vBrisket Event Recap! Tech Conferences – What are the right ones for you?

March 3, 2017 Career, Conferences, User Community

Hello, vBrisket Community!  Our first MeatUp of 2017 was a great event.  The weather was perfect in Pittsburgh, PA for a February afternoon, sunny and in the upper 70s.

Our event consisted of a panel of four technologists: John White, Justin Paul, Jim Jones, and myself.  The event was moderated by the one and only Gabe Maentz.  We discussed several large vendor conferences as well as smaller gatherings, such as user group conferences.  Some of the conferences analyzed are below, just to name a few:

      • Microsoft Ignite

      • Microsoft TechMentor

      • Thycotic Unlocked

      • Interop ITX

      • VMworld

      • Cisco Live

      • AWS re:Invent

      • VeeamOn

      • Dell EMC World

      • ZertoCon

There were several questions posed to the panel.  Some of the questions consisted of:

  • What are some of the pros and cons associated with going to large vendor conferences?
  • What strategies can you offer to individuals that are new to the conference scene?
  • How does one successfully network at a conference?
  • What are some ways of meeting up with the industry experts at these conferences?
  • What are some ways that you can communicate the value of the conference you have selected to your boss or upper management?
  • How do you feel about taking certification exams at a conference? Should you take certification exams at the beginning or the end of the week?
  • What are the reasons that you would like to attend a specific conference, personally and professionally?
  • What strategies should one take in order to avoid burning out at a conference?

 

Hopefully our vBrisket community received some valuable tips and strategies on attending conferences.  I personally must admit that attending technical conferences has boosted my career as an IT professional.

As always, the BBQ, beer, and networking were great.  Special thanks to the panelists and to Jim Jones for driving to the event from West Virginia in order to participate.  And, once again, this event would not be possible without the sponsorship and support from Zerto, so we are very grateful for them.  See everyone at the next event in a few months!

By Michael Muto