An inside look at what to expect at VMworld 2013

It’s hard to believe that in less than one week, nearly 22,000 fellow virtualization enthusiasts will descend upon the streets of San Francisco and prepare to storm the Moscone Center in anticipation of the world’s largest virtualization trade show: VMworld 2013, which also happens to be in its 10th year.

VMworld officially kicks off on Aug. 25, and the virtualization party continues all the way through until Aug. 29. I can tell you in advance there will be no rest for the wicked. VMworld officials plan on going all out this year to celebrate the show’s 10th anniversary, and they’ve already stated they will do their part to make this year’s event a memorable one for all attendees who are able to make the journey.

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What’s known about the show already is that VMworld 2013 will feature more than 300 unique breakout sessions from VMware, as well as its community of partners and customers, and more than 250 sponsors and exhibitors in attendance will show off their latest wares in the expo hall.

In an attempt to dig a little deeper and find out more information about this year’s show, InfoWorld’s Virtualization Report asked Robin Matlock, VMware’s acting chief marketing officer, to provide some additional insight and advice to attendees ahead of the show.

InfoWorld: VMworld 2013 has a tagline of “Defy Convention,” what exactly do you mean by this? What are you going for?

Robin Matlock: This year, VMworld is all about encouraging the greater industry to think differently and drive, yet again, another massive wave of innovation. Innovation and challenging the status quo is part of VMware’s heritage, and a big part of what IT needs to stay ahead of business demands. Ultimately, it’s an opportunity for the industry to come together and defy convention by leaving the pitfalls of legacy computing behind us.

InfoWorld: VMworld is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a leading, global virtualization event. Are you planning anything special for this show?

Matlock: With this being our 10th anniversary of VMworld, we have set the bar pretty high to ensure this year’s conference is special. In addition to the fantastic educational and networking opportunities that our attendees have come to expect, this year we will also be celebrating this milestone with a look back at some of the great moments from past VMworlds.

The event has evolved to be a more targeted, productive experience for attendees. This year we are working hard to connect the activities at VMworld to help people find content that is tailored to their specific needs. For example, if someone is interested in Network Virtualization we want to help them find the right session, lab and booth demos to get the tools and the information they need to go home and start having a real impact on their IT organizations. We make a strong effort to guide our attendees to the right areas so they can learn and become educated on what they came to see.

Virtualization has evolved considerably over those 10 years and is continuing to transform to include all parts of the data center like storage and networking. From the mass adoption of VMware’s first server virtualization product to the evolution of machine-level virtualization products and finally the reality of the software-defined data center, the industry has come a long way. The journey has just started. We’re excited to be such an integral part of the history of virtualization, and we’re equally thrilled to be a leading voice on where the technology is headed.

InfoWorld: Budgets are still tight right now, and many companies are still holding people back from attending trade shows. What are some of the reasons why people should attend VMworld 2013 if they haven’t yet registered? And how can they convince their employers that this is a good use of employee time and company money?

Matlock: First, with technology evolving so quickly, it’s critical for IT leaders wanting to maintain a competitive edge to stay plugged into the new, big innovations in our industry. For one week in August, VMworld becomes the center of the IT infrastructure world. It’s the one time each year where the entire ecosystem starts to articulate the big new developments that will shape the industry for the next 12 months. VMworld is the largest IT infrastructure show for a reason and this year promises not to disappoint.

We also want to make sure that when people attend VMworld, they get the most they can out of the show. Every year we host a session for VMworld attendees with tips and tricks for making the most of the show — we’ve had really great feedback on that session. There is so much to do and see at VMworld! We really want to encourage attendees to set goals for their time at VMworld, so they get the most out of the experience. Our attendees can take advantage of our great Schedule Builder tool once they log in at VMworld.com, a fantastic way to browse the content catalog and start to build your schedule of sessions. Attendees should be sure to make time to walk the Solutions Exchange and take a couple of Hands-on-Labs to get the full experience. Oh, and don’t forget the parties, tweet-ups, and gatherings after hours.

Besides all these great perks, VMworld has evolved to be a more targeted, productive experience for attendees. They will get a valuable and educational experience that they can then take back with them to their respective companies and make a real impact.

InfoWorld: For those people that can’t physically attend this year, is there anything being made available for them to stay in touch remotely?

Matlock: Social media is not only an incredibly important for our attendees to stay connected at the show and enhance their show experience, it also encourages those who can’t attend to get involved and feel like they are part of the VMworld community. During the event you can find the latest highlights, tweets and videos at VMworld.com and we recommend checking out the VMworld blog for updates as we get ready for the event. You can also download the VMworld app to stay current with everything at the show.

InfoWorld: Each year, the show seems to grow in attendance by a few thousand new virtualization enthusiasts over the previous year. How many attendees are you expecting? And does VMware have any “official advice” for any would be VMworld newbies attending this year’s show?

Matlock: We’ve grown from 1,600 attendees in 2004 to over 20,000 attendees in 2012. We are expecting roughly 22,000 attendees this year.

Our New-V program is for first-time attendees of VMworld, and whoever wants an overview of the conference and how to get the most out of their experience is welcome to attend. We also typically do a session on Monday that gives newbies an overview of the program.

InfoWorld: Your company is obviously proud of the strong partner ecosystem you’ve created. And the exhibit hall is always packed with partners showing off their latest technologies. Personally, I’m always interested in the show’s pod section for new innovators and first-time VMworld sponsors. Are there any new companies showing up as a first time sponsor this year that people should be sure to check out?

Matlock: VMworld has a very strong sponsor network, and our Diamond and Platinum sponsors have been very loyal to the show. For a full list of sponsors, I would encourage people to visit VMworld.com.

InfoWorld: Education is always a major factor at VMworld. And each year, the hands-on labs area seems to get better and better. But it’s also had its share of growing pains. Are you expecting the number of labs and the number of attendees wanting to participate in these labs to grow again this year? If so, what are you doing differently to make this attraction successful and keep the crowd happy?

Matlock: The educational tools we provide at VMworld offer attendees opportunities for a real, hands-on experience. Last year we delivered more than 240 exams in San Francisco and Barcelona. We find that a lot of our attendees like to take advantage of the trip to San Francisco to get certified at a discounted rate. This year we have pre-conference courses for those who don’t want to miss a minute of VMworld, as well as sessions during the week for 75 percent off the regular price. More information can be found on the VMware site.

We’re also kicking off our Hands-On Labs Hotspots. We’ve created three hotspots throughout the VMworld campus for attendees to take a lab and showcase how easy it is to take a lab anywhere, anytime.

InfoWorld: VMworld always proves to be a good time no matter where it’s hosted. This year, it’s once again in San Francisco. What types of social events should people be prepared for this year? And have you set up a way for people attending the show to stay in touch with one another?

Matlock: Fun is always a key component of VMworld. In fact, there are almost too many social gatherings to count! In addition to the now-famous Hall Crawl in the Solutions Exchange (Sunday night, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and the VMware Customer Appreciation Party at AT&T Park (Wednesday night, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.), there are countless gatherings, everything from tweet-ups to charity dodge ball tournaments.

This year we are crowd-sourcing a calendar of all the gatherings so that attendees don’t miss a thing. Another great way for people to stay in touch at VMworld is through social media. During the event you can find up to the minute tweets by following @VMworld, and can find the latest highlights and videos at VMworld.com.

InfoWorld: Finally, did you receive any attendee feedback from last year’s event that you’ve incorporated into the show this year?

Matlock: VMworld welcomes attendee feedback and absolutely utilizes it to enhance the show. A few highlights based on our past feedback include:

• Executive roundtable: Due to the popularity of the CEO roundtable last year we brought back the session again this year. We haven’t announced who will be participating but this year’s panel promises to be a good one.
• Hands-on labs hotspots: We’ve created three hotspots throughout the VMworld campus for attendees to take a lab and showcase how easy it is to take a lab anywhere, anytime.
• Social media: Every year we interact with thousands of VMworld attendees via our social channels. We love the feedback that these discussions provide and look forward to engaging the community on conversations.

The big thing to keep in mind: VMworld is truly a community event. So keep the suggestions and feedback coming.

We look forward to seeing everyone in San Francisco the last week of August!

You can keep up with live coverage of VMworld 2013 by following me on Twitter at @vmblogcom.

This article, “An inside look at what to expect at VMworld 2013,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in virtualization at InfoWorld.com.