VMworld 2011: 7 Events To Attend in Las Vegas

It's that time of year again. Time to pack up the laptops, ship off the booth and head to VMworld.

This year, VMworld will be held at both The Venetian and The Wynn hotels in Las Vegas. As usual it’s sure to be an absolute blast and Doyenz has the privilege of exhibiting at the New Innovator Pods. Be sure to stop by, say hello, drop a business card and walk away with some great giveaways!

For many of you this will be your first time at VMworld, for others this will be old news, but the one thing that remains the same is that there is no other event in the IT space that offers so much to do both on and off the show floor. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to hear some of the brightest minds speak on virtualization, cloud computing, and the convergence of IT infrastructure. Here are my picks for VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas:

1. vOdgeball – Yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Dodgeball with a bunch of VMware tech geeks. And yes, it’s sure to be a great time! 
    
2. ESXi Quiz Show (#VSP1956) – Don’t miss this one! Some of the smartest minds when it comes to the VMware community will be competing. 
    
3. Ask the Expert vBloggers (#VSP1425) – Again, don’t miss this one. You’ll get the chance to pick the brains of the likes of Duncan Epping, Frank Denneman, Scott Lowe and Chad Sakac.
    
4. Spousetivities – One of the most interesting ideas I’ve seen at any tradeshow has got to be Spousetivities. Organized by Crystal Lowe, Spousetivities offers activities for VMworld attendee spouses & partners. This year's events include walking tours of the Vegas strip, cooking classes with Chef Bev Lee, Grand Canyon tours, spa events, massages, cruises and even the option to purchase a vHottie t-shirt!
    
5. Vendor parties– EMC, Wyse, Veeam, Trace3 and many more will be putting on simply incredible events for your enjoyment. (Note: many, if not all, require VIP invitations.)
    
6. Keynote – Every year VMware CEO Paul Maritz gives a rousing keynote address and this year's will be no exception. Be sure you don’t miss this on Monday from 3:30-5 pm. In addition, VMware CTO & SVP of R&D Steve Herrod will be giving a session on “Engineering the Future” and the technologies running the “cloud.”
    
7. Official VMworld 2011 Party – Of course the one event you must attend! This will be held Wednesday evening from 7-11 pm. Details are still limited but expect a private concert from The Killers and much more!
    

This is just a sampling of what to expect next week. A full list is available here. Stop by booth 171B and say hello!