For Code PaLOUsa 2012, we are introducing Ignite to the schedule.  Ignite is a phenomenon around the world where presenters share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds for a total of just five minutes.  And to make things interesting, we will have prizes for the top 3 talks as picked by the audience.  The bar will be open and everyone will be able to relax and enjoy the talks.  Everything will get started at 8:00 PM on Friday, March 16.

Up to date information about Ignite Code PaLOUsa can be found on the Ignite Code PaLOUsa 2012 page.

If you are interested in being consider to present, please fill out our Call for Speakers form.  You don’t have to be a seasoned speaking veteran, just someone with a passion.

One of the main reasons to come to an event like Code PaLOUsa is to meet new people.  What if there was an app that helps you find people within the conference who are important to you.  Well, there is such an app and we will be the first event outside of the New York City area to implement it.  This is a great app and we highly recommend you give it a try during Code PaLOUsa.

Create Your Qrious Profile Before Code PaLOUsa
To speed up the process of using Qrious at Code PaLOUsa, it is highly recommend you create your profile before coming to Code PaLOUsa.  Just go to http://qrio.us on your smartphone browser, connect your LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter accounts to Qrious, then drop in a few keywords that describe your role and your goals for attending Code PaLOUsa.  That’s it.

Don’t Forget to Check-In When you Arrive
When you arrive at Code PaLOUsa, check-in using the Qrious app.  Just load up http://qrio.us on your smartphone browser, select your event, and tap “check-in”.  From there the app will immediately tell you who you should meet – and why – based on the information within your profile.  As more people arrive at the event and they are good matches for you, you’ll be notified about them too.

Review Your Matches
our recommendations will be sorted using the Qrious Score which is a 100-point personalized professional compatibility rank.  You can review each match to ensure optimum compatibility, then learn more about that person before you strike up a conversation with them.

For those flying into Louisville for Code PaLOUsa, we now have a discount code for Delta Airlines. The discount amount all depends on the fare type and whether you are flying from a Delta hub or not, but you will save money.

Reservations and ticketing is available via www.delta.com. When booking online, select Meeting Event Code and enter the meeting code (NM9DW) in the box provide on the Search Flight page.

Reservations may also be made by calling the Delta Meeting Reservations at 800-328-1111 Monday through Friday 7am – 7pm CDT. Please note that there is a direct ticketing fee for booking through the reservation number above.

We are very pleased to announce that Jim Benson will be joining us as the Saturday keynote speaker for Code PaLOUsa 2012!

We are Not Engineers

Engineers assemble known parts into predictable shapes. In some cases, the tools they use have been around for centuries. In software, we create products with unknown possibilities from tools often only months old. The software world is not simple - it's not complicated, complex, or even chaotic - it's all those things at once. As developers, we are simultaneously called upon to be logical, creative, visual, verbal, innovative, and predictable. In this keynote, Jim Benson will dispel the notion that software is "engineered." He will discuss how software is better created collaboratively, with teams that actually know what is going on. Drawing from tools and disciplines as varied as agile, kanban, cognitive psychology, and social economics, he will provide insights into why software development has been frustrating in the past and should be much less so in the future. Jim has patience for almost all things on this earth - except PowerPoint. Therefore, and as always, he promises a 100% PowerPoint-free discussion

About Jim

Incorporating lessons from a multi-disciplinary background that includes psychology, urban planning, government technology planning, software development, and corporate change management, Jim Benson specializes in the management of “knowledge work.” Over the course of his 22 year career, he has acquired a rich understanding for how people process information, set goals, and achieve their objectives.

In 2007, he started his current company, Modus Cooperandi. As the name suggests, Jim believes that the successful completion of any project requires cooperation. To this end, he works with all elements of a project: the individual, the team, and the organization as a whole to ensure that communication and collaboration are sound.

With that collaborative framework in place, a culture of continuous improvement can result - a culture that actively seeks out opportunities to improve job satisfaction and/or performance. Since starting Modus, Jim has helped The World Bank, NBC Universal, The United Nations UNDP and UNEP, The Library Corporation, Comcast and others find collaborative solutions, identify and implement improvements, and create more innovative cultures.

Jim is also the creator of “Personal Kanban,” a lean process used to manage knowledge workers. Knowledge work is a fundamentally tricky type of work to gain focus around, as those engaged in this type of work are by nature inventive. Invention and innovation are unpredictable, and related tasks are often amorphous. For the past two decades Jim Benson has worked at uncovering ways for groups to find clarity in unpredictable and amorphous environments.

Prior to Modus, Jim led transportation and software development projects of all sizes, and created custom software for government and business. He understands the trade-offs between marketing and development that inevitably arise in both government and private industry. His Lean and Agile project management backgrounds help him clearly express current work to staff and dynamically prioritize work based on current business needs.