve. Collaborating as the System i Developer consortium, we created a new and different kind of conference: the RPG & DB2 Summit. The tenets of the Summit are simple: high quality, affordable education focused on the needs of RPG developers; lots of interaction with instructors and others; and a relaxed, fun environment to refresh the spirit as well as skills.
The Summit's condensed three-day schedule focuses entirely on topics relevant to RPG developers. And since no two developers have identical needs and interests, the Summit offers four tracks to choose from in each timeslot: one devoted entirely to DB2 topics and three focused on RPG development. So whether you need to learn the latest in RPG programming techniques, ILE strategies, WDSC productivity hints, or ways to enhance the performance of your embedded SQL, there's plenty to choose from. In fact, the most common complaint we hear from attendees is that they can't attend everything!
Can a Conference Really Make a Difference?
Attendees of the first Summit event in March certainly think so. Here are just a few of the comments that they shared with us.
Steve Tillett of OMX Markets Technology: "I came back from the Summit pumped and full of ideas that we need to implement in our shop."
Lori Wenger from the City of Red Deer: "I learned more in three days about RPG than I have in weeks doing an online course!"
Jorge Gutierrez from BAC | Credomatic Network: "The DB2 sessions really helped me understand the issues I'm having with SQL back home."
Perhaps most inspiring of all were the comments from John Ebrecht: "The Summit gave me the edge I needed to start using WDSC, SQL, and iSeries Navigator. Four months later, my productivity is up, my programs are better organized, my procedures easier to read and understand. Best of all, I enjoy programming in RPG again!" In fact, John gained so much from the March event that he personally funded his return to the October Summit in Minneapolis!
Who Will You Meet at the Summit?
Leading the RPG, ILE, and WDSC sessions, you'll find recognized experts in the industry, including Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, Scott Klement, Susan Gantner, Bruce Vining, Aaron Bartell, and Bob Luebbe. The sessions in the SQL and DB2 track feature SQL guru Skip Marchesani along with IBM's Shantan Kethireddy and Tom McKinley.
The speakers received high praise from attendees at the March Summit event. Eric Samuelsen told us, "The speakers were excellent! Their enthusiasm for the subject matter and System i was evident from day 1, and as professional speakers, they know how to present." Steve Tillett said, "The list of well-known and well-respected speakers made it a no-brainer for me to attend, and I would highly recommend the Summit to anyone."
At the Summit in March, popular IBM speaker George Farr provided the keynote address on the future of RPG and revealed IBM's longer-term plans in relation to its controversial March announcement on WDSC functionality. A lively discussion ensued as attendees took the opportunity to comment on those plans and to promote their own ideas for RPG and WDSC enhancements with this influential IBMer. George also led "WDSC Version 7," the most popular breakout session of the event.
The upcoming Summit event in October will again feature George as the keynote speaker, but a new addition to our speaker lineup just may upstage him in popularity this time.
Few RPGers have been lucky enough to meet Barbara Morris, the RPG compiler's lead architect, but they have all felt her influence. Barbara has been the guiding light behind most of the major enhancements to the RPG language in recent years. From subprocedures to nested data structures and native XML parsing, today's RPG has proven itself to be powerful, flexible, and adaptive to modern technology while retaining RPG's legendary ease of use and productivity. This has happened because of Barbara's visionary technical leadership. RPG & DB2 Summit is proud to provide a rare opportunity for the RPG community to meet Barbara face to face and to hear about today's RPG language from this exceptional First Lady of RPG.
What's So Different About the Summit?
As important as the session focus is, it is only part of the educational experience at the Summit. As hosts of the event, the System i Developer team works hard to provide a relaxed, friendly atmosphere conducive to learning and community. The schedule is designed to encourage interaction among the entire Summit community, including the speakers, your fellow developers, and the vendors. We provide breakfast and lunch each day as well as a dinner event on the first evening, knowing that community-oriented meals provide opportunities to meet others and discuss your specific issues. Often, you'll meet someone who has already solved a problem you've been wrestling with for weeks.
Fun is another important part of the Summit experience. We like to keep our sessions lively and interactive. Afterward, there are games to be played, prizes to be won, and other fun activities. Learning should never be boring!
The relaxed and positive atmosphere at Summit is a hallmark of the event. Attendees at the inaugural event in March took the time to comment about this to the organizers. Mitchell Elliott, a Senior Programmer/Analyst, commented, "The speakers were very informative and helpful, and they presented their material informally and were open to much discussion and questions." Eric Samuelsen added, "The smaller session size made questions and dialogue with the speakers/instructors more comfortable."
Affordability is another hallmark of the Summit. We work hard to keep the registration price low and take the time to find hotels that are affordable while maintaining our high quality standards. The condensed three-day timeframe also helps to reduce costs and allows you to spend less time out of the office. We also recognize the value of team training and so offer special pricing for groups of as few as three developers to further reduce costs.
Several companies sent groups to our inaugural event, including the team from Waitsfield and Champlain Valley Telecom, who commented, "Two of us were slated to attend another conference, but after seeing the SUMMIT course offerings and comparing prices, we were able to send all three developers to SUMMIT for LESS money.... We are so glad we made that decision! ... Since all three of us were able to attend together, we're all in sync and carried the energy of the conference back to the office."
While affordable, this is no "bare bones" event. In addition to the best instructors we can find and most of your meals for three days, your registration includes both a CD containing all of the session handouts and printed handouts in the session rooms so you can make notes as you learn. A quality RPG & DB2 Summit shirt that you can wear to work when you get home is also provided as a special reminder of your time at the Summit.
What Sessions Are on Tap at the Summit?
Of course, the primary reason for attending any conference is the session line-up. The Summit agenda offers 56 breakout sessions plus a keynote session, a general Q&A session, and optional early-bird sessions—all specifically targeted to RPG developers and database professionals.
"Please repeat more sessions" is one of the most frequently heard requests at conferences. Attendees inevitably have to make choices between two or three important topics in a timeslot. We recognize this problem, and at the Summit, our attendees get to vote for the sessions that they most want to have repeated.
To give you an idea of the breadth of material at the Summit, the primary topic areas on the RPG portion include these:
- Developing Web applications and Web services with RPG
- ILE and modular programming
- Using modern development tools
- Enhancing access to data with RPG
- Exploiting the latest in RPG IV
The SQL and database sessions include these:
- Utilizing the latest in DB2 and SQL technology
- Optimizing database and SQL performance
For more details about the specific session titles and descriptions in each of these topic areas, visit the Sessions section of the System i Developer Web site.
In addition to the conference, two optional half-day workshops are offered prior to the beginning of the Summit. In October, the workshop offerings feature Skip Marchesani presenting "All You Need to Know About SQL in 4 Hours" and Paul Tuohy presenting "RPG Meets the Web." Your choice of workshop can be added to your conference registration for only $175.
See You at the Summit
Join the System i Developer partners, their top-notch guest instructors, a select group of vendors, and 150 of your fellow RPG and DB2 developers at the RPG & DB2 Summit in Minneapolis, October 2–4. For more information and to register, see SystemiDeveloper.com.
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