For many virtualization users, VMworld has become a sort of pilgrimage -- a must-attend event for a lot of admins who are trying to find their virtual path. These individuals will do whatever it takes to make it to the event so that they can find out what's new, what's next, and what's hot and currently available to them, thus making them a virtualization rock star at work.
VMworld 2011 returns to Las Vegas for the first time since 2008 and once again chooses the Venetian Hotel as the event's host of operations. VMworld and Las Vegas seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, popcorn and movies, and Elvis and fried bananas. But this could be VMworld's last hurrah in the entertainment capital of the world, as the show is expected to return to San Francisco for the foreseeable future. So to everyone who enjoys yelling, "let it ride," "jackpot," "hit me," and "bet it all on black," you might want to finalize those last-minute details and make your way to VMworld 2011 next week -- this could be your last time to enjoy these two venues together.
I've been fortunate to have been able to
attend all of the VMworld U.S. shows thus far, as well as the first VMworld Europe event. If this is your first time attending, here are 10 quick tips that I've picked up along the way or have learned from talking with other VMware vExperts who've attended for many years. Hopefully, you'll find these useful in making your VMworld 2011 experience the best that it can be.
attend all of the VMworld U.S. shows thus far, as well as the first VMworld Europe event. If this is your first time attending, here are 10 quick tips that I've picked up along the way or have learned from talking with other VMware vExperts who've attended for many years. Hopefully, you'll find these useful in making your VMworld 2011 experience the best that it can be.
VMworld tip No. 1: Make time on your schedule for the Solutions Exchange. More than 250 companies have paid a lot of money to be there as a sponsor, and they want to meet you. This is your chance to find out about a number of different software products that you may not have even heard of yet. These sponsors will usually have some of their top techies at the booth ready to explain the ins and outs of their technologies. Don't just let them scan your badge -- ask them for a demo and see the product in action.
Make sure you grab a datasheet to remind yourself who it was you spoke with and which products you found interesting. That way, you can remember after a long show which companies were worth the follow-up.
Don't forget: This is also the place to get swag. Some of these companies are offering T-shirts (or as I like to call it, admin wear), USB thumb drives, finger rockets, stress balls, bobble heads, action figures, and more. Some are offering a chance to win a PC, a laptop, an iPad, a tablet, cash, a motorcycle, or even a car! Who knows what craziness will come out of someone's marketing group this year.
VMworld tip No. 2: Network, network, network. These are like-minded individuals attending this show; they've seen many of the same problems and experienced many of the same pains as you. Trade war stories with each other. Find out best practices from others in the field. This is also a good time to meet VMware employees, VMware vExperts, book authors, VMTN community members, bloggers, and members of the press face to face and ask them the tough questions.
It's hard to read name tags while on the go, so one piece of advice is to watch for some color schema on the badge or lanyard. Each group should have some distinctive color code that will identify them and their role. Spot the right color code, then check for a name.
Lunch is another great time to try and meet new people. Don't sit at the empty table; find one with people already seated and ask to join. The free lunch at these events are usually somewhat suspect in my opinion, so help the food go down with a dose of good conversation.
VMworld tip No. 3: Breakout sessions. Sign up for any breakout session you think you might want to attend. There are no standby lines this year; in order to get in, you need to be registered. The online scheduler will not allow you to book multiple sessions at the same time, so it is helpful in that regard. Use it to build your schedule, and make sure to print it out and have a hard copy. If you can add your schedule to your smartphone calendar, even better. Registering doesn't mean you have to attend, but keep in mind you are taking a slot away from someone else who might really want to attend that session. Choose wisely, and do your best to show up.
VMworld tip No. 4: Remember, most breakout sessions are being recorded. Don't feel as though you have to completely book your schedule up with back-to-back breakout sessions. When you return home, watch for the email from VMworld that explains how to view or download a video or slideshow presentation of the sessions that you missed (or want to see again).
VMworld tip No. 5: If there are any must-see sessions, be sure to sign up for them quickly so that they don't fill up and lock you out. If it is a popular session, check to see if it repeats at another day or time. Typically, hot sessions will repeat at least once during the show, and they may even get added as a new session later on while you are at the show. If it's already full, keep checking to see if a repeat session gets added at a later date. VMworld will put out a daily update that shows changes, additions, and deletions to the schedule. Be mindful of them.
VMworld tip No. 6: Be careful about scheduling back-to-back sessions. Remember, this is Las Vegas (translation: things will be spread out). The chances that one of your breakout session rooms is right next door to another will be slim, and you may not have time to walk from one location to the next. Also, lines will be long. Once again this year, you must be registered to attend a session, so you should have a seat available to you. But if you are late, you cannot always count on it.
VMworld tip No. 7: Try your hand at a VMworld lab session. VMware always does a fine job of trying to fulfill lab requests, but these are a hot-ticket item and fill up quickly. If you haven't seen a product up close and personal but want to get your hands on it, this is the place to do so. If you are a latecomer and find yourself out of luck getting access to that piece of technology in the lab, make sure to go to the exhibit hall and find a VMware booth where it's on display. It certainly won't be as much fun as going solo and getting your hands dirty without someone looking over your shoulder or swatting your hand away from the keyboard and mouse, but if nobody else is around, you might be able to score some quality time with the product with the help of a VMware employee or product expert.
VMworld tip No. 8: Don't count on the Wi-Fi connection. This is VMworld. There will be more than 15,000 other people just like you who want to connect their laptops, smartphones, and tablets to any one of the publicized Wi-Fi connections they can find during the show. If you happen to find one and obtain the secret password credentials for it, great. But even if you do, don't count on stellar speeds -- with that many connections, you may have flashbacks to a 300-baud modem connection. Because of the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity, you might also consider leaving the laptop in your room, traveling light, and going old school with a pen and pad to take notes. If you need access online and can wait, you might be able to make use of one of the many PCs or thin client stations provided by one of the sponsors of the show.
VMworld tip No. 9: The dress is business casual. Make sure comfortable shoes are included when picking out your wardrobe. This conference is in Las Vegas -- if you haven't been there before, know that you will be doing a serious amount of walking. Trust me, your feet will thank you later.
VMworld tip No. 10: Enjoy the parties! Make sure you attend the VMworld Welcome Reception on Monday night. This is a great opportunity to network, to visit with sponsors, to enjoy food and drink, and to enjoy a bit of relaxation before the craziness of the show takes place. And don't forget the VMworld party on Wednesday night, though the entertainment has been hit or miss. Two years ago, VMware brought in (or dug up, depending on how you look at it) Foreigner. For me personally, that one was a miss. Last year however, they brought in INXS, and though Michael Hutchence is no longer with us, the new lead singer, J.D. Fortune, brought it home and allowed me to relive my '80s youth. This year, VMworld has signed up The Killers to help rock the show. These guys are great performers; if you are around on Wednesday night, be sure to make this event.
Beyond the music, VMware usually throws a good party, but you'll need your badge, and it has to be a full conference pass (it isn't just for breakout sessions and meals).
If you are still looking for something to do outside of the official parties from VMware, ask around. There will be a host of unofficial parties everywhere, on just about every day of the show. Vendors from the exhibit hall are usually doing private bashes somewhere, you just need to find out when and where. Keep your eyes on Twitter feeds like #vmworld and you might just spot someone talking about one of these parties. In Vegas, well, there's always a party.
The VMUnderground operates an exclusive, free party each year on Sunday as a way to help kick things off, but these tickets are extremely hard to come by. In fact, tickets are already sold out for this year's event. If you didn't score a ticket, you might consider waiting in line outside the venue because not everyone with a ticket will show. As one of the unofficial hot-ticket items at VMworld each year, VMUnderground might get you thinking about how to get one of these tickets for next year.
These are just a few quick tips for VMworld. What about you -- do you have any other tips to share? VMworld newbies will definitely enjoy the show, but knowing a few of these tips and others in advance will certainly help them get the most out of the experience.
/ p.s - infoworld.com /
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