Post: #1

OK, we've all heard the stories about jacked up shit at tech conferences. I'm thinking about how to flip the script. My employer is offering to send me to a conference next year. Restrictions:

1. Mainland US
2. Has to be software-related

Any fellow tech industry guys have an opinion on a good scene for a conference? As in something that women might attend that a guy might want to socialize with. I'm thinking something more design or management oriented, probably in an attractive location (SoCal, Florida, AZ?). Anybody have any tech industry conference experience that was not stereotypical sausage-fest/troll fest?

Post: #2

So-Cal, Palm Desert, or San Diego/La Jolla
So-Cal is perfect for nightlife
San Diego has a chill vibe to it
La Jolla is basically upscale part of San Diego
Palm Desert is a quiet place but luxurious

http://www.manchestergrand.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html
Very nice place

http://www.hiltonlajollatorreypines.com/
Also nice

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ct...t-and-spa/
Cool hotel, you go around the resort in a boat. Plus they have peacocks.

http://www.luxehotels.com/luxecitycenter
Newer hotel

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/la...s-la-live/
NICEST hotel around L.A., insane nightlife

Post: #3

Palm desert j.w. marriott is an absolute goldmine for bachelorette parties in the spring/early summer. They have Saturday pool parties and the ratios are so in your favor....more so than Vegas.

Guards way down, really weak competition and there's an attached nightclub on the property. The downside is there's nothing else around.

Post: #4

(10-07-2013 11:32 PM)PartyonBro Wrote:  Palm desert j.w. marriott is an absolute goldmine for bachelorette parties in the spring/early summer. They have Saturday pool parties and the ratios are so in your favor....more so than Vegas.

Guards way down, really weak competition and there's an attached nightclub on the property. The downside is there's nothing else around.

You could go to Palm Springs at night, it's kinda nice at night in some places. Not crazy turned-up like L.A. or Vegas, but chill in a low-key way. You could probably game like crazy too, since everyone is drunk because there's nothing else to do!

Post: #5

A conference on "social media" or marketing related to it is going to have more females than the usual tech conferences.

San Diego and Vegas are popular conference cities. With San Diego, the convention center is right across the street from the gaslamp district. The convention center is huge, so you may find 2-3 other conferences going on at the same time and can bump into those people afterwards. Usually the convention center website will list the conferences already booked.

Vegas has a big convention center, but many hotels are also equipped to host a conference. At least with Vegas, the streets will be filled with plenty of non-conference folks.

Post: #6

Palm Springs is mainly gay dudes. Viceroy during the day is good as is the Parker. Really weird vibe in downtown Palm Springs.

Costas at the j.w. Def the best bet, it's as easy as you can get

Post: #7

Personally, I prefer San Diego over Vegas. Vegas just seems too crazy for my taste, and it gets ratchet in parts. Gaslamp is extremely fun at night, and if you want to take a girl out for dinner with no hustle and bustle, you could take her to Old Town.

Post: #8

Social Media Week LA or Silicon Beach fest are good bets. Social media week just wrapped up, lots of Santa Monica parties and more girls and less techy.

They have parties every night of the week and you don't have to be that connected to get in. I went to one party for social media week and it was pretty easy to socialize.