Catch Me If You Can – Q4 2016 Edition

I looked at my calendar recently while trying to book an appointment, and I quickly realized that I have a lot of vCommunity stuff going on for the next little bit (assuming my plans don’t get altered). In the off chance you are reading this and will be attending one of the events below, please feel free to reach out, even if for no other reason than to say ‘Hi’.

• October 11th – I’m hoping to make it to the SouthWest Ontario VMUG … I likely won’t know until that morning.
• October 27th & 28th – Microsoft is holding their Tech Summit event in Toronto; I was pretty excited to hear about this one. It’s been awhile since I attended a Microsoft-run event. The last MS-related event I attended was MVP Days earlier this year – it was great to catch up on a lot of advancements that MS has made as of late.
• November 8th – I’ll be presenting at the Toronto VMUG. I gave an ‘intro’ chat about Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity at VMworld for the vBrownBag Tech Talks. I was asked if I could do something similar for this event, so I’ll be revising my presentation a bit.
• November 9th – vForum Toronto. Based on what I’ve seen on Twitter about the event in other cities, the content should be pretty good. Hopefully a chance to catch up on some of the information missed at VMWorld.
• Update: November 15 & 16 – Tech Field Day 12 – w00t!
• November 23rd – Our Q4 SouthWest Ontario Veeam User Group meeting. This will be held at the Hilton in Mississauga (Meadowvale). More details to come, but it is shaping up to be a big one!

I *think* that’s it. Nothing for December (at least yet).

This past year has been a real change for me with things like being accepted into programs like the vExpert and Veeam Vanguard, as well as starting my own Veeam User Group. Events like the above are a great way to learn about new tech, stay on top of existing tech, or even provide a way to get thoughts to vendors on future tech.

The other major benefit is networking; I used to think that it was lame and just a marketing pitch by organizers to get you there. Well, I could not have been more wrong. For the past year or so, I have strived to make sure I talk to new folks at these events. It’s amazing the connections that you’ll build, and the great conversations that you’ll have.

So with that in mind – if you see me, be sure to stop and have a chat. I’d love to hear about your job, environment, challenges, and wins.