Registration has opened for the 11th annual Art Directors’ Invitational Master Class (ADIM), hosted by Russell Brown, Adobe’s Senior Creative Director (and Mad Scientist) and The Van Heyst Group. Next year’s conference will be held from April 30 to May 3 at the San Jose Marriott, right down the street from Adobe headquarters (and a few stone throws from Apple).
The conference is a three-day, hands-on workshop for Adobe Creative Suite applications, run solely on Macs and based around a unifying, if slightly off-kilter, theme. This past year, I attended the conference, where we built a point-of-purchase display for our own pirate action figures, among other pirate-themed activities. Next year’s theme is “Classic Movie Monsters,” with the week being capped off by a Monsters’ Ball on Saturday night.
Cost of the conference is $2,350 for new attendees, $2,150 for previous attendees—$100 less if you register before December 31, 2007—and you receive a fully licensed copy of Adobe’s CS3 (Production Premium, Web Premium, or Design Premium versions) as part of the package. A one-day design seminar takes place the day before the conference, and is an extra $150; it’s well worth your time, especially if you need some extra time with one of the Creative Suite programs.
I can’t speak highly enough about the conference—it’s a three-day cram, with great speakers, fun projects, and a top-notch pool of designers, illustrators and fun folks. If you’re looking for a way to jump-start your creativity, swap war stories, or just want to be immersed in all things design, it’s a great place to be.