It’s that time of year again!  Tech conference time and VMworld 2019 is at the top of the “must attend” list!  In just a few weeks myself and 20,000+ of the brightest technology minds will converge at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.  For better or worse we’ve had a pretty significant venue change from the last three years.  I went to the last VMworld in San Francisco in 2015 and while I had a great time, I personally like Las Vegas quite a bit better.  Even so I’m looking forward to going this year because VMworld in any city is a great opportunity to learn, network and have fun!

This is my 5th time going to VMworld and my 3rd attending as a VMware vExpert and blogger.  This is also my 3rd year as an official VMworld Blogger.  To top all that off I was even asked to be a featured blogger at VMware.com.  I’m incredibly thankful and honored to be in this position.  It’s an amazing thing to be recognized for my small contribution to the community.

As I mentioned above, VMWorld 2019 is being held in San Francisco at the Moscone Center.  Of course it’s much different than Las Vegas where the conference center is inside the hotel.  I’d say it’s probably just as much if not possibly more walking than in Las Vegas depending on where your hotel is.  I got lucky this year and my hotel is only a block away.  I’ll likely still be doing a ton of walking since the conference spans multiple buildings and the events are happening all over the city.

I like San Francisco for the conference but I dislike it for the cost.  It’s great because there’s less distractions, no casinos, no constant “ding ding ding” in your ears.  It’s bad because of the costs in travel, lodging and many other reasons I won’t go into here.  That being said it is what it is and VMworld in any city is worth the investment in time and resources.  The knowledge and networking you can gain by going to this show is invaluable.  Another benefit is the Solutions Exchange tends to be bigger because the tech companies don’t have all the major travel costs associated with a big show like this since they’re local.  Let’s briefly recap my experiences over the last few years.

VMworld 2015 & 2016

My first and second years at VMworld were a whirlwind.  I really didn’t know what I was getting into.  They were both a blast and to sum them up, we went to a bar in a sketchy alley, we met the Woz (Steve Wozniak) and I lost my phone in Vegas.  Fun times were had by all.  Check out my article on the subject here.

VMworld 2017

This was my first year blogging at VMworld and while it was hectic, it was also an amazing time.  I was learning what not to do and I didn’t get as much content on the posts as I would have liked but I think it turned out decently.  Check out my VMworld 2017 Series here.

VMworld 2018

I learned a lot in 2017 and applied that knowledge to make things a bit better for VMworld 2018.  I was able to attend several vExpert only briefings and announcements that I turned into an article that I published during the week of VMworld.  I also had enough time before the show to build my VDI Image Building Series that I also published throughout the week.  I put together  a Preflight Checklist article last year and my VMworld 2018 Series that was a big hit.  The show itself was pretty amazing.  I had several co-workers and customers out there as well and we had many dinners and events outside the show which was a total blast.

VMworld 2019

This year for me is going to be a bit different in that I work for a manufacturer now.  I get to work the HPE booth and I’ll be dropping all the Nimble Storage dHCI knowledge I can on unsuspecting attendees.  Come by and see me on Monday and Tuesday afternoon.  I’ll be blogging every day and I may have a few articles lined up if I can get enough time between now and then.  I’m also attending several vExpert-only briefings on all the big announcements so stay tuned.  Expect pictures and I’ll be putting together as much color commentary as time allows.

Preflight Checklist – VMworld 2019 Edition

VMworld is a marathon not a sprint.  There’s so much to do and you need to have your calendar updated with everything going on.  This list will hopefully get you prepared for the onslaught of activities, sessions and fun.

1. Make sure your Content Calendar at VMworld.com is set.  If you haven’t setup your schedule yet go do it now.  The sessions fill up quick and many are already full.  You can almost always go wait in line at the sessions that you don’t get scheduled for and most of the time you can get in, but it’s much safer if you get it scheduled.
2. Check out VMware’s activities and happenings here.  The VMworld Fest, Welcome Reception and the Hall Crawl are all part of the show.
3. Make sure you signed up for all the after hours activities and don’t forget to put them on your calendar on your phone.  Here’s a few links to help you.
   1. http://www.running-system.com/vmworld-2019-parties-gatherings-events-and-activities/
   2. http://www.vbrain.info/2019/07/04/vmworld-us-2019-parties-gatherings-events-and-more/
   3. https://vmblog.com/archive/2019/07/01/vmworld-2019-us-party-list.aspx
4. Put everything on your calendar on your phone.  VMworld sessions, after hours events, everything.  Trust me it will make things so much easier on you.
5. Pack a phone charger and extra battery pack to charge your phone just in case.
6. A notable new inclusion: I highly recommend you bring a mobile Wifi device or use your cell phone hotspot and stay off insecure networks.  Any more I don’t even get on hotel Wifi if I can avoid it.  You never can be sure what you’re connecting to and who’s watching/monitoring your traffic.  For the really security conscious get yourself a VPN service to add onto that for an even better security posture.
7. Download the VMworld 2019 Mobile App (Not available yet) on your phone ahead of time and make sure you can get logged into it.  This is incredibly helpful to navigate the show and keep track of everything going on including all the sessions you hopefully signed up for prior to now.
8. Check Google Maps around the Moscone Center and your hotel.  Familiarize yourself with the area.  This is NOT Las Vegas.  It’s a big city, find your walking routes to and from the Moscone Center and your hotel ahead of time to save yourself some trouble.
9. Load up the Uber or Lyft apps on your phone and set the proper payment methods.  You will definitely need this to get around especially if your hotel is not close to the conference center.
10. Be vigilant and be alert and you will be fine.  San Francisco is busy.  There’s lots of people and pockets of craziness.  Being aware of your surroundings is the key.  Do this and you’ll have an amazing experience with no drama.

Other than packing and not missing your flight there’s not much else you can do to prepare I’d guess.  VMworld 2019 is just a few weeks away and it’s going to be another great time.  Hit me up at the HPE booth on Monday or Tuesday afternoon.  Let me know if you’re going on Twitter or LinkedIn.  Thanks for reading and have a safe flight!