Microsoft drew over 10,000 attendees to TechEd in New Orleans last week. SharePoint played a large role in that draw and energized the show floor.

The difference from last year’s show, which was held during the throes of recession, was remarkable. TechEd 2009 had markedly fewer vendors and attendees than previous years. Events were scaled down, and the floor emptied out as the week went on. Microsoft’s exceptions for 2010 were tempered by that experience. Those expectations were blown away.

This year, the show was bustling with business, and at a glance, there were possibly more vendors participating than ever before. Moreover, many of the booths on the show floor were reserved for software makers selling solutions for SharePoint.

— David Worthington