I have updated the map for ILUG 2008 with all the names of the people who are staying at the Camden Court Hotel. I have also added names to other hotels that attendees are staying at. If you don't see your name and/or hotel, leave a comment or drop me an email and I will be sure to add you to the map.

Update:  When one person comments, it might be easy to ignore.  When a second person says something, it might be worth making a change.  I have modified the map to remove the room type for the people staying at the Camden Court Hotel.  That was there for me to keep track of more than anything else.  Also, I will be removing anyone who hasn't publicly commented on where they are staying on this blog or their own.  I am sorry if this has caused any inconvenience for anyone.

Here is the current list of people that are confirmed to be staying at the Camden Court Hotel:

1. Sean Burgess
2. Jamie Magee
3. Theo Hesselmans
4. Tormod Svendsen
5. Bjorn Erik Lilleskare
6. Rune Stromme
7. Chris Miller
8. Libby Ingrassia
9. Bruce Elgort
10. Mick Moignard
11. Duncan Bradley
12. Christian Hero
13. Elisabeth Samsonen
14. Benedict Poole
15. Julian Robichaux
16. Per Erik Nyrud
17. Thomas Bahn
18. John Head
19. Odd Åge Skogheim
20. Bjørn Thommasen
21. Stig Erik halvorsen
22. Declan Lynch
23. Rob McDonagh

If you do not see your name on the list and you sent a reservation in, they did not receive it. Don't feel bad cause it happened to me a number of times. They seem to be having an issue with their mail/spam server eating emails.  Worst case scenario is that you have to fax it in, like I did.

I will update the ILUG Map later today with all the names.

I have finally gotten a group rate from the Camden Court Hotel.  They are not as great as I would have liked, but they are cheaper than what is on the web site.  The rates are as follows:

• €119/night for Single, including Breakfast
• €139/night for Twin/Double, including Breakfast

I currently have 25 rooms reserved until May 3 and they are on a first come, first serve basis.  If I need to get more rooms, I will contact them to get more rooms.  That would be a problem that I would love to take care of.

To get a room at this rate, you need to complete this form.  Yes, I know it's a Word document, but please try to work with me.

If you do book a room using the form, please send me an email so that I can keep track of the number of rooms we are using.  If you choose to book somewhere else, let me know that also as I will be adding names to the ILUG map.

Update 1:  The rates above correspond to an arrival date of Tuesday June 3 and a check out date of Saturday June 7.

Update 2:  I have started adding names to the ILUG map.

I was chatting with Chris the other night and the idea came up about trying to get a group of ILUG attendees to stay at the same hotel. We figured if we could get a block of 10 or more rooms, we might be able to get a better rate on the rooms.

After talking it over with the wife and checking out some guest reviews, we have decided to stay at the Camden Court Hotel.  I had received some good reviews about the Harcort Hotel, but it seemed to be a little noisy for our liking. The Camden is relatively close to the venue (0.7 m/1.2 Km)  and has most of the amenities that we want. It has a restaurant/bar on site, so we won't have to wander stumble too far to get back to our rooms. The Spa was definitely something that caught the wife's eye.  The price is not cheap in my McPesos, but it's not the most expensive by any stretch.

If you have not made your reservations yet and would like to try to exercise some "group buying power", please respond ASAP.  I will be contacting the hotel in the next week and will definitely have my room reserved by this time next week.

Update:  In case you are wondering, I am expecting to ask for a group rate for Tues, We, Thurs, and Fri night stays.  If more people are planning on arriving earlier or staying later, I will add days to the request to the hotel accordingly.

If you are planning on going to ILUG 2008 in June, I have started a Google Map that allows you to see the location of hotels in relation to the Griffith Conference Center. This is a REALLY important piece of information, as Colette and I learned last year. It will definitely help you cut down on the miles you need to walk. If you would like to add a hotel or B&B to the map, please let me know.

I have been reading Steve's Guides to Irish Idiom in preparation for returning to ILUG this year.  Aside from meeting back up with the crew of misfits that always seem to be at these events, one of the things I am most looking forward to getting my hands on is a Kopparberg Pear Cider.  Being the foo-foo drinker that I am, I am not able to really stomach trying to get pissed off of pints of Guinness.  Now, if you keep feeding me these, I might even be willing to join Steve in a little Bushmills.  At the very least, I think I'd be willing to do an encore of Paradise by the Dashboard Light.

Get your seat while they are still available!  Colette and I will be making the trip across the pond again this year.  At least I don't have to worry about trying to get our passports renewed.

Well, now that Lotusphere 2008 is in the past, the turrets get set on ILUG2008. Our first meeting of the year was last night (we are careful what we say in front of Duffbert these days) but decisions were made and registration will be opening soon. But first things first, if you want to speak at ILUG 2008, now is the time to tell us. There is an email address to use:
speakers@ilug2008.org

Send me an abstract for a session you would like to present. The only condition we have is that it is reasonably funky.... We try to keep clear of strategic sessions as much as possible. If you have an idea for a cool session, jot it down and send it to us asap!. Remember:

1. Suits on speakers is just wrong at ILUG
2. This is a user group - informality is the key
3. Bad language is welcomed, and sometimes encouraged ;)
4. Session length is an hour.

We will be doing speedgeeking, but not working on that just yet.