MMS 2013 Bag and Contents

I just went through registration and picked up the conference bag. As Rod Trent (@RodTrent) kept hinting, the bag is pretty nice. I had a sneak peek, but its even better in person. One word of warning though. If you’re a backpack person, you’re going to be disappointed. So, without further ado, here is the MMS 2013 conference bag: The bag seems to be high quality. Nicely padded all-around, with a fabric surface that feels durable. Texture is important to me and this bag feels pleasant to the touch.

The outer flap has a Velcro attachment on one side and a magnetic clasp on the opposite side that wraps around the side. Seems like it should stay secure under normal use.

The outside flap has a single zipper pocket. Under the flap is a Velcro secured pocket and inside it are two small Velcro pockets with flaps and a zipper pocket in the center. On the opposite side of the front pocket is a small space where you can place a business card or other ID for your bag

Opening the bag reveals an inside space with a separate section for a laptop. If I put my Surface Pro in, there is plenty of room. The pocket isn’t very deep though so if you have a laptop on the larger side you’re probably out of luck. haven’t tried it though so your mileage may vary. There is a large pocket on the front of the laptop divider, nicely sized for the conference guide.

Inside the bag is a zipper pouch that I assume is for AC adapters, cables, or other loose items. The zipper fob has the same MMS2013 logo as the front of the bag. The bag is free of junk mail (more on that below). There is a conference guide, a notebook, flash drive, and the pass for the party:

• The flash drive is a 1 GB drive and it contains a PDF with all of the vendor materials that would normally be tossed in the trash. Great idea! Hope the folks at TechEd follow suit.
• The notebook looks good, but it is the kind I put in my swag collection and never actually use.
• The conference guide is a like a large version of the mini-guide I’m used to getting at TechEd. Since the badge just clips on to the lanyard, there’s no place for a mini-guide like that.
• The pen has an extremely bright flashlight on one end.
• The party “pass” is actually a light-up fob or pendant you can wear around your neck.

The bag also has a zipper pocket on the back of the bag. My only negative comment so far is the lack of a pad on the shoulder strap. We’ll see how that works out without it on my shoulder all week.

Take a look at the rest of the photos in my MMS 2013 Conference Bag and Swag SkyDrive album.

Now, I’ll probably wander round a bit before heading over for MMS 101. I’m not sure how much there’s going to be that is news to a TechEd veteran like myself, but I’m sure I’ll learn a thing or two.