Party Time!
 
Fun at the 
MTT		 Why do you come to a symposium, if not to have fun? Yeah, OK, the technical stuff can be a nice diversion, and it's neat to spend hours looking at all the cool hardware (and software) at the trade show. We really do understand that engineers aren't natural party animals, but if all you care about is Maxwell's equations, you've been spending far too much time at work, geek! Time to kick back and have a little fun! 

Here's what's available:
  
The Receptions
    There are at least two major receptions at the MTT. One, the Exhibitor's Reception, is held right before the banquet. It's a good time to have a couple of free drinks and talk to colleagues. The Microwave Journal Reception has been replaced by an MTT opening reception Monday night. (Not nearly as much fun, but we take what we can get.) Finally, the RFIC symposium also has a reception.
    Warning: these things are invariably pretty tame. 
Organized Entertainment
    The Steering Committee usually arranges some kind of evening entertainment: a sports event, party, hog castration, or something similar that engineers might find exciting. In Baltimore, they organized the Crab Dinner in the Rain, and in Denver it was the Inaccessible Baseball Game. In Anaheim (1999), the special event was Misdirection to Disneyland, in which symposium-goers were given vouchers for Disneyland tickets and told by the morons at registration that they were good for admission. They weren't. 
Disorganized Entertainment
    There's always something going on, although it's probably pretty boring. To the best of my knowledge, no MTT attendees have ever been arrested, so most self-made entertainment is probably pretty tame. Well, what did you expect? These are engineers, for chrissake!
Vendors' Parties
    If you do a good job of sucking up to vendors (it doesn't hurt to spend a little of your employer's money on their pathetic products, too), you might get invited to one of the lavish parties they throw every year. Hang around the trade-show floor and, sooner or later, you'll hear about these things. Then, wander up to the appropriate booth and act like you want to buy 200,000 of whatever they're selling. If you work this right, the salesman may take you aside and slip you an invitation. 
What's Goin' Down
    Well, did you really expect a bunch of engineers to set up a rip-roarin' hot time on the town? Looks like you may have to make some of your own entertainment. Just keep it at least arguably legal, take a taxi if you're loaded, and don't kill or maim anyone, yourself included; OK?