Authorware Article

TAAC Events

The Meet and Greet Reception was held in the Apollo Gardens room, adjacent to the large first pool and fountain. Excellent food and an open bar ensured everyone was enjoying the reception and having stimulating conversations. Of course, what is a meet and greet without a bit of the usual networking amongst peers in the industry? Rest assured—there was plenty of opportunity to meet with the movers, shakers, and makers in the Authorware field.

Figure 8. Jamil giving Mark Henry a red coat of hair spray coloring (Mark lost a bet with Jamil about TAAC attendance)

Ask Macromedia Panel Session—Jamil Zainasheff (Dir, eLearning), Miriam Gellar (Dir, Product Mgmt), Tom Neuhold-Huber (Sr QA Mgr), Mike Baker (Software Engineer), Andrew Chemey (Software Engineer), and Aaron Jones (Tech Support Team Lead).

This was an open question and answer panel discussion. After brief introductions, the floor was opened to the audience to ask questions of Macromedians regarding Authorware. There were technical questions, policy questions, and many questions were related to the marketing of Authorware.

Figure 9. Five of the six members of the Ask Macromedia Panel (I am not there yet because I am holding the camera)

Poolside Chat
Jamil also hosts the Poolside Chat at TAAC each year, where developers can discuss their favorite ideas for new features in the next version of Authorware. They then have to prioritize the list by placing 10 virtual dollars on the features they would like to see the most. This is a very unique experience for developers to get the chance to give their two cents directly to the Authorware product team.

Pre and Post–Conference Classes and Workshops
Additional classes could be purchased for before and after the conference in case you couldn't get enough of Authorware. This is an excellent opportunity for training from some of the best.

Authorware Games
The Authorware Games present a challenge to the conference attendees and letting them create their own teams, then try in four hours to develop the best piece of Authorware learning content. This is a chance for new and experienced Authorware developers and instructional designers to flex their Authorware muscles with creativity as well as technical expertise. After judging and questioning by a panel of judges, the winner is declared and given some excellent prizes, including Macromedia software and free TAAC conference pass for next year. The competitors this year did a great job creating interesting learning content quickly in a team environment—and with limited resources at hand, some were developing in the conference hallways!

Figure 10. One of the teams at the Authorware Games

Conclusion
TAAC was a wonderful experience, and I am glad I was able to attend. With a broad range of topics and expert speakers, it has much more to offer beyond just the topics of Authorware and eLearning. If your focus is Authorware, then being at TAAC is an absolute must. Hopefully you can be there for the next one!

Resources
TAAC website
EuroTAAC website