Microsoft already sponsors a lot of user group meetings -- with plenty of free food. Largely pizza.
I briefly wrote for a magazine for professional conference organizers. (Think: the people who run MacWorld or TechEd.) I was told that, despite techie's assumption that we run the universe, the profession responsible for most conference bookings is doctors. Seems that every drug company HAS to do a "full disclosure" meeting for every new medicine. Most of those vendors have more money than tech companies do.
But you note that they don't promise pizza. They may deliver bad rubber chicken, but they can promise a full lunch.
I actually went to one of those "full disclosure" meetings when I used to work for a pharma. They put me up for 2 days in the Vegas Four Seasons in exchange for a 15 minute presentation :)
Rubber chicken indeed, but I'll take free food in exchange for that room any day of the week.
I briefly wrote for a magazine for professional conference organizers. (Think: the people who run MacWorld or TechEd.) I was told that, despite techie's assumption that we run the universe, the profession responsible for most conference bookings is doctors. Seems that every drug company HAS to do a "full disclosure" meeting for every new medicine. Most of those vendors have more money than tech companies do.
But you note that they don't promise pizza. They may deliver bad rubber chicken, but they can promise a full lunch.