I’ve attended a few conferences in my relatively short career so far, and while some have been more useful than others, candidly, none has really struck me as having been a more productive use of my time than being at my desk.

That is, until the 2011 Government Web and New Media Conference, which took place over the last few days in downtown DC. Hosted by the General Services Administration’s Web Managers University, this was a well-organized and structured gathering of over 500 #gov20 professionals discussing our common issues and opportunities.

Literally every five minutes I had a new take-away, best practice, or innovative idea for my work. Multiple breakout sessions on interesting topics were offered simultaneously, so unfortunately I missed some great discussions on topics like 508 compliance, mobile websites, and using video (though they’ve promised to post notes). Typically at conferences I wish I could be anywhere else, not everywhere at once.

Great people, engaging talks, and more new ideas than I expected. I’ve got a lot to process this weekend, but I’m looking forward to hitting the ground running.