For those of you who are old far enough along in your career to remember the halcyon days when New Orleans was a regular in the SfN location rotation, I'm willing to bet you're as crazy over the moon as I am that it's finally, finally, back. Beignets! Hurricanes! Po' Boys! Pralines! I can feel myself gaining many pounds just sitting here thinking about all the amazing things I want to eat over the span of the meeting. As it turns out, I unknowingly scheduled my wedding for the weekend immediately following, so I'll have to watch it with the etoufée. But nothing on earth could keep me from planning a fabulous tweetup for SfN's social media-savvy set (that's you!)
Now in its third year, BANTER is a casual get-together that lets you interact IRL with all the hilarious people you've been chatting with all year OTI. This year, we're very lucky to be sponsored by Frontiers, which means it's quite likely you won't have to pay for anything (except tips! Anyone caught not tipping their bartenders has to wear a big D-for-douchebag scarlet letter on their shirt). Additionally, I am joined in hosting this awesome event by the equally awesome Neuropolarbear! We shouldn't be too hard to spot when you arrive, as we'll probably be the two tallest people there.
All the deets are in this terribly professional-looking flyer thingie I made last night. Evangeline is super close to the convention center, and has a sweet courtyard so we can mingle al fresco. And naturally, I'll be tweeting up a storm as things get closer.
As they say in the Big Easy, laissez les BANTER rouler!
Dr Becca has a new job (NJ) as a tenure-track assistant professor in the neurosciences at New Job University (NJU), located in New Job City (NJC). She is still fumbling, just making a little more money doing it.
Nice photo work there.
OMG yay! I missed most of BANTER last year 'cause I foolishly chose to attend some SfN sponsored socials with the overpriced cash bars. Never again... putting it in my meeting planner right now!
SfN socials suck balls. I don't know anyone who had, like, a career-changing interaction at one of them. BANTER is way better and more important!
w00t!
might be more excited about #sfnBANTER than #sfn12
9 was fun, was sad to miss 11, was there one in 10? whatever, 12, here I come!
W00t! Actually, there was no 9! BANTER's inaugural event was in San Diego in 2010, right before the infamous PosterFace party!
12 NOLA
11 DC
10 Chicago
09 Whale's Vag
... right?
Nope! 09 was Chi-town--remember, it was one of the substitutes for NOLA, which would have gone '00, '03, '06 (Atlanta), '09 (windy city), '12 (yay!)
nope. chicago was 09. san diego 10. mea culpa
Shit. Went to this last year. You gave me explicit instructions to stop lurking. Totally failed at that one. My bad.
You'd better come say hi this year, PGB!
Haha, I got married the weekend after last year's SfN! A new tradition!!
Also, Tideliar sends his apologies for not being a part of this years planning event. I gather he is quite distraught at his rapidly diminishing notoriety on the internets.
:p
woot! this will be my first, try to get my lurkiness out of the way.
So excited!
Drat! We always have our (mandated) lab and lab alumni jolly on the Monday at SfN. I really wanted to come to BANTER last year but missed it because of this and looks like the same will happen again this year
How late do you guys expect to be partying? Maybe I can come along late...
Long time reader, rarely comment but love the blog!
Last year, there were still hangers-on up until close to midnight, so definitely keep in touch over the course of the night, via twitter. I'll be updating as well. Hope to see you there!
It is so irritating this will be my third SfN and only the first I hear about BANTER. Sounds like a hoot and a half.
Fifty Shades of Brain. Outstanding.
Got a PDF of that poster? I could put it up in my department.
This will definitely be a hoot!
Thanks for the offer to spread the word, but I think I'd prefer to keep the advertising to the social media channels like the blogs and twitter. Obviously, bring whomever you'd like, though!
Hellz to the yeah.
This will be my 3rd New Orleans SfN. As I recall, after the first one, my liver staged an ultimatum that I never do that again. I crushed her.
My 3rd, too! Damn, it's been too long. Can't wait to see you!
Can't wait!
A couple potental ass-kissing socials for job search purposes are also Monday, but I do find the sad cash bars (but free pretzels!) at those things offensive. Also, I love the undergrad poster session.
My first banter! But I'm an old hand at drinking in nola. I think a daiquiri at Galatoire's at ~13 might have been my first ever cocktail.
Ooooo, I'll go! Hopefully this time I'll be able to better connect people IRL to their OTI identities before the end of the get-together.
I'll definitely try to be there again, after all, I encouraged Graeme Moffat from Frontiers to do the sponsoring and supplied the info on who to contact...
My 3rd NOLA as well, can't wait, but I'm not sure I can manage the daily 5pm-5am Bourbon street pub crawl this time around - I was much younger then!
Björn
Hopefully this time I'll be able to better connect people IRL to their OTI identities
well what fun would that be?
[...] night sees an event fast becoming a bit of a tradition at SfN Annual Meetings: SfN BANTER. The BANTER meet-up (or should that be tweet-up?) is an opportunity for any Tweeters at the meeting [...]
Hellz yeah! #SfNBANTER11 gave me the best time and worst hangover of the conference. Can't wait to do it again!
[...] and impress people. Ask questions at posters and talks, go find your NIH PO, and come to the BANTER party! On that note, if you are a non-tweeting person and are planning to attend, could you do me a quick [...]
[...] BANTER [...]
[...] had a totally different experience when I attended the SfN Banter tweetup*. The event, organised by @doc_becca and @neuropolarbear, was a social for neuroscientists who [...]