I've been to many conferences over the years as both a vendor and an attendee. Some were good, some were bad, and, yes, some were just plain ugly. But what happened in Austin earlier this week was different.
How exactly was RoundUp different? I can't quite say. Except... Those other conferences? They ain't no RoundUp.
RoundUp didn't peak and flame out. It had a slow burn to it. Like the Poblano peppers at Hula Hut, it stayed with you and got better over time. Everyone was relaxed, enjoying the give and take of conversation and life here in Austin. It felt like a family reunion.
Customers were excited to personally meet members of our Support team like Adam and Osman. Developers like Jesse were going off into corners with customers to "fix my last documentation bug". People joked and talked as if they have been friends their whole lives.
As a company, WebWorks is committed to hosting the RoundUp Conference every year. That's good. I just hope we can figure out how to recreate the atmosphere that existed this year. I hope that we can capture all the great things about RoundUp 2007 and, just like they do over at Stubb's BBQ, "put that in a bottle"...