Ben Forta's Blog - Appearances

Sign Up For MAX Online

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:02:00 -0400

Adobe MAX 2011 is one week away. If you'll not make it in person, then be sure to sign up to watch the keynotes live online.

Flash Jeopardy At Adobe MAX 2011

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:37:00 -0400

Last year at MAX I hosted Are You Smarter Than An Evangelist (they weren't, the Evangelists won). This year we'll be playing Flash Jeopardy, and once again I am hosting! If you'll be at MAX, join the audience on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 3:00 p.m. at the Flash Rocks Entertainment Lounge inside the Community Pavilion. Help us stump our four constants from the Flash community, send Flash trivia questions to fprocks@adobe.com.

European Back From MAX Events

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 10:53:00 -0400

It's been a few years since we hosted MAX in Europe, and I am hoping that at some point we'll resurrect that event. But, in the interim, we are hosting a series of Back From MAX events right after MAX 2011. These day-long events in Paris, Berlin, and London will deep-dive into MAX highlights and announcements, giving those who are unable to join us in Los Angeles a taste of what MAX is all about. I'll be presenting the opening keynote at these events, and fellow evangelists will be presenting much of the content. Event details are all online, and I hope to see you there (unless I see you at MAX first, that is).

MAX 2011 Discount For My "Friends"

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:44:00 -0400

Adobe MAX 2011 group discounts allow three or more attendees from the same company to attend MAX for the low price of $1095. And as they did in previous years, the MAX team has graciously allowed me to create a group of my own, a "Friends of Ben" group, which can qualify for the group rate. I have a finite number of discount codes. If you need one, do not reply here, please email me directly. And as quantity is limited, please only ask for one if you are really going to use it, and plan to use it quickly. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you all in Los Angeles In October! Oh, before anyone asks (because they do every year), no, the discount cannot be applied to existing registrations - this is for new registrations only. Also, it can't be used for any of the bundle passes.

At Adobe Developer Tech Day In Shanghai

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:28:00 -0400

I just presented the first segment of the opening keynote at Adobe Developer Tech Day in Shanghai, China. Fellow evangelist Enrique Duvos is now on the stage wowing the audience with Stage 3D demos. This is a very technical audience, almost all online all the time. The interesting thing is that standing on stage I counted exactly 5 open laptops, everyone else was online on phones (primarily a mix of iPhones and Android devices) and tablets (iPads). My key message was on the importance of building apps for multiple devices and platforms and form-factors, and not being locked into single-vendor development which will preclude you from reaching a broader market. The audience themselves validated my point better than I could do so myself.

Upcoming Summits In India And China

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 09:48:00 -0400

Adobe is hosting summits and tech days in India and China, and I plan to attend both. The Adobe Flash Platform Summit 2011 will take place in Bangalore, India, July 27th - 29th, 2011. The Adobe Developer Tech Day (focused on gaming) will take place in Shanghai, China, on August 3rd. Registration for both events is now open.

MAX 2011 Loyalist Discounts

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:21:00 -0400

Adobe MAX 2011 registration is now open, and once again we are offering special discount pricing for loyal previous attendees and students (save US$600 off the regular full conference price of US$1,495 when you register by May 31, 2011). Click on the links below and use the relevant discount code.

MAX 2011 Loyalist Pass ($895) - Discount code LYT100
MAX 2011 Loyalist Pass – Education ($895) - Discount code LED100
MAX 2011 Loyalist Pass – Government ($895) Discount code LGV100
MAX 2011 Student Pass ($299) Discount code STU100

Trying To Get To Flash Israel, And Thanks For Nothing DOT

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:23:00 -0400

I'm go-presenting the Flash Israel 2011 opening keynote with Lee Brimelow tomorrow. Or rather, I'm trying to. Weather last night close to shut down DTW, so I never made my connection in JFK. I am now in Amsterdam, and have an 8 hour wait until the flight to TLV. I'll arrive in the wee hours Tuesday morning, not long before we have to present. Still, I'm really glad to be visiting Israel again, even briefly. Somewhat related, back in April 2010 I stated that the new DOT 3 Hour Tarmac Delay Rule was a bad idea. I predicted that it would make airlines overly risk averse, pushing them to return to the gate too early, because canceling flights would be cheaper than risking huge fines. And the pilot on my DTW to JFK flight last night confirmed my fears when he announced that he'd like to wait in the queue longer, that he thought we probably could get out, but that the airline is insisting we deplane because we had just broken the 2 hour mark. Nice, thank you government, you have once again proven how utterly useless you are, and how the Law of Unintended Consequences is alive and well. Ok, now what to do for 8 hours in Amsterdam?

Register For Flash Israel 2011

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 22:48:00 -0400

Flash Israel is a two day user group / Flash Camp event, to be held February 22nd and 23rd, in Ramat Gan, Israel. I was unable to attend Flash Israel last year due to a scheduling conflict. But, I do plan on attending this year, along with fellow evangelist Lee Brimelow, Kevin Schmidt, and others. Flash Israel has created an interesting tiered registration pricing structure, priced from 250 Nis to 550 Nis based on how early your register. And there are just a few tickets left at the lowest price, so regsiter now!

Collage From Recent Brazil Trip

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:23:00 -0400

I recently spent a few days in Brazil visiting customers and partners. Adobe Brazil Systems Engineer Julio Lopes Lima Filho accompanied me, took lots of pictures, and just sent me this cool collage:

MAX Day 2 Keynote Posted Online

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 23:26:00 -0400

The Adobe MAX 2010 Day 2 keynote (which I co-hosted with Ely Greenfield and Matt Chotin) is online on Adobe TV. Here it is, all 2 hours of it:

It's Keynote Time!

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 12:39:00 -0400

Adobe CTO just took to the stage to kick of the Adobe MAX 2010 opening keynote. This keynote is going to be amazing, we have some incredible stuff in store. And then tomorrow I'll be co-hosting our Day 2 keynote, and, well, can't tell you more, but you'll want to be there!

MAX Here I Come

Sat, 23 Oct 2010 23:27:00 -0400

I'm getting ready to head to Los Angeles for Adobe MAX 2010. As in previous years, I've been part of the MAX team working on everything from content to keynotes to promotions and more. And having done this for over a decade now (including MAX and DevCon previously), I can safely say (safely, as in not spilling any beans) that this is going to be the best MAX ever.

Help Me Stump The Evangelists At MAX

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:09:00 -0400

I'm hosting a game-show we're calling "Are You Smarter Than An Evangelist?" at MAX this year. And I need your help with this one.

MAX Discount For My "Friends"

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 21:56:00 -0400

MAX 2010 early bird registration closed last week. But, group discounts are still available for three or more attendees from the same company. And as they did last year, the MAX team has graciously allowed me to create a group of my own, a "Friends of Ben" group, which can qualify for the group rate. I have a finite number of discount codes. If you need one, do not reply here, please email me directly. And as quantity is limited, please only ask for one if you are really going to use it, and plan to use it quickly. Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you all in Los Angeles next month! And before I wrap, here is a quick note from the MAX team: A discount based on a promotion code may be applied against new registrations only and may be applied against the regular price of a full conference pass only (US$1,495); it cannot be applied to other passes, including but not limited to the following "bundle" passes: Russell Brown@MAX; LiveCycle@MAX; and CS5@MAX. A discount based on a promotion code cannot be combined with any other discount offer, including but not limited to the standard Early Bird discount offer to regular attendees and special government, education, and nonprofit employee discounts. A discount based on a promotion code is not transferable and is void where prohibited.