Blog: Chicago

The second annual YearlyKos Convention (and last, since the conference will be changing its name to Netroots Nation next year) took place at the start of August in Chicago. The conference was terrific, with many great people I knew and many I didn't, numerous interesting panels (I moderated a panel as well, about prognosticating the future of technology in politics), a great bar trivia contest testing obscure political knowledge (Living Liberally placed sixth!) and best of all, fun parties including one thrown by Living Liberally each night.

The conference venue itself was a little annoying. McCormick Place is in an isolated part of Chicago lacking nearby food options, and the food for sale is ridiculously overpriced. Through no fault of the conference organizers, the convention center changed the rooms at the last minute to several distant clusters with a ten-minute walk between them. And the hotel tried to extract a several hundred dollar bribe for bringing liquor into our room for a party.

But everyone I talked to had a great time, getting seven Presidential candidates to a blogger conference is an amazing accomplishment, and pulling off a convention like this is truly astounding given it has only one paid staff person managing an army of volunteers. Thanks for a great time, Team YearlyKos!