Warpstock '97 Location Finalized

OS/2 Community to Convene in Los Angeles, CA

Oklahoma City, June 26, 1997 -- At a highly charged internet IRC meeting last week, the Warpstock event steering committee selected southern California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) to be the host of the 1997 OS/2 Warpstock convention. Commonly known as Warpstock '97, the inaugural event will be held October 25-26, 1997, in Diamond Bar, California. The event kicks off promptly at 8:30am Saturday and ends Sunday at 6:00pm. Over 50 events in multiple tracks are scheduled for the SOHO user, the individual OS/2 user, and for officers of OS/2 user groups. Presentation modules are also scheduled for OS/2 developers and those users interested in programming applications for OS/2. Hardware vendors, OS/2 ISVs, OS/2 user group officers, and IBM representatives will all be on hand to help OS/2 users get the most out of their investment in OS/2 software applications.

"I'm quite pleased to announce the details of Warpstock '97 at this time. We've been swamped with requests for information ever since Warpstock '97 was conceived and announced in April" said Paul Hethmon, president and CEO of Hethmon Brothers, an internet tools provider and chairman of the Warpstock steering committee. "We hope to address the most critical questions regarding dates, location, and registration fees with this announcement", Hethmon added.

"We've worked hard to make this event affordable for everyone, while packing the event with as much usable information as a multitasking, multithreaded OS/2 user can take" said Judy McDermott, a Warpstock steering committee member and head of volunteer registrations and assignments. "At the same time, we recognize 'All work and no play' make OS/2 users go banannas, so we're planning tours of local attractions which the whole family can enjoy", McDermott said.

Attendee Registration

Individuals may sign up for a single day or for both days of the event. Attendee registration is $40.00 for both days or $30.00 for a single day through September 1st. Registrations received after September 1st are $60.00 for both days or $45.00 for a single day. Online registration and traditional phone and mail registrations will be handled by BMT Micro, Inc. via any of the following methods:

800-414-4268 - Voice / USA-Canada
910-350-2937 - Voice / Outside North America
800-346-1672 - Fax / USA-Canada
910-350-2937 - Fax / Outside North America

internet: http://www.bmtmicro.com or https://secure.falcon-net.net/BMT/order0262.html (case sensitive; secure browser required)

All attendee registrations received prior to September 1st will automatically be entered into a special drawing for attractive "Early Bird" prizes.

The Warpstock '97 planning committee is negotiating with AQMD to provide child care facilities during the event. AQMD is conveniently located near a wide variety of amusement parks and other family oriented attractions, so OS/2 users are invited to bring the whole family and make a vacation around Warpstock '97.

Exhibitor Registration

Exhibitors may register through September 1st for $300.00. Exhibitor registrations received after September 1st is $450.00. Exhibitor registrations will receive two complimentary show passes; additional show passes are available for $40.00. All exhibitors will be allocated 10' x 10' booths. Hardware vendors, software ISVs, user groups, and shareware authors are all invited to attend. Shareware vendors may share a single booth to reduce expenses; however, each shareware author must register as an attendee in order to qualify for the booth sharing arrangement.

Travel and Lodging

The Warpstock steering committee has negotiated special travel arrangements with Ship to Shore Travel (Toll free: 888/447-1333 or 405/ 447-1333; please ask for James Kruger and mention the Warpstock '97 event). Warpstock attendees flying to Warpstock '97 may save money by scheduling airfare, lodging, and car rentals through Ship to Shore Travel. A group of hotels in a wide range of prices near AQMD (21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA 91765) have been reserved to accomodate Warpstock '97 attendees. Ship to Shore travel is located at 1932 W. Lindsey St, Suite E, Norman, OK, 73069.

Warpstock 97, a major conference for OS/2 small office/home office (SOHO) and individual end-users, is an excellent opportunity for OS/2 SOHO and individual users and OS/2 vendors to identify this market segment's product requirements and to exchange ideas. The idea of an "OS/2 love-fest" was conceived as one result of The OS/2 Marketplace, a highly successful OS/2 vendors conference held recently in Phoenix.

Discussion about the event is ongoing on the internet's comp.os.os2.misc newsgroup, on commerical on-line services, and with centralized discussion on an Internet mail list. For more information, visit http://www.warpstock.org and join the Warpstock listserv. To subscribe to the Warpstock listserv, send an email to warpstock-request@warpstock.org with no subject and the words "subscribe" in the message body.

Further announcements about Warpstock will be forthcoming as planning for the event continues; updates will be posted to the Warpstock '97 home page. Warpstock '97 is an ALL-VOLUNTEER effort; anyone committed to promoting OS/2 is invited to sign up and volunteer their time and skills to make Warpstock '97 a success. Volunteers should join the listserv to obtain information on available slots.