This is it, it is all really happening. Today is the first day of the first MangoCon event! It is Wednesday and officially MangoCon starts this evening so we have the morning to get ready.
A lot of the people who were in town on the early side today went to Dinosaur BBQ for a group lunch. We were all so busy with stuff that we could not spend the time over there with them, but they sent us a picture. The turnout at Dinosaur BBQ for MC1 was nearly identical to the turn out that we get annually at the opening brunch event at Max’s Wine Dive in Austin, so that is pretty awesome.
It was a busy morning of getting everything ready. Then once the hotel was available for check in, Dominica and I drove up to Rochester to get to MangoCon. We were on the early side but were able to get into our room, get all set up and relax a little. People trickled in all afternoon at the reception desk on the second floor that Jenny Case was manning.
Danielle, Maggie, Jenny, Art and Dominica were very busy with miscellaneous things so they sent me out to find a Subway, over on the far side of Main Street, that I could bring back for all of us. That took a bit because the order was so large.
We all ate in the little office room that the conference center had provided for us. It was nice to have a quiet lunch space. This is it, the last relaxation moment.
At six this evening it was time to begin the welcome event. How exciting. I still can’t believe that this got pulled off. This is so cool, and to be in Rochester!
The opening “ceremony” was a little bit odd but overall went pretty well. AJ did the opening MC gig and did a pretty good job. Then there was a weird martini talk with NTG staff that I felt should have been cut. Bits of it were good, but bits of it were really odd and it didn’t fit. I was never sure what exactly the goal of that portion was. But live and learn, first years of conferences are always a learning experience.
Jared and I worked hard to be all over Facebook, Twitter and MangoLassi with news of what was going on at the event.
After the event there were drinks in the ballroom. When those were done some of us went down to the lobby bar but the drinks there were ridiculously expensive so we decided to skip that.
Maggie was hungry, so I took her out to the Temple Bar and Grill on East Ave to get her some food. While we were there other people started to trickle in. AJ came and got his first ever garbage plate there. He is heading out on the train in the middle of the night so is staying up and napping on the train.
It was a good opening day. Very excited for the “real” sessions to get started tomorrow. This was just the opener so none of the real meat of the event has been hit yet.
It was late, probably around three in the morning when Dominica and I got to sleep in our hotel room at the Holiday Inn Rochester Downtown where the event is being held.