I’m just on my way back home from the awesome event that was System Center Universe Europe 2015.
(Keynote Room laid out ready - Image by SCU Europe)
It’s been a manically packed 3 days with 4 different tracks happening simultaneously throughout the day (with early starts from 08:30!) and smaller side sessions also as an extra.There’s been such a wide topic coverage this week (centred around IT management) covering the various component of System Center, Azure, Enterprise Mobility, PowerShell, there was even some fun with managing Tesla cars thrown in!
I was lucky enough to get to present a couple of sessions this year, one covering the different ways that the System Center components connect, interact and why with another session on how you can start to leverage the Azure services to extend your on-premise datacentre into a hybrid model and start gaining IT Management benefits and scale now, without the wholesale approach of just shift everything.
(People were keen for sessions and ensuring they had seats well before sessions started)
But it never stops me cringing and wondering why or how I was lucky enough to get a speaking spot, just looking around the speakers room left me gaping in awe at the world class talent that an event like this manages to attract.
Speakers/Experts/MVPs/Vendors from around the world happily flock to this event with renowned experts from the USA, Sweden, UK and even Sri Lanka in attendance.
People that have been in this game far longer than me and who I can thank personally for helping me build my career to what it is now after spending many hours over the years reading/watching/listening to them sharing their knowledge.
This is the other thing that makes these types of event so awesome, the attendees.
Having been to many of these events as an attendee myself, it’s always refreshing to see crowds of people that are so willing to learn and absorb knowledge.
But not just in a passive manner, this type of event sees the attendees willing to engage, ask questions (and there is no such thing as a stupid question in my opinion, it’s just something you don’t yet know the answer to so always ask!) and give helpful feedback.
(Break time between sessions - Image by SCU Europe)
Well that might be a wrap for this year, but the good news is it's back again next year, bigger and better and this time... in Berlin!!