The second Dscoop conference - held this past weekend at Saddlebrook Resort outside Tampa FL - drew more than 700 participants (see Barb Pellow's coverage of the conference). While I was there, I stopped a few folks to ask what they were getting from their attendance at the event.

Rob Drage, Rastar, Salt Lake City UT, came to network with peers and with HP. Since he is Director of Research and Development, he is always on the lookout for new information and new applications. "I'm participating in the technical sessions. HP is doing a wonderful job of sharing knowledge. The atmosphere here encourages peer to peer exchange of information."

Todd Kalagher, Findlay Printing, Bloomfield CT, came to "push the envelope." Dscoop is an opportunity to "openly discuss issues, share things with each other and with HP. We don't just talk about issues, we talk about the industry. Everyone is pretty low key, and everyone is positive."

R. Craig Curran, Nosco, Winter Springs FL, came specificlly "to network with HP people. I can see all the people I want to talk to in the same place; I can go over issues in one place at one time." Nosco is a pharmaceutical company using HP equipment to print short runs of labels. About 80% of labels for prescription drugs are short run - because prescription drugs have short shelf lives and they are distributed in multiple levels of dosages, sometimes 6 or 8, or more, different dosages.

During the Solution Showcase, attendees got the opportunity to get really up close and personal with HP equipment. In this case, you can see exactly how close! Kathy Hartmann, HP, put together a great peer-to-peer group - Speed Solutions - where each member had the opportunity to pose a question, raise an issue, or share an application with the group. In come cases, there were solutions found; in others, it was an opportunity for the group to share a concern.

As I watched groups forming, discussions happening, and problems being solved, it became clear that this type of event is where it really happens. Competitors no longer compete, they share solutions and applications. In the end, the customer benefits most. Each participant went back to his or her office with new ideas, new solutions, and - no doubt about it - new friends.