Last year, remember the BbWorld ’08 conference at the swank Palazzo in Vegas? Nice. Very nice. But for a conference I found two things missing: ubiquitous internet (Remember that? Venue and Room wireless were both pay-for services.) and … water.

Blackboard does listen.

This year these amenities are part of what Blackboard has negotiated for us:

• USA Today delivered every weekday morning (Washington Post delivery on weekends)
• In-room high-speed Internet access
• Wireless Internet access in the guest rooms, dining outlets and atriums
• Fitness center access
• 2 bottles of water per day in guest room
• Local phone calls (1^st 20 minutes per call)
• 800 access and toll-free calls (1^st 20 minutes per call)