Tools and tricks

The conference isn’t just about learning new technical tricks, there’s also a huge trade show attached. In order to lure potential customers to stands various companies have been trying some cool tricks to wind in the punters.

Patchlink’s t-shirts were being given away hand over fist, although the bright orange hue could only appeal to the fashionably challenged. Meanwhile Cyberlink resorted to the oldest trick in the book and had a very attractive young lady in a purple guard uniform on the stand with a very, very short skirt. The predominantly male audience swarmed in.

There were iPods aplenty to be won for the donation of a business card and Microsoft were giving away Xbox games in a Wheel of Fortune game for anyone who completed a questionnaire. They also sponsored a cryptolounge with video and pinball games, TV, table football and comfy seats that were a dream after the day’s walk.

Top marks however go to PGP for their strategy to draw people to the stand. Fresh cold beer was on tap at the stand – now there’s an incentive.