FME User Conference – day 1
Day one of the FME User Conference brought us, as always, the big Don and Dale introduction. I never thought I’d hear AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” at a conference, but they managed to do so. As usual, their introduction once again proves that Safe is a fun company to work at (or, in my case, do business with).
The keynote, delivered by James Fee, touched upon some interesting concepts on how data is being managed and distributed nowadays. One of his main points was that it’s not just about publishing the data, but also about your potential users being able to find it.
The presentations, 2 tracks, covered a wide range of subjects, though it’s surprising to see a very high proportion of FME Server related presentations being done. For me the highlight was Brendan Cunningham of Kilkenny County Council in Ireland, who talked about a SMS notification system powered by FME. My own presentation, about a current project where I have to combine Dutch and Belgian data into one coherent set was well-received and I’m pretty pleased with how it went.
In the afternoon it was time for FME Idol and FMEopardy (an FME version of jeopardy), which once again were great fun to laugh. The day was ended with the conference social up in the Roundhouse Lodge at Whistler Blackcomb Mountain (not a bad place to be, to be honest).
