VMworld Europe is on the Horizon (yes, pun intended). VMworld EMEA or VMworld Europe is around the corner with just a few hours in the way. As we are all arriving, just to clarify for the ones that are left behind, VMworld Europe is taking place from 5 until 8 November at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona (and use the right Fira). A great opportunity to meet your fellow VMware peers at a conference. Go on and find the great community at the Fira venue. And probably there will be meat as well. Or other tapas as VMworld Europe hits Barcelona again. Like to past few years. Barcelona is great, but IMHO >5 years Fira is enough. But enough with that.

This year I will be part of VMworld with a bloggers pass. I will try and keep up with some blogs around the course of VMworld. Same procedure as last time. Anyway, we again can enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of a VMworld. From within the city and beyond. Try and catch me at the bloggers’ space, in the community area, solution exchange or flying around. Just look for a VMworld bag walking around….or an ITQ branded polo, cap or jacket. I will not be hard to find. I have arrived this Sunday, and will be leaving on Thursday… so enough activities can be planned. Of course enough moments for meetings and talks. Hit me up at Twitter (@Pheldoorn), Instagram (@Paikke) or check the contact page of this blog if you want to get in touch at VMworld.

Some last minutes tips for a nice VMworld experience

• Download the VMworld mobile App. This helps with badge, schedule, getting updates and so on.
• Use social media like Twitter or Instagram to share and meet.
• It is the Fira Gran Via. Again, the venue is at the Fira Gran Via. There is another Fira location, but there you will miss VMworld.
• Don’t try to over schedule. First time around I scheduled a lot of sessions, all very nice and interesting. But this gives you almost no time to rewind and relax, talk to people (as other people also want to talk to them), eat and drink properly and write a blog post. Sessions are recorded so there is opportunity enough to watch/listen to them back. Take some time for some well deserved R&R (if you are not taken up by too many meetings).
• Have several sets comfy shoes and socks. For example, one set on the event (for socks maybe a set extra) and one set for the parties.
• Pack light during the day. Bags will get heavier when you are tired and have collected lot’s of swag (useful or not). Maybe the first-day pack even lighter as you probably receive the VMworld backpack on that day. Decide whether you need all your electric appliances, select the ones needed. Don’t travel through the city screaming hey I’m from out of town and visiting a tech show (by letting your VMworld badge hang around your neck for example), this can increase attention from pickpockets or other sorts of thieves. Get some water bottles and snacks for during the day.
• Attend the general sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. If you cannot attend or the space of the general session rooms is a bit much for you, you will be able to watch them live on VMworld.com from the comfort of your hotel room or from the hang out space.
• Use the schedule builder to plan and preregister for your sessions.  Also when you not up to a session, remove your booking for your schedule to allow other persons in the room. Look at the content and find the sessions you really want to visit. Pro is that you don’t have to wait in line to be allowed to the session, pre-scheduled persons are allowed in first and places are filled with people waiting in line. The VMworld Europe Schedule Builder is not released until 15th August.
• Do bring a net/notebook for notes or blogging purposes (not too heavy). An iPad is fine for notes, but either have a proper keyboard setup with that, a proper blog app or bring your notebook. If you’re not publishing the drafted blog, you got some nice set of notes 😉
• Check the status of the WiFi of your hotel when blogging or following the general sessions from your hotel. Do believe the review experiences other guests left about the hotel. No good to start a blog post in the evening (or night during insomnia). During the day there are a lot of locations to blog and hook into the VMworld WiFi.
• Exam scheduled at the event are at reduced prices. Great to pass some of the road-mapped certifications goals you have. If this is a first time, please be aware that in all the hectic of an event, degraded body and mind condition, an exam at the event might not the best place to succeed especially when planned at the end of the event.
• Be on time for sessions and preferably don’t leave before QA is finished. It is not respectful to the speakers. Only leave when you have a good reason, and nausea from a party the night before isn’t :-P.
• It sometimes is beneficial to take a photo for a blog post or tweet. But slides of sessions are recorded and available afterward. It can bug your fellow session participants (especially the ones right beside you) that don’t like you waiving your iPad in front of you to take a picture of every (and every) slide.
• Use the Metro close to the Fira or the metro/train to the Fira station and use the shuttle bus service. There is already a lot of walking during the day.
• Previous years there was a T-10 sponsored Metro card and this year its again available to be picked up at the information stand at the venue. Get it.
• Participate or be part of a Hackathon team!

R&R

Don’t fill up your schedule with back-to-back sessions. An important time at VMworld will be around meeting your peers. Do some relaxing, have a drink, discuss some product or project and participate in all sorts of community events. And there is also something outside of the Fira….A beautiful city. Take some time to enjoy yourself outside of the venue. And I don’t mean just at parties 😉

But talking about parties…….Next to a great event are parties to unwind and meet your peers in a nice social atmosphere. Via the https://www.vmworld.com/en/europe/activities.html link, you can view the events that are registered and setup.

And there will be the VMworld party on Wednesday at the VMworld Barcelona Fira venue, The Kooks are headlining. Other expected parties include EUC, vExpert, Netherlands/Belux or other country parties, and sure enough, several partner/companies will be having their own gatherings. Be sure to keep an eye on the social community and the gatherings link above.

I am signing out for tonight.
– Enjoy your VMworld experience. Will we meet you there?