XP 2007: a review
My review at a glance:
| Program | D |
| Agile Cafe | A |
| Location | A |
| Attendees | B |
| Amenities | C |
| Expense | C |
| Hotel | B |
| Overall | C+ |
Program. Part of the grade for the program had to do with its structure: sessions before the conference, 1-1/2 days of “actual conference”, then sessions after the conference. Given how it was structured, some people came in for a day or two, then left, rather than sticking around all week. That weakened the experience considerably.
Part of the grade for the program had to do with the pricing structure. All workshops and tutorials were pay-per-use, which means that I had to know in advance exactly what I wanted to do in order to attend sessions other than my own. While I’m accustomed to paying extra for tutorials, I find it ridiculous to pay for workshops. In fact, even the workshop facilitators paid to attend their own workshops, albeit at a half-price EUR 15. I thought that was a joke when I heard about it, but it wasn’t. I can’t fathom that, even now after knowing it had happened. It’s an affront to workshop facilitators. I didn’t attend any sessions other than my own, because the free content was more than competitive.
Part of the grade for the program had to do with the keynotes. There were 3 keynotes on the schedule, only 1 of which was any kind of keynote. The presentation from Ferrari was a solid experience report, in which we got a glimpse of an organization that really needs short iterations. The presentation from Exoftware was a shaky description of a strategy model, including vision, mission and execution. While the presenter attempted to integrate some entertainment, he fell victim to a “Vista moment” as well as letting live game-play muddle his point. For about 20 minutes there, I didn’t know what was happening. While I can empathize with the presenter’s plight, it was still an under-prepared presentation, and his message was lost as a result. Only Kent Beck’s talk, entitled “Ease at Work”, had the element of inspiration that I believe is essential to a keynote, and not even Kent’s talk was universally lauded. Some felt Kent was trying to shed his former smartass persona, but I don’t buy it. I believe Kent is more than sincere in describing the next step beyond XP, towards a more holistic notion of ease. Some love it, some don’t, and I suppose that’s good for a keynote. It had people talking.
Part of the grade for the program had to do with a lack of Open Space, which has become a staple at agile conferences.
By and large, I would have been upset to pay for the conference and be given that program.
Agile Cafe. With a lack of Open Space, Charlie Poole led a number of people in developing the “Agile Cafe”, a light version of Open Space. We simply designated the tables on the terrace outside the conference hotel as the agile cafe and conducted impromptu discussions there. Some gave real results, as my brief collaboration with Rick Mugridge on his story-testing IDE and others were simply enjoyable for their ephemeral nature. We chatted, we drank, we argued, it was excellent. I think I might prefer this to Open Space!
Location. Como, Italy. Enough said. Go.
Attendees. I missed a lot of people in Como, but I also saw some people I hadn’t seen in a long time. While some key members of the European agile community were not present, I very much enjoyed almost everyone I saw or met. I would like to have met more people, but that’s partly my fault for not reaching out and partly their fault for not sitting down at an agile cafe table.
Amenities. Specifically I mean the conference amenities, and even if they were fantastic, no-one ever told us about them, so we would never have known. The hotel lunch was atrocious for the EUR 22 per person. Bad enough that we had to book in advance each day in order to attend, but the food was only a shadow of the high quality food almost everywhere else in the city. The coffee breaks were good, once one understood not to wait in line for the espresso bar. It’s the Italian way, I was told, simply to elbow one’s way up to the bar and bypass the orderly queue filled with North Americans and meeker Europeans. The coffee itself was excellent, even if it took 20 minutes to get a coffee the first day, before I’d learned the Italian way. Finally, I felt under-supported in my tutorial. I didn’t have the right room at first, didn’t get quick support when I thought I was having LCD projector problems, and the room itself was hot. Certainly not what I’m accustomed to as a presenter at other conferences. It’s as through the industry folks were mostly left to their own devices, and that’s a shame.
Expense. The trip was costly, compared to Oulu, Finland. Food was especially expensive: lunch the first day was EUR 55 for Sarah and me. Once she found a piadineria, though, our budget came back under control. I was happy to belly up for my share of Argentinian Steer for 4 people at San Agostino’s. What an experience! Thanks to the Agical folks for suggesting it.
Hotel. The Alberto Terminus was quaint, the people were friendly, the room was comfortable, and the breakfast was diverse and satisfying. Internet access was an extra charge, but not enough to cause us to complain. We spent EUR 30 on the internet service for the week, which is comparable to most North American hotels.
Overall. I’m glad I didn’t pay to attend the conference proper. I probably would have considered that a complete waste of money. Still, the people, their commitment to self-organization and the charm of Como made it a good experience. The conference gets a D, but the rest of the trip rates a solid A, for a total of C+.
We look forward to XP 2008 in Limerick, Ireland, which promises to be a wonderful experience.
