So this week's opinion piece is to provide some tips for surviving TechEd, and how to get the most out of it.

I've only been to one other TechEd before, so my experience is a little limited compared to some of the veterans, but I do remember that week back in September 2003, and how tired I was :)

1. Make sure you start touring on Day 1 for the free swag. Nothing beats free swag, so you have to get in before it all runs out. I was sadly disappointed when I pout off visiting one of the vendor stands on day 3 and they'd run out of balls. But keep going back - sometimes they get sneaky and don't bring the free swag out until later in the week. Keep your eyes open for other people walking around holding something you don't have yet - if you see a pen, badge, ball, or other trinket, immediately ask the person where they got it from, and go get yours before they run out!
2. TechEd is huge. There's a whole lot of people. There's a whole lot of strangers. Old people, young people, some in suits, some in rags. But if you're at TechEd, you're a member of the Brotherhood of Geekdom^(tm). Don't be scared to go up to someone you don't know and start talking. (Well, mostly. If you're a coder and the other person is wearing a suit or some other sort of 'nice' gear, then they're probably from the technet side of the world, not the MSDN one, and you may not have that much in common after all :)
3. Expect heartbreak. There will be times when 2 (or even sometimes more) sessions that you really want to attend are on at the same time. There's not much you can do about it, and if you fall onto the floor sobbing, people will point and laugh, but probably not help. We may all be brothers, but no one likes to be associated with a weirdo (and if a geek calls you weird, that's saying something).
4. As Glav mentioned, forget sleep. My saviour last time was the free Red Bull. One room was filled with computers with a net connection and fridges filled with Red Bull. Red Bull is poison - it dissolves brain cells, stomach lining, intestinal lining, teeth, and more - but two for breakfast, two for lunch, two after dinner, and one after each talk certainly keeps you awake.
5. Be prepared to be inundated with phone calls or emails after TechEd is over. Many vendors will only give you free stuff or let you enter their competitions if you let them swipe your card (which adds you to their contact list). When the calls start coming in, you probably won't remember too well what it is that they're talking about (having visited a whole heap of vendor stands in just a few days). Be polite, even if you really don't want the phone call - they're only doing their job. If you want the free stuff, you get contacted - live with it :)
6. At certain times, manners won't help you. I went to TechEd in 2003 with another guy from work. We entered the nightclub where the party was held together - and me being Mr Manners let him go in before me. End result? He won one of the door prizes (a light saber) and I didn't, the ***, and I still haven't forgiven him for not giving it to me. Manners are good, but use discretion - nice guys often finish last.
7. Speakers don't bite. If you have some questions and the end and the opportunity comes up to go and talk to them, then talk to them, no matter how lame your question is. They are there to help, not to call you stupid :)
8. Try to remember everyone you meet. Some very cool contacts can be made just by remembering someone's name and looking them up later (through their blog or whatever). I doubt he remembers this, but I'm sure that the first time I met Bill McCarthy was at the JAM stand at TechEd 2003. I had a question and he helped me, and it was appreciated. I've come a long way since then (in the world and in my skillz) and we now move in some similar circles. I realised probably 6 months ago that it was him who helped - thanks mate!

I think I've run out of things to say now. :)