Hi All,
Call For Speakers for the 2015 SAP Analytics and BusinessObjects Conference is now open. Please go to the following link to submit your abstract:
http://asug.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT00NzI2NzU2JnA9MSZ1PTEwNjQyMjM3NjcmbGk9Mjg2NDMyNTk/index.html
ASUG has implemented a new tool for abstract submission and it is much easier to use than the previous abstract tool.
This is our conference. So everyone needs to come and support it! 
Thanks in advance.
substring 
(BOB member since 2004-01-16)
The conference will be in Austin, TX this year, August 31 - September 2.
MichaelWelter 
(BOB member since 2002-08-08)
While submitting my sessions, I noticed that there is no longer a Track/Sub-Track option for sessions discussing universe topics. Is ASUG no longer interested in sessions for universe developers?
I sent an email to ASUG about this. I’ll let you know what the response is.
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
Michael, I asked the same thing. Here’s what one of the other volunteers told me.
Dave Rathbun (BOB member since 2002-06-06)
I’m not sure I understand that response. I looked under “other”, and couldn’t find and appropriate sub-track. And they don’t let you leave it blank. My concern is that, if I submit it under the wrong track, it will get rejected by the track manager, as being in the wrong track.
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
It was confusing. The way I read it was the submission process is giving you “categories” for your talk. Based on the talks they will build the tracks. So while the semantic layer doesn’t exist as a submission category, it should eventually show up as a track.
It would seem to make more sense to have it right up front, so it’s a bit weird.
Dave Rathbun (BOB member since 2002-06-06)
Yeah, we had a conference call a month ago and there was a lot of back-and-forth on this issue. I pretty much gave up on this. At the end of the day, there will be a semantic layer track.
By the way, the deadline for Call for Presentation has been extended to Thursday May 28th.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
I’m glad the deadline was extended, as I still have 2 abstracts to submit. But since they should go in a Semantic Layer track, I don’t know what track to select. Any ideas? My email to ASUG on Thursday has yet to receive a response. 
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
Gosh, I wish I have read your post earlier because we had a program committee call on Wednesday. Anyway, let me find out for you.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
OK. I have not received any response from ASUG yet, probably because of the holiday weekend. But this is what Tammy P. told me:
Actually that depends on the semantic layer topic; if it is “Universe Design” it is going into Project Management Requirements sub track
Upgrading Universes goes to BI Upgrades sub track
Etc.
So all I have to say is to put it in somewhere, let me know where you put it, and I will see if I can take it out and put it into its own track later.
Hope this helps.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
Thanks, Simon. The response I got from ASUG said to put it under OTHER - BI Project Management/Requirements/BICC. They said that a committee member will move it, as needed, once submitted.
Considering the importance of the Semantic Layer to BusinessObjects, I find it odd that they have completely dropped that as a track.
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
FYI, we are working on the room assignment right now. There will be one room dedicated for universe topics. So it is all good.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
ASUG has added an official track session for Universe Design. They have provided us with a link for submissions to the Universe Design Track.
tdatri (BOB member since 2002-08-29)
As of this past weekend, the submission on universe is still very light. Considering that universe is the heart and soul of BusinessObjects and this is a BusinessObjects conference, it will be great if we can get more submission. You still can submit universe session through the link that Tammy D provided.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
I had already submitted it under another track, but I just checked, and it was changed to the new track.
Any idea why that track was missing during the submission period?
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
I saw that when I was reviewing the abstracts and I have approved it. When the tracks were set up initially, I think they were trying to mimic the tracks at Annual Conference, without knowing the importance of universe in the BOBJ realm. It took a little bit of “education” to finally have a universe track set up. 
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
Well done, Professor. 8)
MichaelWelter (BOB member since 2002-08-08)
Simon, I’m guessing other presenters might have done same thing Michael did (submit under an alternate track) … gonna be hard to track those down 
Another idea: You could reach out to people that submitted presentations in prior years, especially the alternates we had to reject, ask them if they are interested in submitting this year. There was some good presentations that didn’t make the cut last few years. Most probably still topical. I have the old list around here somewhere if you can’t find em.
Chris Pohl (BOB member since 2002-06-18)
If you have the list, please send it to me. Save me some clicks.
Right now, the universe track has only 7 abstracts approved and 2 alternates. This track has one and a half room allocated to it (the half is to share with Dashboard track). Each dedicated room can accommodate 13 sessions for the entire conference. We are going to ask some of the popular ones to do repeat sessions. But we can sure use a few more submissions.
BTW, we did not receive any submission from Mr. BOB.
substring (BOB member since 2004-01-16)
Hey Simon, I forwarded you an old email that I found … looks like it had the individual submissions listed … let me know if you have trouble reading it.
And I agree, The BobFather is a staple at these conferences … need some presence there 
Chris Pohl (BOB member since 2002-06-18)