4D Summit 2008 - A Recap

With the sun and the sea as the backdrop, 4D Summit 2008 was a smashing success, held this year in Long Beach, California. The annual gathering of 4D faithful (and newcomers!) from around the world offered its signature blend of valuable technical expertise, exclusive previews of future technologies, and world-class entertainment. With a greater number of attendees coming from overseas each year – this year more than ever before – the 4D Summit has truly become a global event to remember.

The Experts Speak

After unveiling 4D v11 SQL in 2007 and completing the product offering with 4D Server v11 SQL in early 2008, 4D has established itself not only as a stalwart in Rapid Application Development, but as a standards-bearer in database technology. 4D v11 SQL has been a bold declaration of the future of application development, not only by boasting a rapid and robust back-end, but by taking advantage of emerging standards to deploy applications anywhere.

Nowhere has the versatility of application deployment been as important as in the Rich Internet Application and Rich Desktop Application space, which 4D has pursued aggressively.   In addition to invaluable sessions on 4D application development presented by the world’s foremost 4D experts – the engineers themselves – this year’s Summit offered a slew of classes geared toward new technologies invaluable to today’s 4D developer.

From courses on Rich Internet Applications to JavaScript, to SQL programming and 4D Ajax Framework, attendees could get their fill of knowledge from morning ‘til night.

With Sunrise Sessions at the break of day and Sunset Sessions after dusk, 4D Summit 2008 was absolutely packed with opportunities to learn techniques from the top experts.

The Big Show

No Summit is complete without its informative and entertaining keynote presentations, where the auditoriums are filled – well before start time – by developers eager to see what’s coming next from the minds at 4D.

This year did not disappoint, with Luc Hollande's first public presentation in the US, recounting the results achieved since his arrival as CEO fo the 4D group in 2005, and outlining the company's strategy for the coming months and years. As always, the masses eagerly awaited Q&A with president and founder Laurent Ribardière, and the showmanship of 4D Inc. CEO Brendan Coveney.

Amongst the keynote highlights were watching the 4D v11 SQL in action via live demos by manager of internal development Olivier Deschanels, and development engineer Thibaud Arguillere; in-depth looks at the inner workings of 4D Server v11 SQL by Laurent Ribardière and Laurent Esnault; the “Beyond 4D v11” presentation by Christophe Keromen mapping out the future of 4D development; and Brendan Coveney and the 4D Web 2.0 Pack team’s presentation of the amazing “Green Tea” Rich Internet Application development interface.

All Work and No Play…

Of course, the Summit isn’t all about cramming your head full of every tidbit about current and future 4D technology, or laughing and cheering at the people on stage.  It’s an opportunity to meet up with old friends from Summits past, make new friends, network with potential new business associates, and – of course – have a little fun with the rest of the 4D community.

From the traditional Tuesday evening Welcome Reception over drinks and hors d’oeuvres to the banquet-style lunches, each gathering was a chance for attendees not only to socialize and network amongst themselves, but also to have some one-on-one time with the presenters and 4D staffers who can answer their burning questions… Or simply put a friendly face on the company behind their favorite software!

By Thursday evening, everyone was well acquainted enough to let their hair down and cut loose. This year’s Evening with 4D took place aboard the formidable, classic luxury liner Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor. The perennial party features plenty of drinks, socializing, and gourmet food, and this year featured the glamour and glitter of VAMP, “where burlesque meets Broadway,” for a combination of irreverent fun and a touch of class so befitting the 4D Summit.

See You Next Year 

Friday afternoon’s Wrap-Up session is a bittersweet affair. The insightful Q&A was – as always – popular and informative, and after a week of intense sessions and lots of information, the relaxed format was a welcome one. But with another Summit drawing to a close, it was time to say goodbye to friends – both old and new – and wish everyone well.

Of course, the work isn’t over for the 4D team…  As soon as the Summit wraps up, we start working on the next one, where we hope to see you!

• Watch and learn from videos of new product features that were shown at the Summit
• Download the accompanying databases (Partners only)