Adobe MAX is always the event of the year when it comes to networking, catching up with old friends, making new friends, and connecting with the web community, and this year was no exception. Because of the hectic pace of MAX, I invariably end up sleeping and eating way too little, and doing way too much, so I expected this when I arrived in Chicago. What I didn’t realize was just how crazy it would get, and how much I would pack into the days leading up to my 34th birthday.

Here’s a quick rundown of how my week went.

Sunday, September 30th

• 2pm - 5pm: Arrived in Chicago after a flight that took off at 8am from Phoenix, bolted to the hotel, dropped off my stuff, and got signed in to the conference and got to the event for O’Reilly Ignite by 5pm, struggling to memorize my 5-minute Ignite talk the whole time.
• 6:20pm-ish: Gave my Ignite talk, called “Everything is Important”, about a tiny change I made with the Automattic team to the WordPress.com home page that resulted in a 25% conversion-rate increase.
• 7:30pm: Found out what I won the Ignite session competition. This meant I would be speaking at the Sneaks session on Tuesday evening.
• 9pm on: A night at the hotel bar with old friends that ran way too late and involved way too much alcohol.

Monday, October 1st

• Spent most of the day working on the new book in the hotel room, but managed to head out to dinner with the Peachpit crew and have another night at the hotel bar.
• Spent much time memorizing my Ignite talk.

Tuesday, October 2nd (the night before my birthday)

• 12pm: Headed to the Community Lounge for my “Ask the Expert” session. Worked on memorizing Ignite talk.
• 2:30pm - 4pm: Went to rehearsal for the Sneaks session. Got used to the idea of being on a stage that large and speaking to that many people. Worked on memorizing Ignite talk.
• 4pm - 5pm: In the Perfect Timing category, I happened to have an appointment with a speaking coach. I scheduled this weeks before I knew about the Ignite sessions, so this was a beautiful coincidence. Worked on memorizing Ignite talk.
• 5pm: Backstage at the Sneaks session. This was one very tightly-run event. Everything was scheduled down to the minute, and everything was directed perfectly from backstage. Worked on memorizing Ignite talk, right up to the very last minute.
• 5:45pm-ish: Michael Gough finished presenting the MAX awards, and Brady (from O’Reilly) explained the Ignite contest and introduced me.
• 5:50pm - 5:55pm: I spent 5 minutes in front of 4,000 people, giving my Ignite talk. The experience was absolutely unforgettable for me. No teleprompter. No cue cards. Nothing. Just me, a huge crowd, and a point to make. Here’s a nice shot of it on Flickr. (If you have video of this, please tell me.)
• 7:30pm: Sneaks ended and the party began. Spent the whole night being congratulated by people I’d never met before. (Thanks so much to all of you!) Loud, yelling, pain in throat.
• 10pm on: Another night at the bar. Loud, yelling, more pain in throat.

Wednesday, October 3 (my birthday)

• 9am: Woke up and realized I was about an inch away from losing my voice.
• 11am: Did my all-new “Designing the Obvious” session to a nice-sized crowd, straining all the while to keep my vocal chords working.
• Afternoon: Slept. Desperately needed it.
• Evening: Had dinner in Little Italy with old and new friends. Capped off my year with a flaming Sambuca and a toast.

In the past year, since my last birthday, I release Designing the Obvious, quit my job, started speaking at conferences, and started my own consultancy. To wrap things up, I got to speak at the MAX Sneaks session and have a ton of fun at yet another killer round of MAX.

What a great way to cap off a great year!

To all of you who have supported me this year, read the book, or come to one of my sessions, thank you very much! This year would have been nothing without you.

Cheers!

Posted by Robert on October 9th, 2007