It all started back in 1996 when Bill Sturgell decided it would be fun to get together and schmooze about shareware. Most of us schmoozers had been attending the Shareware Industry Conference (www.sic.org) for several years - an annual event that brings together hundreds of folks in the industry. The SIC began in 1990 as the Summer Shareware Seminar and moves every two years to a different town. Over that time strong friendships had developed and meeting "virtually" on-line just wasn't as much fun as face to face schmoozing.

Bill found an accomodating hotel in Columbus, OH - by accomodating I mean that they let us take over the lobby of the Holiday Inn "Holi-dome" until all hours of the night and generally do whatever we wanted, although firing a spud gun at their waste containers might not have been sanctioned -but we did it anyway :-)

The shareware schmooze met in Columbus, OH for seven years and in 2003 moved to Austin, TX. Several other schmoozes occur around the country and now around the globe. Whenever two or more shareware folks are gathered schmoozing precipitates.

Now, please set the way back machine for 1996 and see what all the fuss was about:

The Columbus Schmooze

 

Since schmoozing turned out to be so much fun, Harold Holmes hosted a couple in St. Louis, later the site of two Shareware Industry Conferences.

Preserved for history, images from:

The St. Louis Schmooze

 

Pictures from the 2004 Spring schmooze in Vancouver

The Spring Schmooze

 

 

The 2004 Austin Shareware Schmooze

Rosemary West pics

Brandon Staggs pics

 

The 2004 Grand Rapids Schmooze

Kathy Salisbury pics

 

The 2005 Napa Schmooze

Rosemary West pics