It’s only August and like it or not, summer feels like it’s almost over. One sure sign is the run up to VMWorld kicking off at the end on the month. The show represents one of the largest tech conferences in the industry. No surprise, Dell EMC will have a significant presence to demonstrate the value of the VMWare and Dell EMC partnership, and how we help organizations successfully achieve their IT strategies. Here are the top things I’m looking forward to for this year’s show.

Fun Stuff Happening Before the Show:

If you’re a vendor attending the show, one of the highlights is the annual #v0dgeball event. It involves various VMWare ecosystem providers playing in a “friendly” yet intense, high stakes dodge ball competition. The annual event has become a much anticipated tradition to kick off VMWorld. In addition to vendors getting to whip a rubber ball at the head of @sakacc, all proceeds go to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.

And if you’re free Sunday night be sure to check out the #VMunderground party at the Beerhaus located at “the Park” next to New York, New York. The shindig kicks off at 7PM and is cosponsored by the Dell EMC Elect community, so lots of cool industry influencers and thought leaders will be on hand, as well as live music, food, and a beer or two.

The General Sessions:

I love a good keynote at a tech conference. I’ve been involved in dozens over my career, so I have experienced first had the behind the scenes effort and commitment required to pull off a good one. With all the exciting things going on in IT, there’s no shortage of achievements to highlight, cool new things to announce, and get insight into where things are going in the future. Having worked with both Pat Gelsinger and Sanjay Poonen, I’m really looking forward to their discussions and announcements.

Geeking Out with Thousands of Other Geeks:

It’s important to keep in mind that VMWorld is a technology show. So while there’s a a fair share of fun and glitz, there’s also an amazing opportunity to learn more about the technology and how to best apply it. This year, there’s over 500 break out sessions, with 25 sessions developed and presented by the best of the best from Dell EMC. There’s also a Hands on Lab so you can check out new products and play around with new features.

The vBrownBag sessions are also really really informative. The format is kind of like a technology speed dating presentation and provides concise discussions around specific technology areas. Check out the ones for Dell EMC storage, including why VMAX and XtremIO makes your VMWare environment rock. (Spoiler alert: I have inside information that there’s some cool stuff being covered.)

The Solution Exchange:

And last, and certainly not least there’s the Solution Exchange with 220+ solution providers. Be sure to swing by the Dell EMC solution expo to kick the tires (and get your cool t shirt). This includes real systems and software demos to check out the technology. There will also be lots of smart people to talk to as well as an “Expert Bar” to ask questions and talk to technical folks who specialize in VMware.

VMWorld provides a great opportunity to learn more about the big trends happening in IT. It’s also a great way to connect and reconnect with users, partners, and colleagues to take a real time temperature reading for what’s really top of mind for the folks that represent the community. So remember as you’re firing up the grill or packing up the family for that last summer get away, there’s still a few weeks left to register. 🙂