Trip to Sydney - Day Two (Tuesday 1 February)
This was the first day of the actual conference. Information Online is held every two years and always in Sydney.
I never get to attend a huge amount of the program because I'm an odd kind of attendee, I see what I can, but I'm also there to interact with our vendors in the trade exhibition. It's what my job is all about really, finding out about new resources, ordering and setting them up etc so I need to know my vendors reps well. This time around I missed out on a lot of the program, I did much better when I was here two years ago.
I did attend the Keynote session though, along with my UniSA colleagues. It's a bit sad that this first initial presentation was as bad as it was, it didn't set a good tone for the rest of the program. Particularly as this was one of the few bits that I got to see!
I spent a lot of time in the Exhibition, I had fleeting contact with most of the people I wanted to talk to, the next few days would bring more detailed conversations, demonstrations and the like.
We didn't stay for the Welcome Drinks on this day because we had to run back to our apartment and get ready for the big night ahead. During this week in Sydney it was very hot and also very humid. It was very uncomfortable, especially when trying to rush from A to B.
We had to be at Circular Quay no later than 6.15pm to catch our boat. Naturally there was a traffic jam and we arrived at 6.30pm - just scraped in. Robert Stafford was late so they booked him a Water taxi and he met with us partway around the harbour while we cruised. Amazing.
We cruised the harbour, saw the sights and had a great time. The band played, the sparkling wine flowed, the nibbles were conveyed from deck to deck. ProQuest really know how to put on a show! Nicest chicken sandwiches I've ever had - most definitely.
Eventually we arrived at our destination - Fort Denison. I have wanted to go to Fort Denison for as long as I can remember, so I was really looking forward to it! Bit of fun disembarking from the boat as there were some rough seas. Just as I went to step on to the gangplank, it slipped off the Fort end. Took all I could to actually step on it again, I can tell you!
We went up some stairs and had canapes and pre-dinner drinks next to the old gun emplacements before coming back down to the marquee and dinner.
Later we went on a tour of the tower itself - amazing stuff!
After the tour I rang Tonto and also Mum to talk to them from Fort Denison but then I became really sad. Dad would have loved coming here himself, and he would also have loved to hear about me being here. I had a moment of complete and utter loss. I just wanted to go home.
After a while we then got back on the boat and headed back to Circular Quay. A taxi ride home and bed at 2am. Took a long time to get to sleep that night. Even though I got a little bit sad, it really was an amazing experience and a wonderful night - a memory to treasure.
I never get to attend a huge amount of the program because I'm an odd kind of attendee, I see what I can, but I'm also there to interact with our vendors in the trade exhibition. It's what my job is all about really, finding out about new resources, ordering and setting them up etc so I need to know my vendors reps well. This time around I missed out on a lot of the program, I did much better when I was here two years ago.
I did attend the Keynote session though, along with my UniSA colleagues. It's a bit sad that this first initial presentation was as bad as it was, it didn't set a good tone for the rest of the program. Particularly as this was one of the few bits that I got to see!
I spent a lot of time in the Exhibition, I had fleeting contact with most of the people I wanted to talk to, the next few days would bring more detailed conversations, demonstrations and the like.
We didn't stay for the Welcome Drinks on this day because we had to run back to our apartment and get ready for the big night ahead. During this week in Sydney it was very hot and also very humid. It was very uncomfortable, especially when trying to rush from A to B.
We had to be at Circular Quay no later than 6.15pm to catch our boat. Naturally there was a traffic jam and we arrived at 6.30pm - just scraped in. Robert Stafford was late so they booked him a Water taxi and he met with us partway around the harbour while we cruised. Amazing.
We cruised the harbour, saw the sights and had a great time. The band played, the sparkling wine flowed, the nibbles were conveyed from deck to deck. ProQuest really know how to put on a show! Nicest chicken sandwiches I've ever had - most definitely.
Eventually we arrived at our destination - Fort Denison. I have wanted to go to Fort Denison for as long as I can remember, so I was really looking forward to it! Bit of fun disembarking from the boat as there were some rough seas. Just as I went to step on to the gangplank, it slipped off the Fort end. Took all I could to actually step on it again, I can tell you!
We went up some stairs and had canapes and pre-dinner drinks next to the old gun emplacements before coming back down to the marquee and dinner.
Later we went on a tour of the tower itself - amazing stuff!
After the tour I rang Tonto and also Mum to talk to them from Fort Denison but then I became really sad. Dad would have loved coming here himself, and he would also have loved to hear about me being here. I had a moment of complete and utter loss. I just wanted to go home.
After a while we then got back on the boat and headed back to Circular Quay. A taxi ride home and bed at 2am. Took a long time to get to sleep that night. Even though I got a little bit sad, it really was an amazing experience and a wonderful night - a memory to treasure.