VMworld.com: Poor Planning ...

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13 Replies Last post: Sep 7, 2008 2:24 PM by Andreas Lundgren

Tom Mancini

5 posts since
Oct 1, 2007

Aug 14, 2008 6:41 AM

Poor Planning

Only labs are offered on Monday and you cannot take more than two. What are you supposed to do in-between or after the labs? Not good.

Critical sessions such as upgrading, DRM, HA, etc. are only offered once. Again, very poor planning.

You would think this would be better orchestrated given the popularity.

jgalexan

4 posts since
Aug 5, 2008

1. Aug 14, 2008 7:10 AM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning

Correct, you can only register for 2 Labs. If you have registered for 2 labs on Monday, then you will only be able to put yourself on the waiting list. Labs are offered on other days, I have 1 scheduled for Monday and 1 scheduled for Tuesday. There are other sessions to sign up for besides Labs. Not everything will be relevant to everyone.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Tom Mancini

5 posts since
Oct 1, 2007

2. Aug 14, 2008 7:35 AM

in response to: jgalexan

Re: Poor Planning

I have two scheduled for Monday. It will not allow any more, not even a waiting list.

I now see why only labs are available on Monday and no sessions. Apparently, priorities take precedence;

VMware Partner Day at VMworld 2008 (partners only) and VMware Technology Exchange 2008 (TAP members only).

Sven Huisman

3 posts since
May 21, 2008

3. Aug 14, 2008 8:27 AM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning

Monday is partner day. The labsessions on monday are complementary.

jwoods

1 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

4. Aug 14, 2008 10:19 AM

in response to: Sven Huisman

Re: Poor Planning

In 2006, there were no labs on monday. Only partner day. So this is a huge improvement. Although you do have a limit of 2 labs, you can pick up a lab on a day other than Monday, if space is available that is.

sdevenney

6 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

5. Aug 17, 2008 4:27 AM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning

In past years there were no labs on Monday. The conference officially starts on Tuesday with Monday being set aside for specific sessions. Labs were added on Monday to accomadate more people.

While you can only sign up for 2 labs you can still attend more. It basically means you are only reserved for two labs. You can still stand in line for other labs and hope that people who signed up don't arrive (that happens a lot).

Last year I did my two labs on Monday and then spent the rest of the time Monday getting familar with the facility and taking some of the hands on labs.

Stephen Mann

4 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

6. Aug 17, 2008 2:11 PM

in response to: sdevenney

Re: Poor Planning

Yes, last year I did my 2 labs on the Monday & then spent the rest of the day sussing the place out, finding where my session rooms where for the rest of the week etc. Perhaps I met you last year sdevenney :o) Last year it was all quite compact (5 mins to walk from 1 session to another (the queues were a whole other story)), I'm told that this year you could be in for quite a trek from session to session. Has anyone ever been to the Venetian for a conference before?

Maria Young

1 posts since
May 6, 2008

7. Aug 18, 2008 5:44 AM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

This is ridiculous. I clicked on the scheduler not more than two minutes after I got the email and I am in a wait list for the labs. This is poor planning. We pay all this money and I can not get into a lab????

Someone need to explain this to my supervisor!!!!!

sdevenney

6 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

8. Aug 18, 2008 6:16 AM

in response to: Maria Young

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

There are still labs available. They just may not be the labs that you want. I have a couple of suggestions based on attending a few in the past.

The troubleshooting ESX lab will go fast. There will be lines 90 to 100 people deep to get into this lab based on what I have seen in past years.

I would recommend sign up for any labs that you can at this time just so you at least get some level of lab time. You can get in lines and probably still be able to attend some of the labs that you did not get signed up for. The lab manuals are usually put online afterwards so you can do the labs on your own later as well.

Tom Mancini

5 posts since
Oct 1, 2007

9. Aug 18, 2008 6:29 AM

in response to: Maria Young

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

I can appreciate that Monday was added to the agenda as a lab day. But to offer only labs and knowing their popularity along with sessions available only to partners is difficult to absorb. There should at least have been some sessions made available to fill out Monday especially when important topics are offered only once.
As Maria mentions, try to explain this to your superiors.

Wanda Anderson

3 posts since
Jul 14, 2008

10. Aug 18, 2008 8:08 AM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

Yes I agree that it's poor planning especially when you are limited to 2 labs. Luckily my priority labs are outside of the Monday schedule, but now, I don't have any sessions I can go to for Monday. I would have loved to go to one or 2 labs on Monday as well. Hard to explain to upper management why a 4 day conference has one unscheduled day.

Henrik Elmsjo

4 posts since
May 3, 2008

11. Aug 18, 2008 8:46 AM

in response to: Maria Young

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

Well, you just may have to explore what Vegas has to offer then...

/Henrik

sdevenney

6 posts since
Sep 10, 2007

12. Aug 18, 2008 8:53 AM

in response to: Wanda Anderson

Re: Poor Planning- Absolutely Correct

There are self-paced labs available on Monday. I have included the Agenda. I can agree that maybe VMWare should have been more clear that the conference officially starts on Tuesday but that didn't happen.

So options for Monday are take Self-paced labs, stand in line for Instructor-led labs (good chance you can still get in), use the opportunity to meet others and learn more about their environment, or go explore Vegas.

Monday is mainly for Partners and TAM Accounts. It is usually a travel day for everyone else. Last year I was only signed up for one Lab on Monday, but I was able to get into more than 1 lab and 2 self-paced labs.

6:30am - 8:00pm	Registration Open
7:00am - 8:00am	Breakfast
8:00am - 6:30pm	Self-paced
8:00am - 10:00pm	Instructor-led Labs
8:00am - 5:30pm	Partner Day\
8:30am - 5:30pm	Technology Exchange\
9:30am - 6:30pm	TAM Day\
10:00am - 8:00pm	VMware Company Store Open
10:30am - 12:30pm	Instructor-led Labs
12:00pm - 2:00pm	Lunch
2:00pm - 4:00pm	Instructor-led Labs
4:30pm - 6:30pm	Instructor-led Labs
5:30pm - 7:30pm	Solutions Exchange Welcome Reception

Andreas Lundgren

3 posts since
Jul 10, 2008

13. Sep 7, 2008 2:24 PM

in response to: Tom Mancini

Re: Poor Planning

Since most every (interesting, advanced) SESSION as well is full already, I'd very much like to know if there is a chance that for example SRM sessions will be added or existing sessions will be given new (larger) rooms?

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Aug 14, 2008 6:41 AM

Poor Planning

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