I always love it when I have a reason to get back to the US. This time I am in New York City for Open Text’s Content Day event. In fact, it’s my fourth Content Day event. I wouldn’t be surprised if I have attended more of these events than anyone else in the world. First there was the Content Day in Sydney, Australia. A few days later it was the event in Singapore. Then last month it was London in the UK. These events have been nothing short of amazing.

Before Open Text bought out Captaris, we had thought of replacing our big International Partner Conference with smaller local events. Then we had new owners and they were doing the same thing. But the turnout they get is incredible. When we did a roadshow with AIIM in Johannesburg, South Africa, we were pretty happy when about 40 or so people showed up. My first Content Day saw about 100 people. I was amazed, but wondered if it may have been just a fluke.

Perhaps it was; the Singapore event 3 days later had closer to 200. London was so big they had to rent out facilities at a major Rugby stadium at Twickenham. I don’t think we will see the same numbers in New York, but its definitely going to be better than what Captaris alone would have seen there.

My role at this event, like the other locations is fairly significant. The schedule is a bit wierd, but I will be doing an Introduction to Fax over IP, an Overview of Development Topics with Alchemy, and a look at RightFax Under the Covers. I would love to be doing more topics on what was Captaris Workflow, especially now that the product’s future is secure, but this show isn’t going to have a large dev crowd. The only reason I am doing a dev session on Alchemy is that it introduces the audience to new ways the product can be used and implemented with minimal effort.

This is the first time I have delivered any content for Open Text in the US since a RightFax class I did for a Japanese bank in New York a year or so ago. Its pretty exciting to be back in Manhattan again. I lived here for about 3 years right out of college until I moved to Silicon Valley in 1995. My hotel is fairly close to my first apartment there and I am looking forward to spending a few evenings wandering the streets of my old neighborhoods. I wonder if some of my favorite restaurants are still in business. There are some that shouldn’t have changed, but others were small then so who knows. I don’t think there is enough time for them all: Katz’s Deli, Baby Jakes, and Two Boots Pizza around where my apartment on 3rd and A was; Chat ‘n Chew and some dive bars in the Grammercy Park/Union Square areas; and a few of those sidewalk cafes near Lincoln Center.

I hope to also make a trip to that heaven of photo shops: B & H Photo and Video. Ahhh, I love that place. I want to pick up a D700 soon, but the its actually not much cheaper there than it is in Europe so I would rather get it at home to avoid the problems that come up when repairing US-bought high-end electronics from Europe. I may find some other stuff there though that I want. 

I will be busy enough though just with everything I need to do for the event. Will you be there? Wait, what am I asking…I haven’t posted here for so long, there probably isn’t anyone reading anymore…