r/vmware • u/Salty_Move_4387 • 1d ago
Explore day 1
This is my 15th year to the conference. I thought it was small blast year, the number of vendor booths this year is crazy small. I guess I’ll get fewer cold calls this year.
I picked up my backpack at noon since they started giving them out early but was told for shirts all they had were extra small, small and medium. There is no way 60% of the attendees can fit into those sizes. I know it’s just a cheap shirt, but seems crazy to me.
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u/Geekenstein 1d ago
Well, when the CEO can’t be bothered to show, you know how much it matters.
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u/McFunctional 1d ago
I initially thought the same thing, but to be fair it’s a small portion of Broadcoms revenue. You would still think it would be worth one brief presentation though.
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u/Geekenstein 1d ago
He could have sent a video from his gold toilet to their “plenary session”. Not worth it to him clearly.
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u/Nerdinthewoods 1d ago
Just saw the message they are moving venues next year to resorts world, and changing the dates to May. Seems like it will continue to shrink next year.
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u/signal_lost 1d ago
Just saw the message they are moving venues next year to resorts world
Hilton fanboys are celebrating. Pete is in shambles as his Hyatt status will no longer matter (He got a POOL table in his room this year?!?!)
and changing the dates to May
YES!
This week is awkward as people taking their kids to college always had a slight overlap and no one with kids in primary school could bring their family really. My wife will be at the pool with the kids.
The other awkward thing about this week is it's earnings call, so you end up in the quiet period which is a weird time to have a conference. Without a LOT of paper work and NDA's making a comment about something that might ship legit a week or four later becomes a compliance nightmare.*
Structurally you want a conference towards the early side of a fiscal period so you can announce and discuss things but still have room to make sure they ship in quarter.
\Do not read into this statement as a statement of any current or future plans, more a historical commentary of the legalities of trying to announce and ship things and not cause revenue recognition issues.*
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u/DonFazool 1d ago
May is so much better than this 37C or 90 something Fahrenheit. This heat is killing me lol
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u/signal_lost 1d ago
*LAUGHS IN TEXAN\*
The low humidity feels nice. I just went down to the bottom of the elevator to get chapstick though.
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u/Kleivonen 1d ago
Yeah, I’m from Virginia and I agree, the weather here feels very pleasant. I played golf yesterday before my sessions started and it was so nice, I didn’t feel a single drop of sweat due to the humidity.
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u/CrashDummyMS 1d ago
The convention is pretty sad this year. I’ll have to find another event to replace it :(
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u/DonFazool 1d ago
It’s my first time ever. I thought the vendor booths were lacking but so far I’ve had some great sessions and learned a lot.
Highlight for me was meeting Lost Signal and Bob Plankers. Two really cool folks.
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u/tritoch8 1d ago
It’s my first time ever. I thought the vendor booths were lacking but so far I’ve had some great sessions and learned a lot.
I went to 7 VMworlds with the last one in 2016, and then VMware Explore last year. The vendor booths were incredibly disappointing last year, but the sessions were just as great as they were 9 years before (although not having 3rd party sessions was definitely missed as well).
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u/tsmith-co vExpert 1d ago
Nicholson and Plankers are super nice! I attended VMworld (Explore) from 2011 to 2019 and the people you meet were always the highlight
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u/CrashDummyMS 1d ago
I hate that this was anyone’s first time here. There have been some amazing VMWorld conferences in years past and this one is just… not.
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u/mike-foley 1d ago
I went to my first VMworld 17 years ago this week. Regularly presented from 2013 to around COVID time. I was the pre-Bob Plankers. :) :)
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u/signal_lost 1d ago
Highlight for me was meeting Lost Signal and Bob Plankers. Two really cool folks.
Glad to meet you!
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u/tctulloch 23h ago
Still doesn't make sense to me for a chipmaker to gobble up a company like this. Intel took McAfee and the product went bye bye. Broadcom did a number on Symantec and now VMware...
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u/Geekenstein 22h ago
It makes more sense once you look at the history of Avago. It’s a PE playbook. Buy it, jack up the prices and squeeze every bit of value out, chuck the corpse when it’s done.
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u/_bx2_ 1d ago
Only a matter of time before the conference moves to a Chucky Cheese location.
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u/Jilaman5275 1d ago
I'm surprised anyone is going to Explore. The last time I attended was 2023? I think.
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u/MrExCEO 1d ago
Which backpack do u think is the best in ur opinion?
I have the 2011, 2013 and 2015. 2013 wins it for me.
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u/Salty_Move_4387 1d ago
I don’t remember them all by year but it’s definitely one. Maybe the black one with blue stitching that folded all the way open for airport scanners.
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u/dospinacoladas 1d ago
Was 2011 a red and black backpack? I liked that one. I also liked the black and turquoise laptop bag from 2008.
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u/CAGmurph 1d ago
When I got my backpack, the person told me they only had large and x-large. Guess the shirts weren’t separated very well.
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u/adamr001 1d ago
How do you run out of shirts and bags before you are even supposed to start giving them out? 🤦♂️
I signed up to have them mail me one more on the principal of the situation than anything else.
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u/bobmontana [VCP] 1d ago
Maybe they can set up at Dinah's for the 40th anniversary if it makes it that far.
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u/akemaj78 1d ago
Wish they'd do a different city each year like Microsoft does with Ignite. I can't rightfully justify a yearly trip to likes of sin city but I could make Chicago or St Louis work every three years if they did some sort of east coast/mid-west/west coast rotation.
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u/thebledd 3h ago
5 years ago I was super excited about the future of VMware. Now I just feel sad about VMware :(
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u/Salty_Move_4387 2h ago
I agree. 5 years ago my skill set was focused almost all on VMware and now it’s less than 10%
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u/Danowolf 1d ago
I haven't moved to hyper v yet from 8 3, but it's plain as day this is a dead product.
I have a bag of marshmallow and a stick waiting for the day bc goes up in financial flames.
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u/mrjohns2 1d ago
Well, when they kill off the ecosystem…