The registration date for The 2006 Sorensen Institute Summit on Blogging and Democracy and the Commonwealth has come and gone, and we’re left with a grand total of 88 attendees, an increase of one third over last year, which is just wonderful. (By the time late-coming registrants sweet-talk their way in, I expect we’ll get real close to 100.) Though many of last year’s attendees have signed up for this year, there’s a good number of new folks this time around, indicating a healthy churn. Representatives from Sen. Allen and Gov. Warner will be present, indicating the seriousness with which both regard blogs and their national odds.
The final bloggers to register were Howard Mortman, Nick Howard, and Joanna, though another dozen or so non-bloggers registered in the last few days.
The lineup of speakers has certainly become something to brag about, particularly with Attorney General Bob McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling coming out for the event. We’ve had a few speakers have something crop up in the past couple of weeks, so there are even going to be more announcements about speakers in the next few days.
Finally, I encourage those who are attending to make some social plans for Friday night and/or Saturday afternoon. The schedule has deliberately been left wide open for Friday night so y’all can get together. Please contact some of your fellow attendees and arrange to go out for drinks. Bonus points will be awarded for getting together with somebody of a different political persuasion than you. Go. Have fun. Just make sure you can face the world at 9:30am on Saturday morning, when we’ll start all over again.
Finally, I encourage those who are attending to make some social plans for Friday night and/or Saturday afternoon.
—Good idea. So, uh, got any plans?
I’m afraid I only know you, Shaun Kenney and Rick Sincere. I know some of the others by name, and I might even be able to put a name with a face if pressed, but I’m not really in the VA blogging in-crowd, so most of these people are new to me, which is often awkward in a large group of people who are already fairly familiar with their own in-groups. My standby plan is to hang out near the coffee dispenser and pretend like I’m deeply immersed in the program.
Jon, you will have spoken on Friday. You’ll be a cool kid. :) Women will want you, men will want to be you. Somewhere in there, I suspect some offers for drinks will be presented. :)
Since the students are gone, I think the UVa Corner should be relatively safe terrain. Now I just need dredge up from my memory which bars on the Corner are decent.
I don’t drink, so you might want to pencil me in for one of the less exciting group outings and save the bar hopping for the cool kids that all the girls actually want. :)
You don’t drink, I don’t require drink, Kenton can’t drink… We’ll work something out. :)
Waldo, I’m guessing the thing I needed didn’t come through?
Drink is highly over-rated.
whoops, I wanted to go to this thing. oh well.
There is a reception hosted by Al Weed on Friday night. It is supposed to be low key, a few soft or harder drinks, and personal time with Al.
I need to find out more so I can let all of you know about it. I have been busy working two elections, so I haven’t paid attention to absolutely everything.
Man will I be glad when Tuesday is over! Then it’s down to only…wait; still two elections? Crap. Busy summer except for that vacation at Nag’s Head. Okay, come on, July 1st, I need a break.