The fellow who brought you the inexpensive VOIP Wi-Fi phone last week, brings you a wireless summit, Nov. 10-11: I'm the program chair of this really great event from Pulver, the folks behind the VON conference on IP communications (voice over data networks) and Supernova, Kevin Werbach's event.
Called The Wireless Internet Summit, and running Nov. 10-11 in Santa Clara, Calif., this is an event that if you're trying to understand the scope of what's happening across many segments of the Wi-Fi and wireless Internet world, you'll want to be at. The people who will be presenting are doers and makers. They've changed or are changing the world, and will do so again.
What I like about Pulver's events is that they pull from the entire spectrum: it's not all commercial, all public sector, all open source -- it's all aspects of a subject. I mean, dig the line up on this panel on the case for free Wi-Fi hot spots: Matt Peterson, Founder, BAWUG (and a Surf and Sip employee); Matt Westervelt, Founder, SeattleWireless.net; Mike Masnick, Founder, Techdirt; Scott Bruntjen, Mayor, Town of Nederland. I can't wait.
Like many niche events with a laser beam focus, it's not cheap: $1,795 if you register before Nov. 10. However, since you're a beautiful, handsome, and intelligent reader of this fine publication, you can get 25 percent off by using the simple code FLEIS when you register. See, I just made you some money today, because you were planning to come to this event already, right?
Full disclosure: I don't get a cent from referrals.
I've seen this occur with other conferences *cough* Oreilly *cough*, so I am not trying to be critical of the pulver conference directly.
However, it is annoying when a conference states that they are supporting open source, educational, and other non commerical interests, and then charge extremely large amounts of money for registration that prevents anyone but business sponsored attendees from going.
At about $1,000 per day full price, there is no way anyone without corporate/business backing could attend (unless they happen to be presenting).
Contrast this with other conferences, like codecon, etc, that charge < $100 for the full conference, and you are looking at a more non commercial endeavor.
Just my 0.02.
Pulver's Wireless Internet Summit isn't addressing the ENTIRE spectrum of Wireless Internet Access, as I pointed out to Jeff in an private email last week. In a rather large oversight, there won't be much if any coverage of Broadband Wireless Internet Access as used in "last few miles" delivery of Broadband Internet Access (sometimes referred to, incorrectly, as "Fixed" Wireless". That's an unfortunate oversight as it's become one of the most vital sectors in the telecommunications industry (and referenced in WNN just this week in the announcement of the first shipping 802.16a compliant product.)
Glenn also mentioned that there are complimentary passes granted to education / non profit.
I did not this mentioned on the site, so that is indeed a nice support to those in the industry without corporate backing ...