09/28/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/28/2021 11:36
Missing your VMworld friends in person? We are too. For this year's all-digital event, you'll find lots of ways to catch up with past pals and meet new ones. (And of course, we haven't forgotten the swag.) You'll also find lots of learning opportunities and fun ways to test your skills and explore new ones.
From VMUG events to this year's Hackathon, there are lots of ways to connect, learn, and be inspired at VMworld 2021, October 5-7.
First things first-what to know ahead of the show
During the show: socializing
There's always time for fun and connection at VMworld, even digitally. Here are some ways to find old friends and meet new ones.
Visit the VMUG Lounge for casual conversation during Days 1 and 2 (register here), plus find a Watch Party near you and explore the Demo Zone. Sign up as a VMUG member for your free VMworld 2021 pass and you'll be entered to win a Peloton bike.
Join the VMworld 2021 Slack and connect with people in the #vmware-community channel. Find your VMware community among vExperts, bloggers, Champions, developers, VMUG and in the VMware Technology Network. Learn about and join the community groups that interest you, hear technical community members talk about cool projects they're working on, and have some fun with entertainment and networking discussions.
Don't miss the Entertainment Zone, where you can choose from a schedule of Italian, Mexican, or deconstructed cooking classes, a mixology course featuring a signature drink, poker lessons, and more.
During the show: learning and exploration
VMworld remains the place to learn about what's new and what's next in IT infrastructure, and that's true in digital format too. You can explore product and solution session in the Content Catalog, plus check out these other ways to learn from colleagues and practitioners.
The Solutions Exchange you've known and loved is now consolidated together with the VMware Cloud Marketplace -a platform where you can discover and deploy third-party, open-source, and even first-party solutions directly to VMware environments. It's now a one-stop shop to check out what's new.
Once you're registered for VMworld, you're also automatically signed up for Code Connect, a companion event taking place October 5 and 6, with 35 total live sessions, divided into IT Automation and Kubernetes tracks. Check out the agenda and follow @vmwarecode on Twitter for daily updates.
To see what the vBrownBag community is up to this year, stay tuned here and on their YouTube channel for live, 10-minute tech talks during VMworld 2021.
And to learn more about ongoing networking, learning and socializing through VMUG, check out their sessions during VMworld 2021:
At the show: test your skills
VMworld remains a great place to show off the skills you've gained-and, who are we kidding, see if you can win a prize. Check out these opportunities.
The VMworld Hackathon will take place virtually again this year, with an hour and a half set aside on Oct 5 for live presentations by our teams and judging.
The 2021 VMworld Challenge is also set for this year and will go live as soon as the event platform does on Tuesday morning, October 5. Go to "Entertainment Zone" to get started. To play, you'll complete a series of actions like watching the solution keynotes, visiting sponsors, taking a Hands-On Lab, and more. Both general and Tech+ pass holders can attend, and you'll win the prize within each tier if you do all the actions (while supplies last; notification via email). The grand prize, given to 10 winners via drawing, is a VMworld 2022 pass for either U.S. or Europe.
The Odyssey Challenge from Hands-On Labs is available anytime, so you can test your skills and knowledge on everything from NSX and SD-WAN to vRealize for operations and automation training-then check the leaderboard to see how you did and decide what to learn next. (Hands-on labs are available to all VMworld 2021 pass holders, but guided workshops are also available for Tech+ Pass holders.)
See you there!
If you haven't already, make sure you register today to save your spot and access all these sessions and more at VMworld 2021. If you have a question, reach out to us directly and our team of experts can help.