2009 Unofficial Propeller Expo West
June 27th and 28th 2009 marked the first West Coast UPEW event. Like the previous event, UPENE 2008, it was full of exciting projects, presentations, and the highly innovative, good-natured users the Propeller chip naturally attracts.
Jeff Ledger (OBC on the Propeller Forum) continued his tireless efforts to host this event (now jokingly called "unofficial") and Parallax provided the venue, snacks, lunch and dinner. Jeff and his team, and separately Parallax's staff, put together a fantastic event that was fun for all. As it kicked off sharply at 9 am Saturday morning, the room quickly filled with people whose experience ranged from the hobbyist to the Ph.D, and whose age ranged from 10 years to 60+.
The friendly, easy-going atmosphere was welcoming to all and encouraged playful banter between the excited attendees. Everyone seemed eager to show what they've done with their Propeller chip and were very willing to learn from others as well. A number of great presentations filled the schedule with examples like AttoPilot (UAV Autopilot), SPIN (the Propeller-enhanced sail boat), Discovery Channel's "Prototype This" show, animatronics in movies, and product demonstrations.
In a not-too-distant room, attendees were greeted with free Propeller boards from SchmartBoard and were encouraged to sit down and solder up their own surface mount Propeller chip using this easy-to-use system. A live webinar with Chip Gracey, Jeff Martin, and Hanno Sander included both present and remote attendees aimed at answering many dozens of questions covering a wide range of Propeller topics.
The UPEW show stayed open through the night and into Sunday afternoon. Hardy attendees braved the wee hours of the night to discuss technology one-on-one. Some slept wherever their head landed and others crawled back to nearby hotel rooms, but by 8:00 am Sunday morning the air was alive once again with cheerful talk of Propeller project ideas.
We, the Parallax staff, can not say enough how grateful we are to all those who participated in this show and worked hard to make sure it was a success. The numerous examples of Propeller-based projects, in-production products, idea sharing, laughter, smiles, and welcoming attitude shows the very nature of the Propeller community. It is full of fun, friendly people who are a joy to meet in person, listen to, and speak to. Parallax thanks all those who attended and we hope to see the rest of you at the next event!
-Parallax Staff
| A Report by Jeff Ledger |
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This report is later than my typical expo report as it has taken me a week to recover from the both the jetlag of the time zone switch between PST/EST and the 24+ hour expo at UPEW this year. Unofficial Propeller Expo West was an awesome ride and well worth any exhaustion in making it happen!
When I arrived at Parallax Friday afternoon, I found expo setup in high gear! A truck had arrived moments before with the required tables and chairs needed to seat 150+ people. Parallax employees were on top of everything, making sure that I had all the tools we needed to get UPEW up and running. The folks at Parallax were incredible hosts! Lauren Davis, a key Parallaxian, made sure that everything I needed was in place before I arrived. You can’t run an expo without help, and the employees at Parallax were simply amazing. Others who contributed time and talents include, Jeff M, Ken, Kristina, David Carrier, Stephanie, Rich, Chip, Andy, Karen, Josh, Chantal, Dave, and Chris. I’ve always said that Parallax redefines the word “awesome” and I was proved right again.
Last year there was someone special who jumped in last minute to volunteer their talents. This year was no exception. I’d like to thank Blossom Cassidy for being that person at UPEW. Spouse of Rick Cassidy (Casslan on the forums) she immediately volunteered to assist Rebekah (my spouse) with attendee registration. These ladies were the smiling faces that you encountered as you picked up your badges and freebies. There is something special about wives who put up with us geeks.
One of the primary concerns we had for UPEW that it stayed centered on the customers, not on Parallax. The presentations were awesome examples of the flexibility of the Propeller chip. Everything from autopilot flight controls, microcomputer systems, robotics, and sailing were presented. The level of excitement around each project and presentation was intoxicating! It was extremely hard to be the “bad guy” who had to make sure each presentation stayed within reasonable time. (25 min.)
The vendors of UPEW provided all kinds of Propeller related items. I personally purchased a Propeller System Module from Rayman Allen. What a neat gizmo for passing time anywhere with the Propeller! Other products included cases from Mountain King, kits from Gadget Gangster, products from uController as well as Parallax were ready for purchase. The folks at SchmartBoard were on hand in our soldering room to assist those who wanted to assemble their SchmartBoard Propeller project while at the expo.
Vendors and attendees alike contributed a table full of items for our Red Cross Raffle. We raised $932.00 for the American Red Cross, which Parallax more than matched for a total donation of $2000.00!
If you missed UPEW 2009, you missed an amazing event, but you get a second chance with UPENE 2009, which will be hosted in Norwalk, OH on Saturday, August 22nd.
Propeller Addict,
Jeff Ledger/Oldbitcollector
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Enjoy the photos and videos below from this year's UPEW 2009. Off-site photos collected by participants: Photo Gallery #1, Photo Gallery #2, Photo Gallery #3, Photo Gallery #4, Photo Gallery #5.
Also, be sure to check out 2008 Unofficial Propeller Expo pics and report.