Los Angeles, Phoenix, Hollywood, Tampa and Las Vegas have been such frequent destinations over the past several years that, while they always offer a change of pace, they have lost the luster that comes with a change of scenery. But Webmaster Access Amsterdam is no ordinary show: Attending for the first time put me back in touch with my inner newbie.
After eight hours in the aviation industry's version of solitary confinement - coach - we made a beeline for the smoking area of Schiphol Airport. More than the strange-sounding public announcements and signs with never-ending strings of vowels, just being able to satisfy the nicotine beast indoors made us realize we sure were not in Kansas anymore. That suited us just fine.
We headed to the Radisson SAS, the show venue, a few days early to get the lay of the land. It was strange to walk into a lobby that wasn't filled with familiar faces, but later that afternoon, we knew we were in the right place when we heard the soothing baritone of Mark "CyberCat" Galione and saw his pearly whites flashing us a smile. SleazyDream showed up next and VirtuaMike soon appeared with a knapsack full of branded pipes, reminding us that branding in Amsterdam can be a little more daring than what we've gotten used to in the United States.
After a bear hug from Eric Matis on the canal while exploring the city a bit later, the Dutch welcome was complete. At barely 50 degrees and with constant light rain, the weather was a bit frosty for a guy from Florida, but Amsterdam's legendary coffeehouses were the perfect escape from the elements. After all, when in Rome....
The show's registration at 7 p.m. Thursday made it clear the United State does not have a monopoly on long lines and inefficient badge retrieval, but then again, those are part of any real webmaster event.
A sumptuous dinner at a tapas bar built around an actual walk-in freezer was the highlight of the evening. The dinner was made possible by Local Billing's Mitch Platt, who arranged for guests to be provided winter coats we could take home. Did I mention the coats were made of hemp? I love this city.
Escape, one of Amsterdam's top night spots on Rembrandt Square, was the location for the big Thursday event, the CyberSocket Opening Party presented by Epoch and co-sponsored by Maleflixx, Naked Sword, Web Air, Private Cash and PrideBucks. While officially billed as a gay event, it was the place to be, regardless of one's sexual orientation: A great place, incredible music, trays of hors d'oeuvres and free-flowing alcohol are a big draw anywhere.
The "Where's The Traffic?" and "Newbies: Keys to Success" panels on Friday were well attended, but the buffet lunch at noon got the late risers in gear. The afternoon brought a trio of sightseeing opportunities: the Rembrandt and Dungeon tours, the Private Cash Canal Cruise Ride and the Platinum Bucks Heineken Brewery Tour.
The adventures continued with the Groobybucks Cocktail Reception, then dinner. There was a rumor that the main event would be in the Red Light District - imagine that. If I live to tell the tale, I will back tomorrow to fill you all in.
Harlan Yaffe is co-owner of PrideBucks.com.
