When looking to learn
more about SharePoint, one has many options. Some free, some not free. Some are
public, some are on your own. What I want to compare in this post are those options
that involve attending large conferences and the more intimate, on-site or online
training. Since these cost money – the risk is higher for attendees, and is worth
comparing. Before I begin though – I must disclaim the obvious. This write-up is
heavy in opinion, and light on fact. However, I will say I have been to and presented
at large conferences, as well as taught at a SharePoint training company (Mindsharp)
for several years as well, so I feel my opinion is based with some experience…
Whether you're an Administrator,
Developer, or an End user – I believe both conferences and training are equally
beneficial because they both have options for each type of SharePoint professional.
On the other hand, if you're a newbie, intermediate, or a SharePoint expert – there
are big differences that should be studied. Let's look that this aspect first:
SharePoint Newbie
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Large Conference
Strengths
- Broad range of topics, but you
won't have a foundation to build them on.
Weaknesses
- For a newbie – workshops are
a MUST, so make sure your conference has some workshops you can attend
- Fast paced
- Gotta take notes!
|
On-site or Online Training
Strengths
- Instructor lead – you get to
follow along with the instructor
- If you don't get it, you have
more opportunities for help.
- Can tailor the class to fit
your unique business's needs
- Courseware – you get to take
something home with you, more than just a slide deck.
Weaknesses
- Other students may slow you
down.
- May get into topics you don't
care about, and you can't help but sit through them (boredom).
|
Phil's recommendation for a
newbie:
- For developers: If you're an OK .NET developer,
go to the SPTechCon conference – it's the best
of both worlds. If you're not confident in your .NET skills, take a 5-day SharePoint
development training course because you're going to need more hands on help.
- For IT Professionals: 5 day training course
- For Power End Users: 2 or 3 day training course
Intermediate Experience
|
Large Conference
Strengths
- Broad range of topics
- You can "cherry pick"
topics that you care about, and pass up ones you don't
- Workshops still give you the
opportunity to go deep on an area of particular interest.
- Less expensive
Weaknesses
|
On-site or Online Training
Strengths
Weaknesses
- Strong chance course may feel
slow…
- More expensive…
|
Phil's recommendation for someone
with Intermediate experience:
- For Developers: Conference
- For IT Professionals: Toss up – but leans Conference
- For Power End Users: Toss up – but leans Conference
SharePoint Expert
|
Large Conference
Strengths
- There's always something you
can learn at these conferences
- Biggest names in the community
flock to these conferences, and you can usually pull them aside to exchange your
deepest questions…
- More "social" and
networking opportunities
Weaknesses
|
On-site or Online Training
Strengths
Weaknesses
- Most likely will not provide
value – exception maybe a 2010 beta course, if you don't feel like digging into
the new features yourself…
|
Phil's recommendation for a
SharePoint expert:
- For Developers: Conference
- For IT Professionals: Conference
- For Power End Users: Conference
Training Companies Compared
I'm actually not going
to go here for 2 reasons: 1) there are so many training companies I couldn't do
it if I wanted to, and 2) since I previously worked for
Mindsharp as a trainer, it would be glaringly biased
J. I recommend checking out
sharepointreviews.com if you want to compare training companies.
However, I will say make sure you
know who your trainer is. When you go to a training company – no matter which training
company it is, 75% of what you're purchasing is in the person themselves, and their
experience and teaching skills. Secondly, the other 25% is the courseware. Make
sure to see samples of the courseware before you purchase because this is what you'll
take back home with you and will reference later when you forget something. If the
courseware is bad, even if the instructor is Bill Gates himself – don't go for it!
A 5 day training course is a serious cramming session – you won't remember it all!
Upcoming SharePoint Conferences Compared
There are 4 major SharePoint conferences
a year (TechEd excluded), and each conference has its unique strengths and weaknesses.
Take a look:
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Oct. 19-22, 2009
Best For: 2010
early adopters
Price: $1,199
SharePoint Sessions:
250+?
Strengths
- By far the best place to get
info for the next version of SharePoint, aka SharePoint 2010
- Going to be the largest conference,
both in number of registrants and session options
- Xbox availability!
J
Weaknesses
- If you're not an early adopter
of 2010, you may not get as much return on your investment out of this conference
as the others…
No workshops I was wrong about this (didn't see it on the web site at first)
|
Feb. 10-12, 2010
Best For: people
who want a little bit of everything
Price (early bird):
$1,045 (full pass), $895 (75 min sessions only), $595 (workshops only)
SharePoint Sessions:
71
Strengths
- Great format – for a reasonable
price ($1,045) you can choose between 75 minute, 3 hour, and full day sessions,
giving you the ability to go deep or go broad, or in between.
- Because of the price, this conference
is the best "blend" of the training and conference atmospheres. It's the
best of both worlds you could say…
Weaknesses
|
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Aug. 24-26, 2009
Best For: Big picture
people, administrators, managers, CIOs, etc.
Price: $1,295
SharePoint Sessions:
33 (plus 9 more "sponsored" sessions by vendors)
Strengths
- If you're an architect or a
manager, this conference is a great option because it's solely focused on "why",
rather than "how-to". If your goal is to know the "big picture",
this conference is for you.
- Great for practical advice on
how to do things "the right way", especially if you haven't yet implemented
SharePoint yet.
Weaknesses
- Less SharePoint specific session
options since the conference is split across SQL and SharePoint themes.
- No workshops
|
Nov. 9-12, 2009
Best For: people
who need training across multiple technologies
Price (early bird):
$1,495 + more to attend workshops ($399 full day, $199 half day)
SharePoint Sessions:
51
Strengths
- If SharePoint isn't all you
care about, this is your best option. You can choose between tracks from ASP.NET,
SQL, SharePoint, Visual Studio, and Architecture (may also it's weakness)
Weaknesses
- Less SharePoint specific session
options since the conference is split across 5 different development themes (may
also be its strength).
- Half as many workshops as SPTechCon
-
$$$ - Most expensive
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Conclusion: Conference or Training, which is better?
Phil's answer - neither. It depends on what you're trying to get out of it.
Cheers!
Phil
(and as an FYI, I'll be speaking
at the SPTechCon. For details:
http://philwicklund.com/archive/2009/08/17/speaking-at-the-sharepoint-technology-conference.aspx)