I had a blast at Macstock in 2016. It was a perfect combination of tech personalities and tech lovers, great presentations, and lots of fun mingling. In 2017 it grew, and the attendees, presentations, and the social events got even better. Based on that, I’m betting on Macstock 2018 being the best one ever in the history of Macstock (ok, sure, it’s only a few years old, but let’s keep making new records to break).

The lineup of speakers is always top notch. I learned a lot last year, which surprised me because I don’t do well in auditorium settings. It’s why I failed Calc 2. They even let me speak last year and I loved it. If all goes well with my pitch, I’ll be speaking again this year (and doing a deep dive session).

It’s the attendees, though, that really make it worth the trip. Remember Macworld? I think I went to three sessions (five if you count the two talks I gave) total, but I showed up every year because it was the Apple-lover’s social event of the year. As I hoped it would, Macstock is growing to be that social event for me. And the more people who show up, the better it gets.

There was a great barbecue in the middle of the conference the first year, a great mingle last year, and this year there’s a Welcome Party the first night, [a ton of great talks], an After Party on Saturday, a Game Night after the After Party for those who can handle late, late nights, and a wrap-up event on Sunday.

So, all of that said, early bird ticket sales are open now, and you can get a weekend pass for $179 (will be $249) and a day pass for $89 (to be $99). It takes place on July 21st and 22nd, so you have plenty of time to plan travel and lodging.

Head to macstockconferenceandexpo.com for more details, and follow @macstockexpo on Twitter for updates. I sincerely hope to see you there!