Joshua Cyr Talks about The RIAdventure

by Judith Dinowitz, Editor-in-Chief

While you might have seen talk about the RIAdventure cruise, some have wondered why they would go on a cruise rather than attend a more formal conference. Joshua Cyr, organizer of the event, sat down with me and explained the up side of RIA on the ocean blue.

What is the RIAdventure cruise and why is it different from a Flex Camp?

This isn't a conference. It is a social cruise. There are no speakers; there are no sessions. It is 100% about the networking and simply being social with your peers. It is on a cruise ship so all the amenities are provided and we can just relax and interact.

A lot of people say how great a time they had it at conference, X Y and z; they met so many great people. For some the highlight of the trip was sitting down at the bar one night and catching up with friends or making new ones. This will be a way to accentuate those good times plus have a great vacation.

Because this is not a conference, there are no conference fees. In addition we have a dedicated travel agent to organize this for everybody. She will take care of organizing it so that you get a room that makes sense for your budget and needs. In fact, because we're going on a cruise as a group, we're getting a group rate, and we're getting some extra perks as well.

Because it's mostly vacation and fun, we will be a small group on a very large ship. It won't just be programmers; there will be over 1000 people who will be out there having fun having nothing to do with us so it is encouraged to bring your family and friends. They will have a great time and not feel out of place.

Can you tell me some of the perks you're talking about?

Hard to say until we have firm numbers, but most likely a special party, maybe discounts or on board credit.

Why did you decide to do this as a cruise?

I've been meaning to do this for a while. I like cruises, and it's different from our other events. This is a grand experiment to see how the community will react, hopefully an annual event.

Why RIA and not ColdFusion?

I have a lot of connections in the ColdFusion world, but I'd like to meet more people and make connections in the Flex/Air world. It's good for all of us to broaden our horizons, so to speak. If we get enough people to book in advance, I can start organizing some birds of a feather events to help people get together for certain topics.

Can you tell me some more about the cruise?

The cruise runs Monday through Friday, from Miami to the Bahamas. The ship sets sail in the evening and is docked all day long. So we have the ability to go and explore a new port every day, all day long, and then for dinner we get back on the ship. The ship then sets sail for the next port. We enjoy the evening and go to sleep, and wake up in a whole new place to explore.

The cruise ship is on the Norwegian Cruise Line. I've been on their ships a couple of times, so I know what to expect. They're a freestyle ship, without an overly structured schedule, and food is included in the fee, so you know what you're getting with your budget.

The cruise line is also kid-friendly. They have a lot of kid programs, which is really handy.

When does it take place?

We leave February 9th. You can book now and put a deposit of $115 per person down, and then you have either until December to pay the balance. Just look us up at www.RIAdventure.com. Sign up for the Google group, which is the forum, and post any questions you have. And if you're interested in going, I'd recommend contacting the travel agent earlier rather than later. This way we can plan the BOFs and negotiate perks with the cruise line.

Thanks so much for talking with us, Joshua! RIAdventure sounds like a great networking event and a relaxing vacation, all in one!

You're welcome, Judith. Thanks for getting the word out!

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