Tag: rubynation

The list of RubyNation speakers has now been finalized, and I will be one the local DC-area speakers again this year. My topic is going to be: “Creating a World-Class RESTful API in Rails.” This is based on my direct experience at Grab Networks.com creating a robust, Amazon-style API for use by partners and, eventually, the public.

Ruby enthusiasts of the Washington DC metropolitan area, mark your calendars. We’ve confirmed the date for RubyNation 2009. It’s going to be June 12 – 13 in Reston, VA. Based on last year’s sell-through, we have commissioned a larger venue. We’re going to have it at the Sheraton Hotel, where we can expand it to accommodate 200+ people, rather than the hard limit of 125 that we had at last year’s conference. It’s also going to be a dual-track event this year.

The RubyNation 2008 Conference was a stunning success on August 1 – 2, easily at the upper end of what the organizers were hoping for. The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) venue was excellent, with plenty of parking, a really nice auditorium and good electronics capabilities. The catering was first-rate. Finally, the array of speakers and the mix of topics went over very well with the audience. Rest assured, there will be a RubyNation 2009.

Oh, and by the way, I had great time giving my presentation on JRuby…

As one of the organizers, I’m proud to say that the RubyNation 2008 Conference has sold out. All 125 tickets (at $175 each) were sold in 52 days, which is excellent for any technical conference, let alone the first year of a conference. We were also able to attract a number of great sponsors, as well as companies to provide some truly excellent giveaways. Between the tickets selling out and the sponsors, the conference is solidly in the black, which is also gratifying (since there are some pretty hefty hard costs associated with running a conference).

Tickets for RubyNation 2008, a new regional Ruby conference that I’m helping to organize, are selling briskly. We’re at about the 75% mark, with ticket prices due to increase by $25 on July 16th. By my calculations, we’re already in the black based on ticket sales and sponsorships, which is always a vital milestone. My guess is that RubyNation will be sold out at least a week before the conference.

Registration for the 2008 RubyNation Conference just opened today. Join the nation! Get your ticket for the DC area’s very own regional Ruby conference.

Plans for RubyNation, a new regional conference serving metropolitan DC and surrounding areas, is progressing nicely. The venue and budget have been finalized. The Call for Papers just closed earlier this week, and final selection of speakers will be done in a couple of days. Finally, registration will be opening shortly for this two-day conference, which will start on August 1, 2008.