Jamf Nation conference vs MacAdmins?

[jhuls]

I've never been to either one of these conferences but might have an opportunity to attend one this year. Does anyone prefer one over the other and if so, why?

[bpavlov]

The MacAdmins Conference at PSU is the better value in my opinion. It's a 4 day conference with basically all 3 daily meals provided (and plenty of snacks too). It's not product specific so you get to learn how others are managing their environments and the tools they might be using. These tools become critical as you'll probably end up using some of them in your environment to fill in the gaps that Jamf Pro does not. You'll end up picking up a lot more ideas for improvements to make in your environment. And of course there are a lot of Jamf administrators there too so you can ask Jamf specific questions as well if needed. It's a great networking opportunity for sure.

Just to throw it out there, but I am in no way associated with either conference. I last went to JNUC in 2011 I think back when it was free. However now that you have to pay (which I don't blame Jamf for charging), I just think PSU is the better value.

Edit: Check out the PSU MacAdmins Resource page to get an idea of the sessions they've had over the years: http://macadmins.psu.edu/conference/resources/
And here are the ones for previous JNUCs: https://www.jamf.com/resources/videos/

[Eyoung]

One vote for PSU. I will be attending my third this year and having attended JNUC last year, I would give PSU the edge. The quality of content is equivalent (and often literally the same) but the breadth of content at PSU is greater due to it not being a JAMF specific conference.

I agree with the earlier comment about value as well. Travel and lodging are very reasonable. With food being included, 3 squares a day plus snacks, it all comes out as a much better value in my opinion.

[easyedc]

I have attended a few JNUC's and am considering switching to PSU's for my next conference. I think that part of the reliance on guest speakers, and the growth of JAMF, some of the topics offered were a little to basic for my needs. I may swing for the fences and see if I could get my .org to send me to London for MacAD UK.

[damienbarrett]

I'll vote for PSU over JNUC, even though I've been to both many times and they often has the same content, and even a lot of the same speakers. Heya! For these reasons:

1) a conference in July is just easier to attend for people in the Edu space (like myself)
2) PSU is closer and easier for me to get to. YMMV, of course.
3) PSU offers a wider array of topics, and (sometimes) a deeper dive into a topic.

None of this is to say that JNUC is not worthwhile conference. It is. I try to go as often as possible, and am JAMF Pro customer for more than ten years.

[jhuls]

Thanks everyone...really appreciate the feedback. I'm looking into the costs of both.

The Jamf conference is in the city so I'm not overly concerned about getting around but for those who have been to MacAdmins what is transportation like? Should I be heavily considering renting a car or is there a decent taxi/uber service for getting around? I live in Illinois so the plan would be to fly out there should I go.

[mm2270]

I'm watching this thread with some interest. This might be the first year in almost 4 years that I get to attend a conference again. Last one I attended was JNUC in 2014. I was considering asking my employer to help me get to JNUC this year, and I still might, but I see some compelling arguments as to why looking at MacAdmins might be worthwhile (I was there in 2011, and I'm sure it's grown a lot since then). For me, it's closer, being on the east coast in MA. It's not exactly a drive, unless I don't mind driving 6+ hours, but it could certainly be a cheaper trip to get to it from where I am.
It also might make sense for me because more and more I will be moving into a more general Mac admin/consulting role over the next year. Jamf will still be a major factor in things, but learning more about alternate technologies could be a good move for me, since I may not always be asked to work with a client that has Jamf Pro.
In the past, JNUC was an easy sell because it was free. With it being a paid conference now, and the cost between the 2 being similar, I will have to assess which one to go for.

[CasperSally]

@jhuls yes, uber is available at macadmins and the conf hotels (penn stater/nittany) have great shuttle service that will take you around downtown, etc. Book hotel early if you might be interested because it sells out.

@mm2270 macadmins is great, definitely worth checking out especially if you're on the east coast already. I'd highly suggest driving though, PSU airport has issues sometimes and I don't think it's worth dealing with it instead of 6 hour drive. There's crews that drive in much further just not to deal with the airport. You may be able to carpool with another admin from your area or along the way if you're into that kind of thing