Photoshop World Preview From a Veteran

Hi, I’m Janine Smith, a writer and photographer in Los Angeles. I’m one of the guest bloggers helping Nancy out this year on the Photoshop World Blog. This is my third year attending Photoshop World, so I’ll be giving you some tips from an attendee’s point of view.

It’s coming up soon, and there are a few things you can do now to make your experience most enjoyable.  Robert Vanelli has written an excellent guide to enjoying the conference, so there’s one place to start. Here are my tips.

1. CHECK YOUR GEAR

This is the time to make sure you have (or buy) everything you’ll need. You don’t have to use a camera at all while you’re  in Vegas, but most of us will at some point. If you’re attending a preconference or photowalk or something else where you’ll be shooting, make sure you have all the photography gear you’ll need. Extra batteries, memory cards–all the usual stuff.

Also start thinking about your clothing. Comfortable shoes are a must. The Mandalay Bay Resort is huge, it’s a long walk just from your room to the conference center. We’re indoors in the air conditioning all the time, but you might want to take a stroll by the pool. Also, the conference rooms vary in temperature throughout the day. So dress in layers or bring a light jacket to tuck  in your bag.

2. GET YOUR CONTACTS READY

Often overheard at Photoshop World (sometimes the first day!): “I ran out of business cards.”  You’re going to meet several thousand people with the same interests you have–this is a fantastic time to make new friends.  I’ll be handing out my MOO minicards–these are half-size business cards with your contact information on one side, and your images on the other. Yes, I said your images, because you can upload up to 100 different images, and have a different one on every card. What better way to show off your photos? MOO minicards are $19.99/100 and they come in a nice little white plastic box. Of course you can buy or print your own cards, just be sure to bring a lot. One tip: when you get a card from someone, write on the back where you met them and anything else you want to remember about them.

3. START THINKING OUTSIDE THE CONFERENCE

You’re going to be so busy, you might never leave the hotel. But if you booked a little extra time, or you’re travelling with someone who won’t be attending, you might want to plan some other entertainment. While we’re at the Mandalay Bay, the Lion King and the giant tattoo show are playing there.  Get there a few days early, and you can see Britney Spears. But, of course, there’s a lot to do elsewhere in town.  The Cirque du Soleil shows are very popular. I absolutely loved learning to fly at the Indoor Skydiving School. Check out Las Vegas Events and order your tickets now.

4. START THINKING ABOUT YOUR CLASSES

One thing I promise you–you won’t get to do everything you want at Photoshop World. There’s just too much at the Conference, and then there’s the Expo, which is bigger and better this year. It will help you if you have a plan to get the classes/events you want most. I recommend Dave Cross’ excellent PDF planner. You can pick your first and second choice classes for each time slot. You’ll probably change your mind later, but at least you’ll have a plan to start with. If you find two classes at the same time you absolutely have to take, hop on over to Kelby Training. Some of the Photoshop World instructors also have classes up at Kelby Training–you might be able to avoid a conflict and take one class online later. This is also a great place to see the instructors in action. Kelby Training costs only $24.95/month ($17.95 for NAPP members) for unlimited classes.

4. RELAX AND GET READY FOR AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE

Once you get there, you’ll have the time of your life. The staff works very hard to make your experience wonderful. You’ll make friends, have fun, and learn as much as you can cram into your brain.  I look forward to seeing you there!

Janine Smith is a writer and photographer in Los Angeles. She is @JanineSmith on Twitter and http://janinesmith.com on the web.

PSW Photowalk Updates

If you’re into Photowalking, there are three awesome Photo Walks being planned for Photoshop World Vegas. Here are the details:

Peachpit’s ‘Neon in your Neighborhood’

Win a chance to go on a special Photowalk on October 2 with a bevvy of Peachpit authors (including our own Matt Kloskowski!) Just upload a photo of some “Neon in your Neighborhood” to the contest Flickr group and you could be whisked away to Vegas’ famous Neon Museum Boneyard for a special photo walk!

Full details here.

Late Night Photowalk in Vegas

Photoshop World Guest Blogger, Ed Pflager will be leading a late-night walk on Friday night. Here’s what he had to say:

Vegas is the city that never sleeps, and we’re going to prove it with a late night Photowalk at Photoshop World in Vegas. We’ll start at the Tram station on the Casino level of the Mandalay Bay, near the House of Blues at 12:15AM right after Midnight Madness on Friday evening/Saturday morning and (hopefully) finishing up back in the lobby around 3AM. Be sure to wear your walking shoes and bring a monopod or tripod if you have one.

We’ll be walking the strip, seeing the some of the most famous casinos in the world and the people out and about in the wee hours. We’ll check out the MGM Grand’s Lion statue, the Paris Casino’s Eiffel Tower and Arch de Triumphe, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge at New York, New York, and the Sphinx at the Luxor and much more.

Background Info:
I led the Toledo, Ohio walk as part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk in July and Melanie Alexander who lead the Vegas leg of the WWPW should be joining us as well. If you’re attending PSW and would like to come be a part of the walk, just tweet me on Twitter (@edpflager) or send an email to ‘me[at]edpflager[dot]com’. Updates and more information will be posted on my website.

Photocredit: Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA

Pre-Con Photo Walk

For those of you who will be arriving in Vegas on Pre-con Day (September 30th) but are not scheduled for a Photoshop World Pre-con, Terry Reinert (another Photoshop World Guest Blogger) is holding a Photowalk at 4pm.

This walk will meet in the lobby at Mandalay Bay and it looks like there’s even some prizes involved. All the details to sign up can be found on Terry’s blog.

Photocredit: Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA

If you do the Pre-con day photo walk, you should be back in plenty of time to join us for the Photoshop World TweetUp at the House of Blues at 8pm too. =)

See you in Vegas!!

Pre-Game Warm Up

Hear that sound? The stadium is filling up and Photoshop Fans are doing “the wave.” Welcome to the NAPP Bowl aka: Photoshop World – The Western Conference, aka: The Official Conference of NAPP! As you probably already know, this year’s theme is football and on October 1^st, Photoshop World officially kicks off with the “Adobe Halftime Report” (Keynote Presentation) featuring Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, and Dave Cross.

If this is your first Photoshop World experience, prepare yourself. The Keynote is a truly outrageous event that sets the tone for three days of the most intense Photoshop and photography learning experience on the planet!

Not only will you be wildly entertained by the stage and video show NAPP puts on for the audience, but this is also when our Keynote Speaker, John Loiacono – senior vice president and general manager of the Adobe Creative Solutions Business Unit, lets the audience in on the absolute latest news from Adobe. Yep! You read that right. Whatever Adobe has up its sleeves breaks at Photoshop World first!

After the Keynote, prepare yourself for the most mind-blowing three-day learning adventure you’ve ever experienced. Yes, you will feel like your head is going to explode. Yes, you will be exhausted. Yes, you will meet some amazing people and have a blast. And yes, you will retain it all with the help of your 800+ page “Playbook.”

A word of advice: As soon as you get your Photoshop World “Playbook,” turn to the back and rip out all the feedback forms so you can take them with you to your classes and not have to lug your book with you. You’ll want those feedback forms so you can give us your thoughts on every class… Yes. We DO read every single one!

You’ll also need the largest feedback form for the Closing Ceremony. Why you ask? Because that feedback form is also your “lottery ticket” to a slew of prizes from the Photoshop World vendors and sponsors that we give away like crazy at the end of the conference. The Closing Ceremony is also when we look back at all the fun and excitement that was captured by our video crew during PSW. How these guys manage to pull it off is a total mystery but it’s a “must see” for sure. Not only that but many of our instructors from the most popular classes of the Conference will take the stage one more time to drive home that last bit of learning or to inspire your creativity. Think of it as our parting gift.

On a final note, we just want to say that the team of people behind NAPP is also the same team that you’ll wind up meeting in the halls of PSW pointing out directions with giant foam fingers, or introducing instructors at the start of classes, or working the info booths. Photoshop World is the only time that we get to step out from behind our computers and actually meet the people we do this for… you.  That’s why we work so hard to get you to join us there. Photoshop World truly IS the most amazing Photoshop and photography learning experience there is. We know this because we get to experience it too and we hear it from every attendee we meet.

See you in Vegas!

PS: As a special bonus, you can still save $50 on your Photoshop World registration by using the code PW09-ADPM when you call 800-738-8513 or register online! https://www.photoshopworld.com/register.html We understand that budgets are tight, so we will be leaving this offer open until September 29.

Win a Ticket to PSW! Make me a "Twibbon!"

Part of being on Twitter is showing your support for a cause. I was looking at a site a few minutes ago called “Twibbon” that allows you to upload overlays for your Twitter avatar for various causes when I had a brilliant idea…

Now, I know that Photoshop world is not a cause, but I also noticed that not all the Twibbons I see are for causes too so, before you get all mad at me… well, just don’t. This is a good idea. =)

One of my problems during Photoshop World is that my “noise” level skyrockets b/c there is just so much to tweet about. It gets hard to keep on explaining it to everyone in the Twitterverse as well. Plus, I’ll bet that everyone else who goes to Photoshop World raises their “noise” level too… Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a fast way to tell the Twitterverse what we’re up to?

So here’s the deal. I want YOU guys to make me a #PSW “Twibbon.” I’m going to put a few “rules” below but I want you to get creative too… and put your “Marketing” caps on while you’re at it. We’re gonna do this fast b/c the early bird deadline is coming up soon so here’s the deal:

1. Go to Twibbon.com to see the requirements they specify for making a Twibbon.
2. DO NOT UPLOAD YOUR ENTRY THERE!!!
3. Instead, follow the guidelines, make me a Twibbon, and post it to whatever photo share site you use (Flickr, Photobucket, NAPP portfolio, etc.)
4. Post a link to your entry on this blog along with a link to your Twitter account. You can also email it to PSWblog[at]KelbyMediaGroup[dot]com starting tomorrow. We’re getting it set up right now. =)
5. On Friday, when I get into work and get settled, I’ll pick a winner, post it to Twibbons, and announce the winner on this blog and on Twitter.
6. The winner gets one (1) Ticket to Photoshop World!!
7. If the winner is already registered for PSW Vegas, he/she may use this free pass for either PSW in 2010.
8. Hotel & Airfare is still up to you so you can defer your ticket to 2010 PSw if you can’t get the last-minute funds going.
9. Can I get a W00T?!?!

Some things to consider when designing your Twibbon:

1. Is has to be visible on just about every avatar no matter if that avatar is light or dark.
2. You CAN use the Photoshop World Logo.
3. Since PSW is an Adobe sponsored event, unless we hear different, you CAN use the Adobe Logo… BUT YOU MUST PUT THE PROPER TRADEMARK ATTRIBUTIONS ON IT! Also, you cannot alter their logo in any way!
4. This Twibbon needs to let the Twitterverse know where you are going. Please consider having the following on there:
   1. The #PSW Hash Tag
   2. The Dates: Oct. 1-3
5. I want people to be able to use this Twibbon almost like an “away” message on their Avatar’s too so when they Tweet from #PSW everyone will automatically get the context.
6. No Twhining!!! We’re just trying to have some fun here folks.

Ok… I guess that’s it. Please put any questions you have here and get designing!

See you in Vegas!

Guest Blog: Choosing Classes at PSW

As Photoshop World draws ever closer, I am beginning to introduce some guest bloggers to the site who will be helping me cover the event. Today’s post comes courtesy of Terry Reinert, (aka: @TKRphoto) NAPP member, photographer, assistant to @Vanelli, and all-around good guy.

Take it away Terry!

Choosing Classes at Photoshop World

The sounds of typing and clicking drift softly through the office convincing your manager that you are hard at work. Yeah, right. The loud “WOO HOO!” gave you away… you weren’t working; you were registering for Photoshop World! After getting that “get back to work” look from your boss, you settle back down at your computer but work is the furthest thing from your mind. Why is that, you ask? Because you are way too excited and want to pick the classes you are going to attend at the conference. The list of classes is massive… how the heck do you weed through it and pick the ones that will be the best for you? That is where this blog post comes in… I am going to give you some tips to think about as you go through the class list to help you streamline your class attending activities.

One of the nice things about Photoshop World is that you do not have to sign up for classes prior to or at the event. You just show up at the room the course is being given in and grab a seat. So what is the big deal about picking classes now? Well, to have a plan so you know where to go for each time block instead of standing in the hallway trying to figure it out and then showing up late to the class you finally decide on. Not only that, but with a little pre-planning you can maximize your learning. You’ll see what I mean shortly…

Terry's "boss" doin' his thang @ PSW

Your Photoshop World registration includes the conference workbook that has all of the detailed notes supplied by the instructors with screen captures and graphics that follow along with EVERY class that is taught at Photoshop World. The workbook is amazing… I still reference the workbook I got from the Orlando 2008 Photoshop World as well as a few prior conference workbooks I jacked from Vanelli when he wasn’t looking. Terry 1, Vanelli 0. WOO HOO! Anyway, the workbook allows you to get the knowledge from every class even though you can only take a fraction of the classes; you’re not a quantum particle, sorry. Everyone got your assigned pocket protectors on? Great, let’s continue…

All the classes at Photoshop World are grouped into tracks based on the content of the course. The tracks offered at the upcoming Photoshop World are General Photoshop, Photoshop 101, Design, Photoshop Fixes, Productivity, Lightroom, Techniques, Creative Suites, Creativity, Photography, General Photoshop, Motion Graphics, Digital Photography, and Print/Prepress. It is important to note that you do not have to pick a track and stick with it; you can take classes in any track without fear of Photoshop World Security showing up. You don’t want that to happen… you’ll have to get a new cell phone number shortly thereafter.

Ok, I think its time to layout those tips for picking classes that I mentioned…

• Pick one primary class and at least one secondary class for each time slot.  You will probably run into a few cases where you want to attend multiple classes offered at the same time.  So have a backup plan in case you want to change your mind at the last minute.
• If you are attending Photoshop World with a friend then coordinate your class picks with them. My wife is a killer artist and also attends Photoshop World. I tend to take the classes offered under the Photography, Digital Photography, and Photoshop tracks. She goes with the Creativity and Design track courses. After the conference we go through the lesson plans in the workbook and explain to each other what we learned.
• If you are attending Photoshop World alone then network, make some friends, and then refer to #2 on the list explained above! Need help networking? Read my post about how to network effectively at Photoshop World conferences here.

• Keep an eye on the Photoshop World website in case any changes are made to the schedule so you are prepared instead of looking like a space cadet trying to find a class that no longer exists at the conference.

• Same as the above… when you get to the conference on the first day, look over the schedule boards or talk to one of the NAPP support guru’s to get the latest information. Wait… maybe I shouldn’t recommend that… after a few hundred people ask them about the schedule based on my recommendation they are probably going to sick Photoshop World security on me… and he already has my cell phone number!!! DOH! (Editor’s Note: Any last-minute changes to the schedule will be announced by the PSW moderators before each class. Other than that, please assume all info on the schedule boards is correct…. We will sic security on Terry if our staff is mobbed based on this post. ;D)

Use the PDF class picker utility that NAPP usually puts out before the conference. I believe Dave Cross is the one that puts it together. I didn’t see a link to it on the site as of the writing of this article so keep an eye out for it in the future if they do release another one. It is a good way to stay organized instead of having to create your own spreadsheet (for you engineering types) or scribbling on napkins (for you Joe McNally types). (Editor’s Note: Yes. Dave Cross creates a PDF to help you pick your classes. It should be available soon. Keep checking the PSW blog for links.)

Don’t forget the free classes on the Expo floor! They are given during the breaks in conference classes so that it is easy for everyone to attend. Just because they are on the Expo floor and free doesn’t mean they don’t contain great info! Get there early so you get a seat near the front.

Monitor the official conference hash tag (#PSW) search page on Twitter. If you see a tweet from someone saying they attended a class that you wanted to go to then contact them. Meet them at the conference or set up a time to call, email, or IM so you can trade notes. (Ed. Note: GREAT IDEA!!!)

And now for some reference material…

Class Schedule on PSW Website.
Class Schedule on PSW Brochure.
My blog on networking at PSW.
NAPP Forums for Pre-Conference Networking.

Vanelli photo courtesy of Dave Loebig. Used with permission.

Registration is Now Open!

Thanks to an overwhelming response from Photoshop World Boston attendees and the endless emails, blog comments and Tweets from members who can’t wait until October gets here, Photoshop World registration for Las Vegas is now open! This gives you even more time to make your plans and take advantage of the Early Bird discount, which is open until August 28.

But that’s not all. NAPP is very pleased to announce that this year, we have negotiated for the lowest hotel rates in Photoshop World – Las Vegas history!

Guests can stay at our official host hotel, the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, for an unprecedented $134/per night, and if you’re looking for the ultimate in luxury, registrants can stay at our second hotel option, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay for only $164/per night!

These rates are for single or double occupancy and both hotels put you right in the middle of all the action by putting you in the same hotel as all your PSW instructors!

A quick check through the archives revealed that these prices are $20 – $25 lower than the rates we had back in 2005. With rates like this, you know these rooms will fill up even faster than normal. You have until Monday, September 7, 2009 to reserve your room, but don’t wait until then to do so because these rooms will definitely be gone. Please see our Hotel/Travel Information page for all the details.

Plus, everyone who registers for Photoshop World during the month of May will be automatically entered for a chance to win one of two FREE Pro Pass upgrades! (Prize will be substituted if the winners have already upgraded).

In Boston, we debuted a new perk for our PSW 4+ alumni called the “PSW Speed Pass” that entitled our alumni special access to front row seating in every class.  We are happy to announce that not only will the Speed Pass be returning in Las Vegas, but we are adding additional seating privileges at certain events AND we are making 50 extra passes available for purchase on a first come, first served basis. Please see our pricing page for details on this and all our PSW upgrades.

And finally, we have made some changes when it comes to the content and frequency of our Photoshop World emails. At the beginning of every month leading up to October, we will be sending out an e-newsletter with all the latest Photoshop World news, sneak peaks from the instructors on their classes, quick Photoshop tips, giveaway announcements, and the occasional downloadable goodie (such as brushes, presets, palettes, etc.).

This is just the beginning of everything we plan to implement over the next four months in order to make this Photoshop World the most rewarding and fun experience we possibly can for you!

See you in Vegas (baby!)

PSW TweetUp FAQ

The votes have been counted and the location chosen. The first ever Photoshop World TweetUp will take place at the SideBar and Grille at the Boston Sheraton Hotel (official PSW host hotel) on Tuesday, March 24th at 9pm. What’s a TweetUp, you ask? Read on!

What’s a TweetUp?

Simply put, a “TweetUp” is just like a MeetUp except it’s organized and broadcast via Twitter for people who use Twitter.

So, why are you announcing it here?

I’ve been fielding so many questions and I know that there are a lot of people who are still new to Twitter, I needed a place to put everything. This seemed like as good a place as any.

What happens at a TweetUp?

Same thing that happens at a MeetUp. Basically, a bunch of Twitter users will get to meet each other IRL (in real life) and put some faces and voices to all those Tweets. Plus, it’s a great way to make friends at Photoshop World.

So, are you all going to stand around and tweet to each other on your cell phones?

Gosh, I hope not!!! No. At the most, I think people will be tweeting that they are going to the TweetUp or that they have arrived at the TweetUp. I’m sure people will tweet about certain people that they meet, but other than that, I’m sure we’ll all act the way normal humans do when they meet a bunch of friends at a bar.

Wait a minute… Isn’t the NAPP Forum Party taking place at the same time in the same location?

Yep! I stipulated that when I put the location choice to a vote and the majority of the votes went to holding it in the same location so, there you have it.

So, how will we know who’s a forum member and who’s a “Tweeple” … or who’s a ForumTweeple??

You’ll have to use your words. =) Besides, no matter if you’re a “Forum Person” or a “Tweep,” you’re all NAPP members.

What if it gets too crowded with both parties in one location?

Then we move. That’s the great thing about Social Media. We’ll just pick a new location and tweet it.

Hey! There are a few PSW instructors on Twitter now. Will they be there?

I’m not promising anything but I’m certainly going to ask them to join us.

Will Scott Kelby be there?!?!

I seriously don’t know the answer to that question. Nor would I even wager a guess.

Please leave any other questions you have in the comments section an I’ll answer them right away.

See you in Boston!

Getting the Most out of Photoshop World

Last fall, NAPP Director, Larry Becker made this great video filled with great tips on how to get the most out of your Photoshop World experience. Even though he’s referring to our Las Vegas show, the info is still important and there’s some great video footage too. Enjoy!

There’s still time to join us in Boston! See you there!

Photoshop World News Roundup

Photoshop World is now less than two weeks away! There’s still plenty of time to join us and much to report as the event draws near so here we go!

Winners of the PSW Top Ten/Midnight Madness VIP Contest Announced

Photo courtesy of Jeff Revell's PhotoWalkPro blog

Last week, we announced the winners of the first (and probably last) Photoshop World Top Ten/Midnight Madness contest. Here’s the final list if you’re interested.

The Grand Prize winner of two tickets to PSW and a $200 gift certificate for B&H is, Kristopher Saim! Congratulations Kris! Here’s a blog post he wrote about his win.

There were also ten runners-up who all won a special, limited edition PSW T-shirt that also doubles as a VIP ticket for Midnight Madness! These winners also received their choice of either Scott’s book: Photoshop CS4 for Digital Photographers, or Dave Cross’ DVD: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Selections and Masks. Winners have already been notified and will be able to pick up their shirts at Photoshop World. PS: If you were one of the winners, a follow up email with instructions on where to go for your shirt will be arriving shortly.

Congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who entered. This contest was a very interesting Social Media experiment and I thank you for playing along. =)

MOO.com Special Offer for PSW Attendees

A little while back, I posted an offer from PSW Expo exhibitors, MOO.com. If you haven’t taken advantage of their special “Pre PSW” offer, you still have a few days left to do so! I’ve heard from more than one person who has used MOO.com before and they all agree, the print quality is outstanding! Here’s the details:

Left making business cards to the last minute?  Don’t worry – MOO.com will print them for you and hand deliver them to you at PSW, so you aren’t left stranded at the show.  If you’re planning to network, mingle, do business, make deals and get special offers, make sure you have business cards with you at the event to hand to everyone you meet.

Scribbling your e-mail and cell number on a piece of paper is pretty embarrassing, so take advantage of the special offer from MOO.com to get a 25% discount on your cards and pick them up at PSW! (Booth # 622)

MOO.com allows you to choose a different image for every card in a pack, so if you have a whole portfolio of photography, design, or products; you don’t just have to choose one.  Show off all your work in one pack of cards.

Order by Friday March 13th to take advantage of this exclusive offer. Special order code is D2659G.

PSW Tweet Up Update

In last week’s “News Bits” blog post, I asked everyone interested in attending a Photoshop World “Tweet Up” to weigh in on their preferred location. So far, the front-runner is the Lounge in the Sheraton Hotel (Official PSW Host Hotel). There’s still time to vote if you haven’t yet (just pick a place in the poll below) but for now, it looks like our “Tweeple” will be co-mingling with the NAPP Forum party at the Sheraton.
<a href =”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1427589/” >Which TweetUp Location Do You Prefer?</a> <br/> <span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”> (<a href =”http://www.polldaddy.com”> surveys</a>)</span>

Follow Along on Twitter

Last year at Photoshop World Vegas I could count the number of folks who used Twitter at PSW on one hand. Here we are, six months later, and all that has changed. Thanks to the #FollowFriday meme, we found roughly 120 NAPP members on Twitter. Plus, there are even more Twitter users out there who plan to be at Photoshop World! W00T! To that end, we are asking everyone who uses Twitter at PSW to try and include the hashtag “#PSW” in their Tweets.

Why, you ask? Adding the hashtag, #PSW gives an added context to your tweets. Plus, it makes it easier for everyone to follow along on everything that goes down at PSW!

And for those of you who don’t use Twitter? No problem! You can still follow along thanks to all the Twitter users out there who do! Just bookmark this page: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PSW

Ok, some of you may be asking why you’d want to do that. Here’s a great example:

One of our blog readers (Hi Harold!) asked when Scott Kelby and the “Photoshop Guys” plan to tape their PSW episode of PhotoshopUser TV from the Expo floor. To be honest, I have no clue when that will take place, but I can practically guarantee that when they do, a Twitter user will be there and if that Twitter user adds the #PSW hashtag to his/her tweet, then everyone following that hashtag will instantly know what’s going on and can skedaddle on over to the Expo floor to catch the action!

Plus, even if you’re not at PSW, you can still follow along in real time! Aint Social Media grand?

Mimobot Joins PSW!

OK… This bit of news has me really psyched! I just confirmed yesterday that the folks at Mimoco (makers on Mimobots) will be joining us at the PSW Expo! Mimobots are “designer” USB flash drives featuring the awesome work of some of the world’s top “street designers” and other cool characters like Star Wars or Domo. Seriously, why just get a Flash Drive when you can get a Mimobot? Here’s just a taste of what they offer. I am so totally getting that mushroom dude!

Video: Corey Barker on Photoshop World

I thought I’d close this post with another video interview from NAPP Director, Larry Becker. This time around, it’s our very own “Photoshop Lad” Corey Barker. Enjoy!

See you in Boston!

PSW News Bits

Ok, there’s lots of little things to share today. We’re at 20 days and counting until Photoshop World – The Eastern Conference. Here’s the scoop on what’s going down.

New TweetUp Poll:

The majority of responses were pretty much evenly split over distance to the location. Here are the location choices:

• The House Of Blues – Recently opened. About 1 mile from the Convention Center (See Map)
• Fizz Lounge in The Westin Copely Hotel – PSW Host Hotel Connected to Convention Center) – “Experience the new Fizz lounge offering sophisticated champagnes, wines and a small bites menu. From smoked salmon lollipops to mini lamb burgers, start or end your night at Fizz.”
• Bar 10 in The Westin Copely Hotel – PSW Host Hotel Connected to Convention Center) – “Voted the best bar in Boston by Boston Magazine, Bar 10 mixes signature martinis and lighter Mediterranean foods with ease in a modern setting. Heartier fare, including Black Angus burgers, herb roasted chicken and grilled steaks are also available. Atmosphere: Casual Sophistication”
• Sheraton Lounge (SideBar Grille) in The Sheraton Hotel – PSW Host Hotel Connected to Convention Center) – NOTE: This location is also the site of the NAPP Forum party, which will be taking place at the same time.
• Suggestions Welcome! Feel free to suggest another place.

<a href =”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1427589/” >Which TweetUp Location Do You Prefer?</a> <span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”> (<a href =”http://www.polldaddy.com”> surveys</a>)</span>

Photowalks

There are actually two Photowalks being organized for Boston. One by Jeff Revell, who just posted an update, and one by the NAPP Forum Members.

Here’s what organizer, @jtamagini had to say about the Photowalk:

NAPP Forum Photowalk at Photoshop World Boston

When: Thursday, March 26 @ 7:30

Where: Outside the front of the Hynes Convention Center

Destination: Shooting some of Boston’s most famous landmarks at night. The walk will start at 7:30 at the front doors of the Hynes Convention Center. We will hit up tripod friendly areas of the city to shoot night scenes, including Copley Square the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church, The Commonwealth Ave. Mall, The Public Garden and Boston Common, State House. We will then skirt the edge of Beacon Hill, over to the Hatch Shell. Cross the Longfellow Bridge over to MIT in Cambridge to photograph the Stata Center, one of Frank Gehry’s architectural marvels. We will finally make our way to the bank of the Charles River to photograph Boston’s Skyline at night. The walk will end where it all began at the Hynes with Beers and chimping at The Pour House. A Google Earth File of the route can be downloaded from the NAPP forums.

FREE Expo Passes Now Available:

If you’re not attending Photoshop World, but will be in the Boston area, you can attend the Expo portion of PSW absolutely free! . Although the free pass does not give you access to all the Photoshop World classes, you can attend all the bonus classes that will be taking place on the Expo floor! You can also take advantage of all the product demos, exhibitor swag, and special discounts on the latest books and DVDs at the Official Photoshop World/Peachpit Bookstore!

Expo hours:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – Closed to the public
Thursday, March 26, 2009 – 1:00pm to 5:00pm
Friday, March 27, 2009 – 9:00am to 1:00pm

Get your FREE, Expo pass here. (A $40 value)

PSW on FaceBook

If you’re on Facebook, be sure to visit the Official PSW Event Page. Upload your PSW pics, sound off on the comment section, and invite your friends too.

GURU Awards

Don’t forget, the deadline for the GURU’s is Monday, March 9th. Visit the GURU page for all the info on entering your work. This contest is only open to PSW Boston attendees.