3 things I will be doing in San Francisco before JavaOne

Later this week IDR Solutions will be attending JavaOne. However although the conference officially begins on 18th September, we will be arriving early in San Francisco to make the most of our time there. Here are 3 things I will be doing before the conference gets under way:

1. Sight-Seeing

This will not only be my first time at JavaOne, it will also be my first time ever visiting the USA. San Francisco is famed for its great food, diverse culture, music and arts scene and much more. There is an enormous range of activities to do so there’s something for everyone. Aside from catching my first glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge, I’m personally looking forward to visiting Alcatraz and Angel Island. Anyone interested in checking this out should make sure they book well in advance as it can get booked up very quickly. For those with interests in good food, shopping, museums and wildlife, make sure you head down to Fisherman’s Wharf.

2. Experiencing the festivals

There is always some sort of festival going on in San Francisco, and September is a particularly great month for experiencing them. Here are just a small selection:

• The Fringe Festival – For those with an interest in the theatre
• A Taste of Greece – One of many food festivals this month
• Sunset Community Festival – A live music festival
• San Francisco Improv Festival – If you want to see some live comedy
• Northern California International Dragon Boat Festival – A boat racing festival, something a bit different

3. Attending the NetBeans Party

Before kicking off the conference with NetBeans Day, I will be attending the NetBeans party on 17th September along with my colleagues Mark and Zain. I am looking forward to speaking to the rest of the community, and on the next day there is always the possibility of meeting James Gosling as he will be doing a talk on 18th September. If you will be at either the NetBeans party or NetBeans Community Day make sure to say hello to us there.

And after all that, it will be time to get stuck into the conference. If you have some spare time before it begins hopefully some of the above activities will be of interest to you.

Don’t forget if you are coming to JavaOne come and see us as we will be at stand 5710.