VMworld 2009 is drawing near, and it’s time to start preparing for the trip. I’m particularly excited about this year’s show. If there’s one IT event you choose to attend all year, VMworld 2009 should be near the top of the list for consideration.
VMware has a great website for planning your time at the show. If typing “vmworld” into your browser and pressing ctrl+enter is too much effort, I’ve provided this convenient link:
http://www.vmworld.com/community/conferences/2009/
VMworld always has an extensive schedule of events and activities, not to mention a list of sponsors and exhibitors a mile long. This year is no exception. So how do you not get overwhelmed by all the possibilities? No worries – just sit back and let me do the planning for you.
Item 1: Make a short list of your one or two biggest virtual wishes in advance. Touring the floor can be a marathon. If you have one or two problems to solve it can really help keep you focused on finding the right vendors to talk to.
Item 2: Select two or three speaking sessions to attend. See item 1 for suggestions on topics. It’s hard to pick speaking sessions while the show is in progress. Reading the list with a tote under one arm and a Caesar salad on a paper plate balanced on the hand opposite while standing in a moving sea of humanity takes more talent than most of us have. Also, since you’re here at dedupematters.com, I’ll go ahead and assume you’ve got some level of interest in the Data Domain story. Therefore, I’d like to be so bold as to suggest a couple of sessions. “Planning for Optimized and Cost-effective Storage Utilizing Deduplication and Virtualization” (Session BC3223) featuring Data Domain customer Jules Thomas, and “The Real Deal on Dedupe and Virtualization” featuring our own Enterprise Application Technologist, Daniel Budiansky.
Item 3: Make extensive use of the hands-on labs. There’s no substitute for the experience of doing it yourself. There are labs covering a vast array of subjects, so there’s sure to be more than one that gives you the opportunity to experience something new.
Item 4: Spend some time with a big vendor. I know it sounds obvious, but it’s easy to overlook the big companies because you’re already familiar with what they have to offer. Cisco is certainly on my short list.
Item 5: Stop by the Data Domain booth. We’re going to be wearing EMC shirts for the first time. I think a bunch of us are planning on sneaking over to the regular EMC booth and trying to blend in. Who knows, if we play our cards right we might even get invited back to EMC World in Boston next May. Yeah, we love that show!
Most importantly, have a little fun while you’re in town. Maybe it’s time to put on your black leather baseball cap, rent a red Trans-Am, and ride in style to the Foreigner show on Wednesday night. I wonder if they still have that big, inflatable jukebox?
However you pack your bags, and whatever your plans, I look forward to seeing you at the show.
Oh, and if you’re curious about how Data Domain can help protect your virtual infrastructure, check out our solutions page here . Or better yet, just stop by our booth. Once we’re done with our shenanigans, we’ll be happy to talk shop.
