I feel sorry for the people that had to present today at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference – both the main tent keynote presentation and the session breakouts were lightly attended with half-hearted participation. The day started normally enough for a large conference – blaring music, a dramatic light show and video clips of everybody having fun the night before. However by my estimates there was half the number of people at the keynote this morning at 8:30 than there was on Tuesday. It was actually nice to not be packed in the chairs that are tied together so close that you’re actually bumping elbows with the person next to you. For a fidgeter like me, you could end up black and blue from just sitting next to me for two hours. The keynote presentations were focused on “the destination,” but were still discussing products and services. Surprisingly, the sessions today were more focused on partnering and the community than the product and platform discussions of the first two days. Allison Watson did a nice job of wrapping up the keynote today and thanking everyone for coming and participating.

Many people headed for the doors at lunch. Not only to grab lunch at the hotel next door or one of the restaurants on the 16th street mall a couple of blocks away, but to pack and head to the airport. I was surprised to see many people getting luggage out of bag check. I wonder what the big end of the conference party at Coors Field is going to be like with half the attendees? I never seem to stay for the closing party. I’m typically tired by then and I really don’t want to stand around listening to an ABBA tribute band, a Neil Diamond tribute band and a U2 tribute band. Now, if they could actually get U2… I’d stay ?. Heck, I’d even stick around for Neil Diamond.

After a quick bite of even more conference chicken, I trotted off to my last session of the week. All in all I only made it to 7 sessions. 7 out of 180 options – and that didn’t even include the hands-on sessions. I feel like I missed out on a lot of information and interaction. There were only 10 people in my session today – where Tuesday, there would have been over 100. I felt sorry for the presenter. It’s hard to stand up in front of a room and talk for an hour when you know the audience doesn’t care.

On the way out I stopped to chat with a few people that I continued to run into but didn’t get time to talk with. We still didn’t really get time to talk – other than to catch up on each other’s perceptions of the conference. I feel bad leaving early. I can’t walk out of movies or presentations or concerts while they’re in progress. I feel it’s rude. But alas, I took my leave of the conference and headed for the airport – only to be delayed in leaving because they cancelled my flight and I had to wait to go stand-by on the next flight. Middle seat, back of the plane. Ah, isn’t travel glamorous?