42 Reasons to join me at #OUGN14

1. Oracle User Group Norway (OUGN) organizes the biggest Oracle user conference in Scandinavia.
2. As of March 28, 341 DBAs, developers, managers, sales people, and more have figured out why. Read on for more reasons if you have not registered yet.
3. This year we are breaking many of our own records, for example we have 66 speakers from 15 different countries.
4. We have added another track with a total of 8 different tracks.
5. Our conference, also known as the Boat Conference is getting famous worldwide. The call for paper this time resulted in more than 200 submitted abstracts, from more speakers than any time.
6. We  start even earlier to cram in more sessions - it is hard to say no to all good speakers out there, we have never had so many sessions, more than 100 in total.
7. This year we have two roundtable sessions - meet the experts and join the conversations.
8. Something completely new: Women in Technology - WIT. See the abstract here http://bit.ly/OVrwgR If you have been to conferences before you know why this is important.
9. Meet Oracle’s coolest product manager, for SQL Developer Jeff Smith, check his blog here http://www.thatjeffsmith.com/ and you get the idea.
10. Are you a DBA and wonder why Java? Do you code in Java and wonder “What now, Oracle?” Meet Oracle’s PM on Java, Bruno Borges. Coming all the way from São Paulo, Brazil to talk about Java and more.
11. The Java track has never been better, with more Norwegian speakers, including Aslak Knutsen from Red Hat. Markus Eisele (who knows everybody in the Java community) will be there too.
12. We can’t of think any better place in Norway to mend the sometimes broken relationship between Java coders and DBAs.
13. How is your system performance? Learn optimization from the expert Cary Millsap.
14. DBAs blame developers for bad design, developers blame the database for being old and not scalable. Who is right? Learn how these groups can work together from the same man.
15. Have you been to an Oracle presentation and been so entertained that you lost sense of time? You will after going to one of Connor McDonnald’s presentations. Last year his presentations received record high scores on content and delivery.
16. Still confused about fusion? The middleware track will help you and your future will look green.
17. How often have you googled for a solution and ended up with a nice write-up at oracle-base.com ? Now you can meet the man who wrote all of it, Tim Hall aka Oracle Base, look for a man in an Oraclenerd T-shirt.
18. Not sure if Norway is big enough for Big Data? Surely Big Data Solutions Director Luis Campos from Oracle PT will tell us.
19. Software projects are difficult, get off with a good start and a good data model in this presentation with Heli (the world has only one Heli like Heli, so first name is OK, we think).
20. Do you like Scottish mood and complicated humour? You’ll be able to read 10053 trace files backwards before you understand all his jokes, which make his presentations never boring. Meet OUGN best supporter and a long-time friend, Doug Burns.
21. Do you usually wait three years after release of R2 before you upgrade? You will have no reason to wait after you’ve got all the details in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to  Oracle Database Upgrades
22. With 12c PL/SQL is stronger than ever, according to Bryn in his presentation P133.
23. Some worried that Oracle would kill MySQL once they bought it. They were wrong, our MySQL track is full of good content from Oracle’s own developers and users out there. Meet attendees and Oracle staff and ask about MySQL (Care for an meetup btw? We’ve got an open slot for you.)
24. Has everybody moved to Linux? Check out this presentation on Sparc and LDOMS.
25. The apps track is back!
26. You too are late learning APEX? Don’t worry, check out this.
27. Several managers have signed up. If you manage DBAs and other techies this is your opportunity to see them in their preferred habitat, and you can exchange experience with other managers.
28. Do you have challenges in your job? Alone with a new design, or maybe you have learned something unusual? Share your experience and discuss it with other techies. Learn what is not in the documentation.
29. Introverts and control freaks have no better place to socialize then on a user conference. Not tired of discussing RMAN configuration? You will not be alone on this ship.
30. Have a question for Oracle sale, pre-sale, technologists or someone from the C-level? Oracle Norway, US, DE and more are sending several to support us, and they don’t mind sitting down for a talk, be it in a bar or in the Boardroom. Who knows what can happen in international waters. Just don’t mention licenses on the dance floor, that is bad mojo.
31. This year we have a new native app for smartphones. It will work even when you are offline. Make your own agenda and share it on Twitter.
32. One of two frequent feedback from speakers and attendees is that the conference is well organized. Thanks to Color Line and the venue the conference is usually a smooth sailing. Actually we can’t think of any better venue, so we will probably use the same setup for many years.
33. The other feedback is that the food is quite good. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in a restaurant with excellent standard. More info about the ship here.
34. Being on a ship, people stick around and socialize with other speakers and attendees. Not too big and not to small. This is a fantastic networking opportunity; you’ll always find someone, when you’ve had enough you can always retreat to your cabin or a calm restaurant.
35. The weather forecast looks quite promising, with sun, no rain and 4º C the Oslofjord will be a nice scenery going and returning.
36. Tax free...
37. Though we have wifi in the conference area, you may actually enjoy being offline sometimes. It is a good excuse to not read email and check whatever addiction you have when we are going through Skagerrak.
38. If you come from abroad and want to know more about the Norwegian market you get to meet a variety of large and small customers.
39. Actually more attendees from outside Norway has registered than any time before.
40. Forgot to mention the cloud. Surely, someone will mention it on the conference. There will probably be more clouds in the sessions than in the sky, because we will have no-cloud weather during the conference.
41. We also have many presentations with tons of no-hype stuff, proven work from experienced people.
42. Seeing first-time speakers freak out when the ship starts moving is priceless.

If you are still reading this, it may be to late. Ticket sale ends Monday March 31, 09 hs CET. Mail us if you are desperate.