SchoolDude

SchoolDude surpasses 1,000-attendee mark at annual professional development and client training conference

CARY, N.C. (April 15, 2008) - SchoolDude.com, the nation's leading provider of on-demand operations management solutions for educational institutions, today announced that the company again attained record attendance at its annual SchoolDude University professional training and career development conference for educational operations professionals.  Held April 5-9 at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC, the four-day event attracted more than 1,020 attendees from across the US, Canada, Australia and India-a nearly 25-percent increase in attendance compared to last year's conference.

Designed to provide valuable training for all educational facility, technology, business operations and transportation professionals, SchoolDude University afforded attendees the opportunity to learn from their peers and national experts in informative classes that addressed industry-relevant topics and critical issues affecting educational professionals, as well as core knowledge vital to building a successful career.  Conference participants selected personalized class schedules from more than 200 courses and roundtable discussions, with topics ranging from industry best practices and professional development to implementing and successfully utilizing SchoolDude's solutions.

Attendee Leo Brehm, from Sharon Public Schools in Massachusetts, said, "This year, like the past three, I have walked away with a refreshed feeling of capability, keen insight and a substantial plan to refine what I do."

Continuing the tradition to help attendees gain first-hand experience with SchoolDude's on-demand products, SchoolDude provided a hands-on learning lab that housed 60 computers.  In the Computer Learning Lab, SchoolDude's technical support analysts helped clients increase their product expertise and reinforce what they had learned in the SchoolDude product training and best practices courses. 

Gary Wallis, from Brisbane Catholic Education Centre in Australia, understands and appreciates the value of this annual training and learning opportunity.  "It is a long way from Brisbane, Australia to Myrtle Beach, but the cost and time expended are well worth it," he said.  "Every year, I get challenged about improvements we can make in our use of the product and also in our processes.  SchoolDude University has become a regular part of my year, and the investment of time and money is very worthwhile."

SchoolDude University attendees also enjoyed many opportunities to network and tap into the collective expertise of their colleagues worldwide.  More than 150 attendees participated in the pre-conference networking events, which included a golf tournament and outings to the Alabama Theater and a murder mystery dinner theater.  After classes began on Sunday, the SchoolDude team welcomed all attendees to the sixth annual SchoolDude University at a poolside reception.

Barbara McIntire, from Lane Community College in Oregon, commented, "It was a pleasure to meet great folks at the conference.  I gained a great deal of information that will be helpful to our college, and I had a great time."

The peer collaboration and interaction continued at the pep-rally-themed General Session, which afforded everyone the opportunity to join together for a final evening of food and fun.  At this dinner and networking event, attendees enjoyed an awards ceremony, a live performance by local band Coco Loco, dancing, and games that included foosball, air hockey, arcade basketball and ping-pong.

At the conclusion of SchoolDude University, the entire SchoolDude team thanked the more than 1,020 attendees for making the 2008 event the most successful to date and invited all to return again next year. 

SchoolDude University 2009 will be held March 28-April 1 at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, SC. 

About SchoolDude
With more than 3,100 clients, SchoolDude is the nation's leading provider of on-demand operations management solutions designed exclusively for the unique needs of educational professionals.  Backed by the industry's only Legendary Service Program, SchoolDude's broad suite of online applications is revolutionizing the business of managing educational operations.  SchoolDude's on-demand tools for operations management offer easy to use, affordable solutions to help both small and large educational institutions save money, increase efficiency and improve services.  For more information about SchoolDude, visit http://www.schooldude.com/.