The first issue of Behind The Scenes At TechEd is an interview with Michael Kleef. Michael's the head honcho when it comes to TechEd this year - you really don't want to upset him if you want your ticket to be accepted at the door :)

1. Who are you, and what do you do when you aren't doing things for TechEd?
   I'm Michael Kleef and am an IT Pro Evangelist in Frank Arrigo’s team. I cover Microsoft’s infrastructure technologies around Windows Server, Security, ISA, Exchange, Identity etc.
2. What's the secret location of this year's party?
   If I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore :)
3. How big a job is it to organise TechEd? Did you bite off a lot more than you could chew when you took over from Chuck?
   It’s a huge job. Last year we started late in planning around May/June and it took around three months to get done. It's very taxing! This year we started earlier and I allocated each track to an owner so I don't end up with all the load! :)
4. What's so special about TechEd this year compared to previous years?
   This year’s TechEd falls into a major shipping year for Microsoft. Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange all ship this financial year. We are focusing on readiness for these products both in the developer and IT Pro space but also to help you get ready for other future products such as Longhorn Server and SMSv4 and what you need to do to prepare your infrastructure for that.
5. What track(s) are you running? What sort of things do they cover?
   I'm personally running the 'Windows Server and Management' track and the “Messaging and Mobility” track. They cover Windows Server, Directory Services, Identity provisioning, Longhorn Server, Exchange 2007, LCS….blah blah….have a look at my blog for the rest! :)
6. Are you doing anything else for TechEd as well, or does 'everything' pretty much cover it?
   Other than my own tracks, I have overall responsibility for the content. Its my goal to make sure that we stay to the right plan, help the other track owners with other logistics of getting some 105 speakers to both NZ and Australia and support them in any efforts or things they need.
7. No really, you can tell me. Where's the party going to be?
   Maybe later...
8. Why should I go to your track(s) and not a different one?
   Because it has the coolest sessions and the best speakers!
9. If I couldn't make it to TechEd this year, is there any way I'd be able to get my hands on some of the information presented on your track?
   Chuck is working on a plan to webcast some of our TechEd live - watch out for it!
10. Why should I even go to TechEd at all?
    How else will you get the bleeding edge information on how to deploy and manage Vista, to develop on .NET Framework 3.0 and at the same time meet with the program managers that make the software and can answer your detailed questions!!
11. How many TechEds have you been to before? Which one was the best?
    This will be my 5th TechEd presenting. The two Brisbane ones were really good though last years was one of the best…the party was awesome!!! This year will be better simply because it has so much new stuff to talk about.
12. There's a lot of new stuff coming out in the next 12 months - Vista, Office, .Net 3.0, Expressions, and more. Which one are you looking forward to the most?
    I like Vista. It represents a significant change in security. Im also keen on Longhorn Server.
13. And finally, let's say I couldn't make it to TechEd this year, but I could make it to the party. Where would I need to go? ;)
    Pushy huh? Heres an “anti clue”. Given its in Sydney, it’s not going to be at a theme park…though there are some very nice places in Sydney for a party...

Thanks Michael!