It's almost that time again, folks! That grand "call to Geek Mecca" for all of the devout Loti, where we all head South (generally ;) ) instead of East - of course I'm talking about the greatest conference of all, Lotusphere 2010. Once again Lotusphere should be the best one ever, and I think everyone will be exceptionally pleased with the content this year.

Now I know many of you may have been wondering if I was going to be involved in Lotusphere this year, since I had "gone dark" for so long in the community. Well, I am happy to report that the Content Team, and most notably Kristin Keene, has welcomed me back with open arms. I have resumed my role as "Best Practices Track Consultant" with the Best Practices track manager - and this year, it is someone new! You may remember that last year Mac Guidera and I worked together to prepare the Best Practices track; it was a joy to work with Mac, as he is an old friend and we both had a fun, albeit hectic, time. Well, this year Mac is just too busy to be able to work on Lotusphere, especially at the level of commitment that is needed to do it effectively and successfully; so Mac recommended another superstar to take the reins, and that superstar is: (drumroll please)

Jelan Heidelberg!

Jelan is the IBM Offering Manager for Lotus Team Collaboration and Document Services. She works closely with Mac, and has a good grasp of this community and the things it's looking for in the Best Practices track. I can tell you that she picked up on all of the quirks and nuances of the Best Practices track immediately, and she's been so effective that we've both been able to truly concentrate on putting the best content forward, without the hindrance of climbing a learning curve.

We had a record number of submissions again for the Best Practices track; we had so many, in fact, that we were only able to select one out of every ten sessions for inclusion in the track. The bad part of this is that it was very difficult to pick the top 10%, since the quality of the submissions was so outstanding. And because of the exceptional quality of the content in the Best Practices track, I decided to change one thing regarding my involvement in Lotusphere this year. I have decided to take a year off from speaking - so, unless something unforeseen happens at the last minute, I won't be giving a session in any track at Lotusphere this year. BUT... (you knew there had to be a "but", didn't you?)

I will still be visible and involved. This year I have the honor and privilege of reprising my hosting duties for SpeedGeeking, JamFest, and GURUpalooza. I may also be involved in Lotusphere Idol, but we'll just have to wait and see on that one . Also, you should still feel free to approach me, Jelan, or any other member of the content team if you have any questions, comments, or concerns - and hopefully I can introduce you to Jelan as well!

So go ahead and get your comfortable walking shoes broken in, don't forget to pack a light jacket and/or sweater, and make sure your laptop is charged - and we'll see you again at LOTUSPHERE 2010!!

Rock