TechEd 2005 Final - Was It Worth It?

Before I answer the big question - Was TechEd worth the time and money? - let me comment on some of the logistics. It was held at the new convention center in Boston. Busses were used to go back and forth from the conference to the hotel since the adjoining Westin Hotel has not been finished and the Seaport Hotel had no rooms available. It was a minor inconvenience. I am sure this will only get better at future events in Boston. On Tuesday, SAP provided the most impressive "mass produced" lunch I have ever eaten. It was steak and shrimp. Dinner was provided on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Since the whole convention center was used exclusively for this event it was easy to navigate to the different functions. Overall I would give SAP high marks for their ability to handle the logistics of TechEd.
Was it worth the time and money? The short answer for me is yes. I have not attended any SAP sponsored function in two years. As a programmer it is important to know what the future holds for SAP technology. Even though I read some of the emails and occasionally browse the SDN website, I find it difficult to learn new material strictly through reading. Listening to presentations, attending hands-on sessions and talking to other technical people enhances my learning process. Since I have not attended an ASUG conference or SAPPHIRE or any other training recently I cannot give an accurate comparison of these events. The bottom line is I need to do everything I can do to keep my skills current. TechEd 2005 was worth my time and money.