You've heard me talking about the TechMentor Conference before. I'm on the steering committee for this show, and so I get to hear all about the great topics coming up for each new conference. What's great about TechMentor is that its one of the few fully-independent conferences available. You're not going to get the party line here. Only the straight scoop from independent authors, speakers, and consultants that are out in the thick of it every day.

As usual, I'll be chairing the Troubleshooting, Tips & Tricks Track once again. We'll be bringing back old favorites like Peter Bruzzese, Mark Minasi, Don Jones, Rhonda Layfield and Bruce Mackenzie-Low. We've also got a new face on the roster this time in James Conrad, noted instructor with CBT Nuggets.

Our agenda is jam-packed with 65 individual sessions plus 14 pre- and post-con workshops where you can get down and dirty with the topics that make your life as an administrator that much easier.

The best part about TechMentor is that we've updated the pricing to make it easier for you to come join us. The Gold Passport, that includes all the sessions from TechMentor as well as the co-located VSLive developer-focused show plus some awesome schwag and access to the passport lounge (think fluffy couches, food and drinks, movies, and XBox in the time between sessions) all comes in at the low price of $2,595.

But if you're trying to save a buck, you can get one of our standard packages too. Standard packages give you flexibility in sessions, separated out by track, for the low price of $1.095. So you can see that there are options all across the board.

And, as always, if anyone who is a regular part of this community needs my help in getting their boss' approval to get them going, just drop me a line here and I'll help out whereever I can.

Click here for all the TechMentor info you need. See you in San Francisco!