Last week, two coworkers and I were lucky enough to go to Austin Texas for the HOW Design Conference. We spent four days at the convention center, eating and drinking everything within a 4 mile radius. It was amazing. Let’s briefly review the conference…
Oops. That is actually the most delicious tomato salad I have ever eaten from the restaurant La Condesa.
Here are my travel buddies. They have appeared on Megagood before, and are responsible for bringing many people into the site who are searching for "blond curls."
Eeeegads, the trade show. Some people LOVE these things. I have never been a huge fan, seeing as how I don't like excess stuff or overhead fluorescent lighting. A word of advice to the vendors targeting designers at one of these things: Give away posters. That is all they are going to save. They will wait in a line that wraps around many booths to get your poster. They will put it up at work. The rest of the stuff is likely in the hotel garbage can. Just saying.
The most popular sticker at the trade show. Death to Papyrus, please and thanks.
The rest of the photos from the conference are taken from the inside of various 32 degree meeting halls. I can describe them to you. Picture several hundred people sitting on hard chairs listening to a speaker in the front of the room with a big screen. These people may or may not be taking notes, blogging, Twittering or Facebooking. Most likely they are freezing to death. They may or may not be inspired by what they hear. They will walk out if they are not. They will text their travel buddies to come join their session if they think it is awesome.
I attended a few sessions that were really worth it and I left feeling excited to be a designer. I also attended a few that made me glad that I wasn’t an in-house designer or freelancer. Many of the attendees seemed to fit into those two camps. Can we talk about food now?
Curra's. Best Tex-Mex food I have ever put in my mouth. I don't even have photos of the plate because it was devoured almost instantly. Our waiter was also insanely nice. We don't have that kind of service in Chicago.
Lamberts. Great gods of smokey meats with a side of macaroni this was fantastic.
Lambert's was on the fancy side barbecue by most people's standards. The atmosphere, server and food were just to die for though. I am in love with that Cuban pork sandwich.
Gorgeous centerpiece. These are my little buddies House, Hot and Mustard.
Another "best" to add to the list. This granola changed my life. I may never be satisfied by breakfast cereal again.
And here is some more eating. La Condesa this time. Authentic mexican.
I can't show you all the photos of what happened in between eating and going to bed. But here is our rickshaw biker. I think he is about to regret taking this fare.
