Introduction

SESUG is full of opportunities to eat and network with old friends and new.  SESUG 99 is no exception.  Starting on Sunday night, we will have an Opening Night Dinner and Halloween Party to follow.  On Monday, Compaq Computers will be sponsoring a Mixer at the Gulf Coast Exploreum.  During the day, you are invited to join us for lunch on either Monday OR Tuesday.  

In addition, there will be lots of opportunity to network with your colleagues at our first annual SESUG After Hours.  Here you can sign up to have dinner with a group at a local restaurant.  The cost of dinner is NOT included in your registration, but we hope that this provides a good opportunity for you to meet some of the other SAS users and have a good meal. 

Sign Up and Costs

No Cost Events (included with your registration)

When you register, you should signup for the Opening Night Dinner to let us know whether you plan to eat dinner with us on Sunday Night.  This will help us plan for the total number of people that will be here. 

The Halloween Party as well as the Monday Night Mixer at the Exploreum are both included with your registration as well. There are no costs for these events.

When you register, please indicate your preference for which day you would like to have lunch (Meet the Presenters Luncheon).  The other day you will be on your own for lunch.

For Cost Events ( NOT included with your registration)

You are entitled to one lunch during the conference (either Monday or Tuesday).  At the conference, we will have leftover tickets available that can be purchased at that time for the other day.

Also, the SESUG After Hours program is considered outside of the normal conference venue.  You will be on your own in terms of paying for dinner for any of these events.

What if I change my mind?

Since many of the events are included with your registration (Opening Night Dinner, the Mixer, and one Conference Luncheon), there will be no refunds for these events.

Guest Registrations can be purchased which will include participation in all of these events as well.

Additional luncheon tickets may be on sale at the Registration Desk depending on availability.

The Events

SESUG’99 Prologue: Opening Night Dinner

Are you interested in a relaxed forum to meet some of your fellow SESUG’99 attendees after you arrive in Mobile? The SESUG’99 Sunday Welcome Dinner might be just what you were looking for! This will provide an informal setting to meet some new people, or to renew acquaintances from previous conferences. By indicating your desire to attend on the registration form, you will guarantee your seat in this new SESUG activity. As long as you pre-register by October 7th, there will be no additional cost for this dinner, but we do need to know if you plan to attend. Tickets are based on first come, first serve and is limited.

Halloween Party

The traditional Sunday Night mixer will be replaced by the SESUG’99 Halloween Party - after all, it will be on October 31st! There’ll be trick-or-treating for the kids, so don’t hesitate to bring the families to Mobile! There’ll be a costume contest for both children and adults (costumes optional, but encouraged). There’ll be snacks, and there’ll be beverages, and there’ll be a surprise or two, and there’ll be fun. All we need is YOU to make the evening complete!

Monday Evening Mixer at the Gulf Coast Exploreum

Join us for a night of Interactive Fun at the Gulf Coast Exploreum. The Exploreum provides a hands-on learning experience for young and old, alike. Located next door to the Adam’s Mark, you will find a scientific playground, 65,000 square feet of interactive science exhibits, traveling exhibits from around the world and a spectacular IMAX Dome theatre. This $20 million state-of-the-art science centre is a "must see" when visiting the Gulf Coast. This free activity, sponsored by the Compaq Computer Corporation, kicks off at 6:00 p.m. on Monday evening

"Meet the Presenters" Luncheons

SESUG’99 will offer a popular feature from previous SESUG conferences - Meet the Presenters Luncheons. Some of our speakers have agreed to make themselves available during lunch to talk to attendees about their presentation - or about their other areas of expertise - or about practically anything at all! There are no assigned seats or predetermined topics - all you need to do is find an empty seat at the table of your choice! And, if you don’t want to spend your lunch hour talking about technical topics, there will be a few tables reserved for General Conversation and "First Timers".

In addition, we will be moving the SESUG 2000 Planning Session from its traditional Monday night time slot to the Tuesday lunch period. Next year’s conference co-chairs, Phil d’Almada and Maribeth Johnson, will discuss their plans for the conference, and will be soliciting your feedback. If you want to find out what will be happening when SESUG comes to Charlotte, NC next year, or if you want to help influence what happens, make plans to attend this event during the Tuesday lunch session.

A ticket is required for admission to the luncheons. However, every SESUG’99 attendee is entitled to one free luncheon ticket! All you need to do is to indicate your first choice for lunch tickets on your SESUG’99 Conference Registration form. Your lunch ticket will be in your Registration Packet when you arrive in Mobile. Seating is limited - SESUG’99 does reserve the right to substitute a lunch ticket an alternate day. Remember to register early to ensure a ticket for your preferred luncheon! If you do not want a free lunch on either day, please indicate this on the Registration form, so we can make your ticket available to someone else.

Attendees who want to attend both the Monday and Tuesday luncheons are encouraged to check with the Registration Desk upon arrival at Mobile - leftover tickets, if any, will be offered for sale at that time.

SESUG After Hours

Many SESUG attendees arrive at the conference with the same questions. These include, "How can I find other people with the same technical interests as me?" and "Where’s a good place to go to eat?" This year, we are introducing a new feature to the conference - SESUG After Hours - to address both of these issues.

There will be sign-up sheets in the registration area, along with menus and information from several area restaurants. To organize a SESUG After Hours dinner, simply put your name, topic, date, time, and restaurant on an empty section. (Remember to call for reservations if the restaurant requires them.) To join a scheduled SESUG After Hours event, simply sign up for one of the empty seats at the session of your choice!

SESUG After Hours sessions will be available Monday, and Tuesday evenings. Please note that each attendee is responsible for their own expenses at these dinners. Attendees must also make their own arrangements for transportation to and from the restaurant; however, there are many fine dining establishments within walking distance of the Adam’s Mark, as well as one within the hotel.

SESUG After Hours discussions will replace the "Birds of a Feather", or BOF sessions, that have been held after hours in the hotel meeting rooms at previous SESUG conferences. The SESUG 2000 Planning Session, traditionally held as a Monday evening BOF, will be held on Tuesday over lunch.