The PHP Women site has a new post today - "Experiences of a Conference Virgin", a piece written up by Tess Barnes on her attendance at this year's PHP Northwest conference.

Up until November 2008 I was a conference virgin: no jollies, no hotel booking panic and no development talks. As I’ve been self employed as a website developer for three years I decided it was about time to break the mould, invest the profits and head up to Manchester.

She talks about the parts of the process - getting there, her concerns and her experiences there. She talks a bit about the conference and some of the talks and events and even sums it up with a few assumptions (like "Women can get exactly where they want to in the industry with hard work and determination").

Stuart Herbert has asked for some suggestions for the "conference virgin" to know about before heading (and/or speaking) at their first conference.

I'm speaking at the PHPNW '08 conference in November, and I've just been contacted for advice by someone understandably excited at going to her very first conference. Thing is, I've never been a conference newbie (I've always been either speaking or running a conference) so I'm not the best person to offer advice on this.

His suggestions include meeting up with friends also attending, keeping an eye out for social groups to be a part of and to bring a laptop along with you ("a lot of the conversation at the conference happens online"). The comments have some suggestions too like "don't eat alone" and "hang out in the hall if there's no talks that interested you. it's a great way to meet others."