Let’s get right to the heart of this thing:

It appears that many of my fellow conference attendees failed to make it to Jeanne Bliss’s 8:30 AM Keynote.  Apparently that aforementioned “Dinner at SeaWorld” got out of hand and when everyone finally crawled out of bed–groggy and bleary-eyed–the main event was all but over.

But we here at Speech Tech Blog are made of sterner stuff.  So if you missed the keynote, check out our news feature on Jeanne Bliss.

Also: I managed to locate yesterday’s story on Josh Bernoff’s Keynote in our sister publication CRM.  But if you’re loyal to Speech Technology and, as such, unwilling to alter your reading habits, have no fear: The story is also available here in our News Features Section.

But back to Conversations 2008.  I went to a few breakout sessions, grabbed a box lunch and have been tied to my computer all morning.  Right now the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort is a ghost town with everyone off at today’s “Networking Activities”–Bass Fishing and the Richard Petty Driving Experience and the Wolfgang Puck Cooking Class.

And then there’s my favorite: “SeaWorld and Brewmaster’s Club”–at which “you will enjoy an afternoon in the upscale Brewmasters’s Club where you will sample from the amazing portfolio of Anheuser-Busch beers and a gourmet appetizer menu” before being “personally escorted to reserved seats at one of SeaWorld’s amazing animal shows.”

I tried to go to this.  I really did.  I had one foot on the bus, but my editor smelled trouble.  He took my arm and sat me down for a lengthy and ill-timed chat about the intricacies of AP style.  And by the time we were finished, the bus to SeaWorld was long gone.

Yesterday, I mentioned delivering some details to you about Dan Ariely–well, have no fear: Highlights from his Keynote are coming to Speech Tech Blog, probably later tonight.

But for now, I’m going down to the pool for a swim, cocktails and a much deserved break.