Couldn't make it to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference? You're in good company. With only about 5,000 tickets, and hundreds of thousands of iOS and Mac OS developers, even if you wanted to attend, the odds of winning a lottery ticket for the privilege of paying $1600+ to attend were against you. But Apple will be making videos of their sessions available to developers, and the keynote will be streamed to Apple fans. However, after attending a couple of WWDCs, I've found that the real secrets are spilled at the MacTech Conference.
I attended MacTech last November, in Los Angeles, and I had a great time. Unlike WWDC, where you only hear from Apple employees, at MacTech, they bring in industry experts from outside Apple, such as game developers, IT experts, and tech celebrities. Since the products Apple announces (or hints at) might not be out of beta until September, the November MacTech Conference could be the right time to get hands-on help with actual shipping software. Last year, there were discussions on new gear like iBeacons and software tools like SpriteKit. I'm sure whatever Apple introduces next week will be on the agenda, such as the Smart Home compatibility program, wearables, and more.
MacTech is not just about technical presentations. There are great guest speakers, fine food, and awesome events. Last year we got to test drive a $100,000 Tesla Model S and visit the Space Shuttle Endeavour! It was truly out of this world! I can't imagine what they have in store for 2014. Considering MacTech costs about half of what WWDC costs (if you sign up early!) you can tell your management that it makes a lot of fiscal sense to attend, because it does!
iPhone Life is a Media Sponsor of MacTech Conference and I plan to attend, so say hi! If you can't make it to the big show in L.A. this November, they bring the show on the road to regional locations. I'm told they offer 49 individual events in 18 cities, with over 240 speakers presenting over 530 sessions, reaching over 4000 attendees from 48 US states/territories, and 36 countries! Check out the details at MacTech.com.
