Of course I remember Type90. It was the first big, wide-open ATypI conference (although Type87 in New York, which I couldn't make it to, was a precursor). Type90 was my first type conference, but I already recognized the social patterns, from conferences and conventions in other fields. It was exhilarating. I recall how startled everyone was at Zuzana Licko's talk, in an old Oxford hall, when she did an animated presentation in HyperCard and played loud music as a soundtrack.

The prime mover of Type90, Roger Black, is spearheading the 2009 ATypI conference, in Mexico City, which we are in the midst of planning now. This year's conference, in September, is in St. Petersburg, Russia.

http://www.atypi.org/05_Petersburg

i shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Jay Rutherford
Yes, yes, Type90 was indeed a milestone. My first big design conference was Design87 in Amsterdam, where Erik Spiekermann gave his "Sex and Type and Rock 'n' Roll" talk. I had attended a few local or national (Canadian) things, but Type90 was a revelation. The city of Oxford was nice (I bought lots of marmelade and had it mailed home at great expense), the Type90 post cards and such from Jonathan Hoefler were very special (commissioned by Roger Black, I believe). Susanne Licko's talk was brave, thumbing her nose at the old guys in a nice blue miniskirt, I seem to remember. She and Rudy noticed my early Emigre globe T-shirt in the lunch hall. I think Rhonda Rubenstein was there, as were many other luminaries. The Type90 T-shirts really sucked though -- a cotton-poly mix -- too thin, too cheap. Adam Twardoch had his on a few years ago (in Helsinki, I think) -- I don't know how it survived the years. Mine shrunk up to fit my 5-year-old son after two washings (maybe Adam has never washed his).

[jr]

I was there. It was my first UK trip, my first type conference, and it all happened just before I started at RIT. I only heard about it when I met Mike Parker in Boston, maybe a month previous. It was an amazing turning point for me, discovering "famous" type people like Berlow, Carter and Spiekermann, plus other young designers like Jonathan. I made some wonderful friends I still keep in touch with. Fun memory: sneaking back into the bedroom window of the hostel after a late Type90 event. I believe I still have the conference program.

There was Jeff Level's wine tasting/label crit where everyone went way past where they should have gone.

Then there was the "Share a beer with Ed Benguiat" event, and Ed never showed up.

I remember Mark Jamra bumming GItanes off of me in the lounge, and having to catch a cab to the outdoor festivities when I missed the bus. I met Bruno Maag there and he was excited to be moving to the States to work for Monotype.

I remember the Linton Lodge where we stayed on the outskirts of town, the Jolly Farmers pub, and some chinese restaurant that claimed it served dim sum to the empress of japan.

The pound sterling was trading at $2.

Now you folks are making me feel bad all over again, these many years later. I was so broke in 1990 that I could not have attended a type conference even if the only transit I had to pay for was a cross-town bus.

But I am very glad to have met so many of you since then at other conferences. Something will have to go terribly wrong in my life or in the world to keep me from being at ATypI in Mexico City next year.

powers

I've been to Mexico City three times, and I find it one of the most fascinating places I have ever visited.

I'll be there.