[bri3d]

If you have contacts you definitely get tickets, but they don't always come early.

I think there's some subset reserved for Developer Relations and they give them out at will - I've never noticed a particular strategy with respect to app store placement.

[nglevin]

I believe that's true, regarding Developer Relations. I did get into a Tech Talk one year that was sold out through a large media company, thanks to that.

However, that's a tricky road to go down. I have no idea what Apple's criteria is for that, and I know some teams that have worked closely with Apple in the past that never got that treatment.