It’s that time of year again. No, I don’t mean the Christmas lights and shopping, but starting to think about BETT in January. If you’re serious about educational technology you really must try to get there, even if you can only manage a day: you’re bound to see something that you find interesting and useful.

BETT 2013

Here are 10 good reasons to attend. Arrange them in any order you like, and take the list to your senior leadership team if you need to, in order to be permitted to go. (That's an interesting turn of phrase. I think it should be a requirement to attend BETT, or something similar, at least once a year.)

• to network with others
• to see new products
• to see prototypes of forthcoming products
• to pick the brains of suppliers and others
• to attend talks by leading experts in their field
• to attend and take part in discussions with colleagues from other schools, organisations and areas
• to obtain training in products you already have
• to find suppliers of a certain type of product you’re interested in
• to compare different products of the same type
• to help prepare for the new Computing Programme of Study

Free bonus reason!

• to enjoy the buzz!