PDF Conference preview and must-see sessions

Dan Shea Planet PDF Managing Editor

September 21, 2005

With mere days to go until the Crystal City Hilton opens its doors for the 2005 PDF Conference, PDF luminaries and neophytes alike are preparing to make their way to the US capital for a dose of PDF education. Some will be looking to update existing knowledge, while others will be starting from scratch. Regardless, the show has a little something for everyone. The expo will offer delegates a wide variety of potential solutions, while the presentations can education PDF professionals of all levels. In addition, the pre- and post-show workshops will offer more intensive training.

The seminar portion of the show will run with the now-familiar three-track structure, with this year's tracks to be entitled "Acrobat User," "PDF in Business and Government" and "PDF in Printing and Creative Arts." Each track addresses potential issues and best practices in its target environment, arming attendees with the knowledge to streamline their workflows using PDF technologies.

I'll even be getting into the act myself, moderating a session or two while I'm in Arlington covering the event. After a good look at the conference program, I wanted to outline a few must-see sessions from the many on offer...

Dan's Picks

1) Strategies for Implementing Reader Extended PDF Forms
Monday, 26/9 from 1:00pm-2:00pm
Dewey

With the advent of Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions (formerly known as Adobe Document Server with Reader Extensions and Adobe Reader Extensions Server), Adobe opened up a whole new world of possibilities for large-scale forms providers. Adobe Reader Extensions can take PDF forms to a new level of functionality for the huge installed user base of the free Adobe Reader. How? Well, this presenation by FormRouter's Chris Pieper covers the basics of Reader Extensions, covering questions such as, "What are Reader Extensions and how do they impact my forms?" He will also address practical considerations about implementing your own Reader Extensions workflow.

2) What's Next: The Adobe/Macromedia Merger and The Microsoft Challenge
Tuesday, 27/9 from 8:30am-9:30am
Ballroom

What do you get if you cross the best form and document display software with the leading web multimedia application? Well, that's a hot question of the moment, in the wake of the Adobe/Macromedia merger. This session will offer the latest news on the merger and include predictions about its impact on PDF deployments in industry. With Microsoft yet to jump on the PDF bandwagon, this session will also cover the creator of Metro and InfoPath's proposal and the response from the PDF community.

3) PDF Power Panel
Tuesday, 27/9 from 4:30pm-5:30pm
Ballroom

OK, so you find yourself at the end of the show, but unfortunately, you still have some lingering PDF questions. Never fear, the Power Panel is here! Throughout the event, you will be encouraged to submit PDF questions for the panel, which will address submitted questions along with fielding fresh queries from the audience. After days of conference sessions, why not conclude the event by getting straight answers to those burning PDF questions? I will have the privilege of moderating this session, which will boast several internationally renowned PDF experts as panelists.