VMworld 2018 Europe

Introduction

So after a let down from my previous employer I thought my chances of going to VMworld in 2018 were over. Little did I know the amazing Scottish VMUG awarded me a VMworld pass for being the Coomunity Member of the year.

In this post I will cover what sessions I am going to, the other activities and what I want to get out of VMworld.

The Sessions

I was like a kid in a sweet shop when the session builder opened! I know they are all recorded but maybe I may want to ask questions. This is my list for now:

• Tuesday @ 11:00 - Nerds with Appliances: vCenter Server Migration [VIN2410BE]
• Tuesday @ 12:30 - Applying Software Design Patterns and Methodologies to Your IT Services [CNA2141BE]
• Tuesday @ 17:00 - vSphere Performance Troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis (Compute) [VIN1372BE]
• Wednesday @ 11:00 - Don’t Sleep on RESTful APIs for vSphere [VIN2642BE]
• Wednesday @ 12:30 - Ensure Maximum Uptime and Performance of Your vCenter Server Appliance [VIN1293BE]
• Wednesday @ 14:00 - From Building Infrastructure to Building App Platforms: Your Next Career [DEV1434BE]
• Wednesday @ 17:00 - Achieving Happiness: Building Your Brand and Your Career [LDT1907BE]
• Thursday @ 09:00 - A Deep(er) Dive with PowerCLI 10 [VIN1992BE]
• Thursday @ 12:30 - Enhancing the SDDC with Ansible [CODE5602E]
• Thursday @ 13:30 - Get Started Ansible-izing Your Environment with vSphere’s RESTful APIs! [CODE5613E]
• Thursday @ 14:00 - Overview of vSphere Core 4 Performance Troubleshooting (I/O) [EDU7523E]

I know it’s a lot of sessions but they all sound great.

Activities

One of the main after hours activities I wanted to participate in was the Hackathon. I have listened to so many podcasts and read blogs about how it is such a great event. I am fortunate to be in a team with great people such as Chris Porter, Gareth Edwards, Christopher Lewis, Dave Simpson, and Dominik Zorgnotti. I will be way over my head when it comes to using API’s but I’m good at documentation and willing to learn! Watch out the other teams, HackitB4Brexit is going to romp it!

On the Tuesday night is probably the event I am most looking forward to - the vExpert party. I have a hit list of people I want to meet, so I will be saying hello to as many people as I can.

On Monday I am going to be interviewed by VMworld TV for a vExpert Interview talking about my vCommunity experiences. I have a great story to tell and sing the praises of the Scottish VMUG. Also on the Monday I am going to get a HOL tour. Will be great to peek behind the curtains of the labs.

What I want to get out of VMworld

What do I want to get out of my VMworld experience? Learning cool things, meeting lots of new people, trying new things, and generally having a great time. I am really excited to meet as many new people as I can and I will push myself to speak to people whenever the opportunity strikes. If you are sitting beside me at a session or lunch, expect a conversation.

I’m also looking forward to the official Scottish VMUG drinks, just not the 5am taxi home…

Wrap Up

I’d love it if anyone that knows me through Twitter, this blog, etc. would say hi if they see me. Hope to see some of you next week.