Are you going to Lotusphere this year? If you make your living in the Notes/Domino space, go bug your boss to get you there. Lotusphere is THE place the expand your skills and learn about what's coming down the pike. And, considering how much great new stuff is coming out of Lotus these days, well, that's just one more reason to be there.

This is expected to be the first Lotusphere to sell out since 2000, so sign up early. Registration is here.

What? You say your company is stuck in the Dark Ages and still using Notes 5 (or 6) and Lotusphere is a waste of time since you won't see release 8 in this decade?

You still need to be there!

Even if you have to blow dust off the Notes icons every time you start up your computer, there is a lot of practical instruction and information--a lot--you can take home and use right away, even in your old Stone-Tablet-release of Notes.

Henry Newberry and I will be among a star-studded (OK, pocket-protector encrusted) cast of speakers presenting on topics that cover the entire waterfront of Notes topics. For instance, between us, Henry and I will be talking about:

• AJAX and JSON for IBM Lotus Domino Applications (JumpStart session)
• An introduction to LotusScript (JumpStart session)
• Moving IBM Lotus Notes applications to the web
• Implementing AJAX and JSON in Domino Applications (Hands-on)
• A look under the hood at a world-class IBM Lotus Domino Web application

And that's just us. And that's just Notes. There will be lots of sessions on Quickr, Lotus Connections, Sametime, the productivity tools, and...everything. Altogether there will be hundreds of presentations. Whatever you need, you can be pretty sure it's there. And that's just the formal presentations.

There are Birds-of-a-Feather sessions, endless networking opportunities (no, not that kind of networking...the kind where you meet people and create relationships), great social events (you may have to leave that off the justification to your boss), and all the rest.

So, you may be asking yourself, is it expensive?

How can I put this gently? Yes, it's expensive. But, only if you choose to look at it that way. If you stay at one of the Disney hotels (which, frankly, is a whole lot better than being off-site), it's not cheap. Entry fees are up this year to $2,095 and the closest hotels (Dolphin, Swan, etc.) are usually pushing $300 a night. Double-up on rooms with somebody, get a decent flight down, and you could probably do the whole thing for under $3,000.

So, it's not cheap but, on the other hand, consider what all you get.

First, from Sunday dinner through Thursday lunch, you get free food. Free! That's almost as good as not having to pay for it. And, considering how much everything costs at Disney, free food is nothing to turn your nose up at.

Then, there's free booze. (This, too may be something you don't need to mention in the justification to your boss). OK, it's not really booze, it's beer and wine. Whatever. And, NO, it's not available all the time, but there's plenty of, um, availability. First, there's always a great opening party Sunday night (free booze AND food), there's a cocktail reception in the vendors' Showcase on Monday (free booze and appetizers), there's always a big party at Disney World or one of the other area parks on Wednesday night (free booze, food and rides) and then there are pretty much endless room parties, vendor events, and what have you.

The point here is not so much that you're going to be staggering around three sheets to the wind all the time but, rather, that your social expenses can be kept to a minimum, too, because again, everything I've mentioned so far is free (or, at least, included).

And I haven't even started on the value of the instruction. If you compare the cost of Lotusphere to a week of training (about $500 a day around here), or to the other alternatives like View or Advisor conferences, well, it probably costs a little more but there is so much more to learn. Lotusphere is hands down, absolutely without question, The Best.

Period.

And, maybe even a bargain if you look at it the right way. If you can finagle a way, be there. You won't regret it.

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