Welcome to the Thursday/Friday Edition of What to Expect! If you have tickets for the Pre-Compiler, you’ll also want to check out the Tuesday/Wednesday edition.  This blog entry is a bit longish but we promise it will be worth your while. Especially if you are new to CodeMash, or if you’ve had that feeling of missing out on things as a past attendee. 

Thursday & Friday 

Thursday is when CodeMash goes into full swing. Additional attendees join us at the conference. Sponsors’ booths will be set up, and booth staff will be eager to scan your badge in exchange for some swag. The waft of breakfast is emanating from the Dining Hall in the morning.

The High-Level schedule is as follows. This high-level schedule will also be on the back of your badge!

High Level Schedule – Thursday 

  • Breakfast: 7-8 am 
  • Sessions: 8-12 am 
  • Lunch is Served: 11:30-2:30 pm 
  • Sessions: 12-5:45 pm 
  • Dinner- 6-7:30pm 
  • Party – 7:30pm – 12am 

High Level Schedule – Friday 

  • Breakfast: 7:30-8:30 am 
  • Sessions: 8:30-12 am 
  • Lunch is Served: 11:00-2 pm 
  • Sessions: 12-5 pm 
  • Closing Raffle: 5-6pm 

Arrival & Registration 

  • Many folks arrive on Wednesday evening and check into a hotel. If you are staying at the Kalahari, please be aware that your room will not be available until after 4 pm.  
  • If you have a 2-day ticket for Thursday/Friday only, the earliest you can pick up your conference badge is 6 pm on Wednesday evening. Registration is typically open until 8 pm, sometimes longer. Also, registration will be open at 7am on Thursday morning. 
  • Head to the Orange Booth for registration. It is near the center of the conference area. You will see a large bronze Lion across from the registration booth.  
  • If you are a CodeMash newbie, familiarize yourself with the Kalahari Conference Center Layout.
  • If you are checking in Thursday morning, expect a line, though we try our best to process it as efficiently as possible.
  • Please bring your EventBrite ticket, or have your ticket available on your mobile app. We simply need the QR code on your ticket (either paper or on your mobile device). If your dog ate your ticket, don’t worry- we have a special line for you, but it’s going to take more time to manually check you in.
  • We will hand you your badge and some other stuff when you register. The wonderful intern volunteers will also do their best to explain how things work.
  • Hoodie pickup will be next to Aloeswood. You can get your hoodie at any time- we will remove the “punch” on your badge once you pick your hoodie up. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE only request the hoodie in the size that you put on your ticket. Otherwise, someone who comes to the hoodie counter later may not get the correct-sized hoodie, and that’s just not cool. No extra hoodies are available; so please don’t request one for your significant other, child, and/or cat.

Things to know about Your Badge 

  • Special thanks to Missy & Matt at ZAGG Studios for the badge design. It’s aesthetically pleasing, functional and practical. 
  • Some of the cool things you will find on your badge: Drink ticket for Thursday evening, a spot to write your name (and pronoun or twitter handle). There is also a spot for a bar code so you can easily share information with sponsors. There is more on that later in this post.
  • Wear your badge at all times while in the conference center. It is needed to gain admittance to sessions and to meals.
  • Have a Kid attending KidzMash? Awesome. They will also get a badge when registering in the KidzMash area (in the Executive Center’s atrium). Please note: Kidz are not allowed to attend sessions nor eat attendee meals. Please don’t try to sneak them in. (We have a few every year that must be chased out… Please don’t be that person.)

All About Sessions 

Attendee Sessions 

  • Sessions begin right after breakfast, starting at 8am on Thursday and run for about an hour each, with 15 minute hall breaks between sessions.
  • On Friday, sessions begin at 8:30am. We start later because almost everyone stays up too late the night before.
  • Detailed schedule and information are available in the official CodeMash app. There is more on that later in this post.
  • Many sponsors will be presenting sessions from 2:15-3:00pm on Thursday, and 1:30-2:15pm on Friday. These sessions are tagged “Sponsor Session” in the schedule.

KidzMash Sessionz 

  • KidzMash is a conference within a conference, and it is open to kidz of all ages. If you have kidz who are planning to attend, please register them. Read here for all the details and registration links. 
  • KidzMash sessions are listed along with the Session Schedule. They are held in the rooms that are in the Executive Center: Portia/Wisteria, Guava/Tamarind, and Mangrove.
  • Some activities (like Laser Tag and Artemis Simulator in Salons C/F) require additional registration. A few tickets are open now, and more will be available when the conference starts.
  • Please note that KidzMash does not provide childcare- a parent or guardian must be present.
  • In addition to CodeMash families, all attendees are welcome to harness their inner child and participate.

CodeMash Conference App 

  • View the session schedule, customize your schedule, and submit session feedback with the official CodeMash app for Android (Google Play) or in the App Store for iOS. The app is called “Cvent Events”.
  • Do you prefer using a laptop, or other mobile device? No problem… just go to the Web App.
  • A map is available in the app. You can easily see the conference center layout, including session rooms, sponsor locations, attendee registration booth location, etc.
  • We will use the app to announce important information, like Snowmageddon, or if a session is cancelled at the last minute.

3d Printing and Modeling 

  • Want to learn how to 3d print or design using CAD? Come check out 3d Printing and Modeling sessions. The 3d printer sessions are in Crown Palm.
  • Available for Attendees and Kidz. No extra registration necessary, just show up.
  • A panel will be held Wednesday and Thursday at 5pm – “How would you print that?”
  • A full schedule of activities is posted here. 

All Day Activities 

Game Room (Sponsored by Improving) 

  • Salon B/G will once again be the home of open gaming at CodeMash!
  • We’ll have a variety of classic and new board games, for groups wanting to play party games, families looking for age-appropriate games, hobby gamers looking for the latest releases and more!
  • Don’t be shy, most tables will be looking for players, so jump on in.
  • The Game Room is open during the entire conference and stays open late on Thursday night.
  • Our game room team will be on hand to help you through your first play if you want and/or you can view the library games list (and check out “how to play” videos) at https://codemash.org/boardgaming/.

Laser Tag and Artemis (Sponsored by CNWR IT Consultants) 

  • Hosted by Gaming Nomads, Artemis is a really cool space ship simulator. It’s totally-not-exactly-like-Star-Trek.
  • Gaming Nomads also hosts Laser Tag! Through the years (iterations) their equipment has become quite remarkable.
  • Available for Attendees, Kidz, and bitz. Free tickets are needed and will be available at EventBrite.

CodeMash Maker Space  

  • The CodeMash Maker Space is open for business Tuesday morning – Friday afternoon and will be held in Ironwood. Stop by and meet with other makers or get a ticket for a project.. 
  • Get all the details about the Maker Space, including recommended software, just like pre-requisites, you should download prior to CodeMash. 
  • Sign up for a Maker Space project (tickets available on EventBrite) or just stop by and hang out with other Makers. 

Waterpark 

  • The Kalahari has one of the largest indoor waterparks in the USA! It’d be a tragedy if you never stopped by to at least dip your toe in the wave pool.
  • The indoor waterpark is open Sun-Thu 10am-8pm and Fri-Sat 10am-9pm. Check out the water slides, go “surfing”, relax in the hot tub, or get a snack from the waterpark restaurant.
  • If you’re staying at Kalahari, your hotel room wrist band also gets you into the waterpark.
  • If you are a CodeMash attendee staying offsite and would like to use the Kalahari waterpark, let us know when you are checking into the conference at Orange Registration and we will provide you with waterpark wristbands. We have 250 of these waterpark wristbands for offsite attendees. Starting this year, you’ll have to bring your own towel.
  • Special note: You won’t need your CodeMash badge to enter the waterpark. The badge is for the conference center.
  • There will be no Thursday night water park party this year due to budget reasons. The Thursday night partying will only be on dry land.
  • Note to parents: The little kid area is in the back of the waterpark (past the wave pool).

Food & Beverage 

Attendee Meals 

  • Meals are only for Attendees with badges (this includes Attendees, Speakers, and Sponsors with full badges). KidzMash attendees do not get access to the dining room, as food isn’t included in free tickets.
  • All attendee meals will be served in the Kilimanjaro Ballroom.
  • Meals: Breakfast (7am-8am), Lunch (11:30 am-2:30 pm), Dinner (6pm-7:30pm) on Thursday. Breakfast (7:30am-8:30am) and Lunch (11 am-2:00 pm) on Friday.
  • At the beginning of each buffet line are food labels: “gluten friendly”, “vegetarian”, and “vegan”. If you have questions about an ingredient, the Kalahari wait staff should be able to get an answer for you.  
  • We will have the glove machines again this year.
  • The BYO hot sauce table in the main dining room is back this year! Bring some hot sauce to share.
  • Special Meals: If you indicated that you need a special meal when registering your ticket, pick it up in the main dining hall at the special meals window. If you’re standing between the stage and the buffet lines and are facing the buffet lines, the location of the special meals window (Reg Booth 3) is to your right. Please check in each day at the window. If the buffet food meets your needs, you are also welcome to get food from there.

Coffee, Sodas, and Snacks 

  • Coffee is available all day on tables in the hallways. During meals, Coffee is moved to the dining room. There is also iced tea and lemonade on the hallway coffee tables.
  • Snack stations will be open throughout the day and will have a variety of snacks and canned/bottled beverages.
  • Snack stations are in the Zambezi booth and in the booth outside Salon A. Coffee will be in the regular hallway spots (outside Rosewood and outside Salon B).

The CodeMash Attendee Party! 

From 7 pm-midnight Thursday is the legendary Attendee Party! The party starts in the Grand Hall, near the Marrakesh bar. The Cocktail Party is sponsored by Ionic. As the night goes on, people migrate to other parties and activities. There are so many things going on. Check ’em out! Attendees and their families are welcome to attend all attendee party activities.

Jam Session. 7:30 pm-12 am. Bring your instruments and make some beautiful music. 

  • Acoustic Jam Session – Cypress 
  • Electric Jam Session – Stage

CodeMash Casino and Carnival Games. 8-11pm    

  • Casino & Carnival Games – Indigo Bay 

Bars and Dessert Display. Grand Hall just outside of Marrakesh

  • Dessert Display (7pm-9pm)
  • Cocktail Bars (7pm-12a)

No Thursday night water park party this year due to budget reasons. Party on dry land, only.

Other Happs. 

  • The Game Room (located in Salon B/G) really gets going in the evening. Come by to play a game or two.
  • Don’t forget about Artemis / Laser Tag (in Salon C/F). Extra registration required– get free tickets on EventBrite.
  • 7:30pm-12am Smash Brothers tournament in Salon A.

Not into the “party scene”?

  • There is a Book Swap table found near Marrakesh. Have a book you want to donate? Leave it. See a book you are interested in? Grab it. Just like the have a penny/leave a penny cups at stores, please give and take freely, but don’t be a hog. Or like a “little library” but on tables.
  • Need to spend some time in prayer/reflection? We have reserved a quiet room just for that purpose. Stop by Orange Registration and trade your government issued photo ID for a key to the shared hospitality suite 2435.
  • If you are a mother, we also have a mother’s room available. Stop by Orange Registration for more information.
  • Kids: After you swipe some desserts from the dessert display, you could head over to the KidzMash area for a 7:30pm movie.

Sponsors & Bar Code Scanning 

  • Sponsors help make CodeMash awesome, and we couldn’t have the conference without their generous support.
  • Wondering who is sponsoring CodeMash? Check out the official sponsor listing here. 
  • All attendees will receive a bar code on their badge, which can be claimed using a web site (details will be provided during registration). You may choose to share your information with a sponsor via that bar code if you are interested in what they have to offer. Many sponsors will be handing out swag or having prize raffles at their booth. Bar codes are used to select winners for raffle prizes.
  • Exhibiting sponsors begin setting up on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning, booths will be set up. Many sponsors will have large crowds congregating during meals, as well as during hall breaks (which are in between sessions). If you want to spend more time talking with a sponsor, you may want to set up a time with them.
  • On both Thursday and Friday after lunch time, sponsors present sessions on a topic usually related to their company. These sessions will be listed on the scheduling app, and Sponsors may also advertise them at their booth. Be sure to check them out!

Stay Healthy, my Friend 

  • Your brain might not be the only thing getting overwhelmed at CodeMash! With all the activity, late nights, the sheer number of people, and the flu season upon us your immune system may also take a beating. Stay properly hydrated and get enough rest!
  • Please practice good hygiene during CodeMash. Wash your hands after using the restroom, use hand sanitizer before meals, etc.
  • Don’t be the smelly one. Take showers.

Closing Ceremony 

  • The closing ceremony is a great time to reflect on what you learned at CodeMash, and serves as a great capstone for the week. It begins at 5 pm (Friday) in the Kilimanjaro Ball Room.
  • One of the best reasons to stick around: we will be giving away a bunch of raffle prizes (thanks to our awesome sponsors)! If you allowed your bar code to be scanned by a sponsor, you may be fortunate enough to win a prize! For most prizes, you must be present to win.
  • You will also learn about what goes into CodeMash and be introduced to the Board and Committee members. Sometimes we even let the interns on stage.

Need assistance? 

  • Staff Members are ready and always willing to help. Most of them will be wearing purple hoodies. Stop by any of the Registration booths if you have a question.
  • Try your best to ignore the disapproving gorilla at the base of the grand staircase. In the past, people who were unable to sleep under his incessant eye daggers had success covering him with an extra blanket.
  • Lost and Found is at the Orange Registration booth. We always have a few good finds during the conference! While we’re on the topic, please add your name to your phone’s lock screen- it will help us get it back to you if you misplace or lose it. Any items left in the Lost and Found for too long will be sent to the hotel’s lost and found. 

Schedule / Time Changes 

  • Please double check the official schedule before heading out, as final tweaks could result in last-minute changes. The official schedule (available on the CodeMash web site and mobile app) will be kept up to date and will reflect the correct date/time for all sessions and activities.

Special Accommodations  

  • Don’t want to wear your coat around all day? There are self-serve coat racks found outside of Zebrawood.
  • We will not have a hotel shuttle this year.
  • If you would like to have a quiet time/prayer room, come to Orange Registration and request a key. The quiet room is Hospitality Suite 2435.
  • Kalahari provides a mother’s room located outside of ballroom Suite 2. Please request a key at Orange Registration.

All Gender Restroom Options 

  • Because we want everyone to have a safe and comfortable CodeMash, we wanted to let you know that we have an all-gender restroom option.
  • Located near Salon D, we’ll have a pair of all-gender, multi-occupancy restrooms. All-gender restrooms are just that—they’re available for anyone who just needs to go, regardless of their gender.
  • We’ll also have a discreet single-occupancy all-gender/family restroom found near the Speaker Lounge.
  • All other restrooms within the venue will be the usual men’s/women’s restrooms as marked.
  • Of course, we encourage you to always use the restroom that makes you feel the most comfortable.
  • Thank you in advance for abiding by the Code of Conduct and respecting your fellow attendees.

Whew, is that all? 

  • Be sure to stay tuned to our major comms channels (Twitter, Slack) during the conference and check out our mobile app!
  • Have a feeling you’ve missed a pre-conference announcement? No problem. Catch up on past announcements by reading our blahg. Happy scrolling!
  • If you read this far, well golly, thanks! You are statistically more likely to have an awesome CodeMash, because you know all the info.