Kicking Off VMware Explore 2024 in Las Vegas!

The time has come! VMware Explore 2024 is kicking off in Las Vegas on August 26th, and it will be epic. For those of you attending in the U.S., get ready for can’t-miss sessions, hands-on labs, and keynotes that will shape the future of tech. Stay tuned for my top picks to help you make the most of the event.

For the global community, don’t worry—Barcelona is just around the corner in November. I’ll be sharing more about that soon, but let’s dive into what makes the U.S. event so special. Whether you’re attending in person or following along from afar, there’s a lot to get excited about!

Sessions, sessions, sessions…

One of the key reasons to attend this global event is the wealth of valuable sessions available throughout the show. However, the most challenging part is scheduling—there are simply too many great sessions and not enough time! If you haven’t built your agenda yet, do it now using the content catalog: VMware Explore 2024 Content Catalog.
Depending on your role in your company or your personal interests, there are various tracks tailored to different levels and types of activities. From ‘Cloud Infrastructure’ to ‘Modern Applications,’ you’ll find sessions, hands-on labs, roundtables, and more.

While I won’t be attending in person, I’ve explored the catalog and can suggest some sessions that stood out to me:

The General Session promises to be really interesting, getting the point of new advancements in private cloud, AI, app delivery, and the edge
Intro to Tanzu Cloud Foundry and Generative AI [ELW2429LV]: an interesting Hands-on Lab on mastering the operational management of Kubernetes-based application runtimes with a touch of Gen AI
Automating post-build configuration of vSphere Hosts [CODE2160LV]: Automation is my stuff and this session goes into the code to fully automate host deployment
Zero to Hero: Deploy Enterprise Grade GenAI with VMware Tanzu Platform [TANT1728LV]: a tutorial providing all you need to build an enterprise Generative AI for Tanzu Platform
AI Without GPUs: Using Your Existing CPU Resources to Run AI Workloads [INVB2189LV]: This sounds interesting… how to use your existing central processing unit (CPU) resources to run AI workloads

Community, community, community…

I don’t claim to be an expert in IT communities, but my journey began over 20 years ago when I joined my first Linux Users Group. Since then, I’ve grown in knowledge, advanced my career, and evolved in how I approach problems, learning, and sharing each day. Human connections have always been vital to this growth, and VMware, now part of Broadcom, continues the tradition of creating communities where you can share, learn, and expand your network.

At every VMware Explore event, vCommunities and VMware User Groups (VMUG) bring together like-minded individuals through a variety of activities. Whether it’s a lively party, an engaging roundtable, or an epic Hackathon, these moments are where real connections happen and ideas flourish. It’s these experiences that make the VMware community one of the best places to grow, both personally and professionally.

For me, VMware events and activities are more than just professional gatherings… they’re a chance to reconnect with many friends! I still vividly remember my first encounter with the US team at VMUG UserCON 2015 in Italy. The joy of seeing them again at my first VMworld in 2016 was incredible, and it exponentially expanded my contacts in the Cloud and Virtualization space.

If you wanna learn more I highly suggest attending the following session: “A Masterclass on Community: Find Your Peeps, Not Just the Mushy Yellow Ones [CMTY1556LV]”

May the {code} be with you!

My first VMware Explore experience was in 2016 (back when it was still called VMworld), and it was also my first chance to participate in the inaugural European edition of the VMware {code} Hackathon.

In a nutshell, a Hackathon is where a group of passionate individuals come together to bring an interesting idea to life. They collaborate on coding an implementation, share the code with the community, and, most importantly, have fun. You don’t need to be a developer to join in, the essence of this event lies in the idea, the team-building, the way the team presents the solution, and the potential for future improvements as the idea evolves into code.

So, if you want to express yourself, the Hackathon and the {code} community are the perfect places for you!

For more details, check out the official page: https://blogs.vmware.com/code/2024/07/15/ultimate-guide-to-the-2024-code-hackathon-in-las-vegas/

Staying on the {code} track, here are some sessions you definitely shouldn’t miss:”

{code} Lab: Advanced Lab Using ChatGPT To Write Powershell Automation [CODE2554LV]: using AI to write effective, reliable code, significantly enhancing productivity and system management capabilities. Participants will gain hands-on experience through practical lab projects.
And for sure: Code Lab Using ChatGPT At The Hackathon [CMTY2594LV]!
Automating vSphere Tasks with VMware PowerCLI [CODE1950LV]: unraveling the capabilities of PowerCLI and demonstrating how it can revolutionize IT operations and infrastructure management

Other things to know

Before I wrap up, I’d like to share a great post from Eric on how to survive Vegas on a budget: VMware Explore on a Budget: $2.8K Can Be Done. It’s full of practical tips for making the most of your trip without breaking the bank.

Even though I won’t be attending in Vegas, I’ll be blogging about the latest news and updates from the event. So, stay tuned!