System iNetwork

January 6, 2010

RPG & DB2 Summit Offers Chance for One-on-Ones With Instructors

A new aspect of the upcoming RPG & DB2 Summit got me thinking about one of the highlights of my journalism career. During a journalism conference sponsored by The Seattle Times, I had the chance to meet with a Times reporter who gave me feedback on the articles I had entered in a writing competition. I hung on her every word and it was exhilarating for a cub reporter like me.

So I was pretty excited when I heard that the RPG & DB2 Summit is offering attendees one-on-one consultations with speakers during the event's conference hours March 23-25 at the Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa in Texas. Since the Summit caters to IBM i development professionals who want to upgrade their skills related to RPG IV, embedded SQL, SQL tuning, DB2, ILE, PHP, and Web technologies, meeting an instructor could be pretty inspiring.

I'll never forget the encouragement the Seattle Times reporter gave me--a rookie--nor the praise she had for my writing. I was motivated, to say the least.

Sure, times aren't the same as they were 15 years ago, but the encouragement, training, and even constructive criticism a peer can deliver goes a long way in motivating you to new heights. It might be a suggestion to try a tool you never thought about checking out or to look into a PHP help website you really know you should investigate. Or perhaps a recommendation for a book to read or class to take. Whatever comes out of the chat, though, will likely invigorate rather than dampen your mental spirit.

And with mentors like Susan Gantner, Jon Paris, Paul Tuohy, Skip Marchesani, Scott Klement, Mike Cain, Kent Milligan, Barbara Morris, and Aaron Bartell delivering presentations, you'll likely leave the conference with a renewed enthusiasm for everything IBM i related. These folks wax lyrical on career development.

The one-on-one consultations are free to attendees. They can be ad-hoc discussions directly after a session, between sessions, or during breaks or meals, or they can be scheduled directly with any of the speakers for a specific time of mutual convenience during conference hours. Attendees simply approach the speaker(s) of their choice with their questions or their request for a meeting time. They don't have to sign up anywhere in advance.

The event is organized by System i Developer, a consortium of four educators, and it's sponsored by my publication, SystemiNetwork.com, as well as IBM Systems Magazine and MC Press Online. Registration costs $995 ($895 for Summit Alumni) until February 12, and then goes up to $1,295 from February 13-March 5.

You can get more information about the RPG & DB2 Summit at systemideveloper.com, email registration@systemideveloper.com or call 802-496-3397.

--Rita-Lyn Sanders, Senior Industry editor

Posted by rsanders at January 6, 2010 7:46 AM