The following post was written by Windows Azure MVP Brent Stineman
I’m going to TechEd North America 2012. It sounds simple, and for many it may even seem mundane. But I don’t do many conferences, and outside of the Microsoft MVP summit, I haven’t been to a vendor specific conference since a Borland event back in the late 90’s. So it’s safe to say, I’m excited.
I was recently asked what I was looking forward to the most at TechEd. As an MVP, I’ve already been given sneak peeks at many of the new features that will be announced (at least as it relates to Microsoft’s cloud initiatives). So I’d say what I’m looking forward to most is spending time with everyone there; the speakers, the attendees, the staff. Talking with people, the sharing of ideas, these to me are the real values of these events. Call it “networking” if you will. But to me it’s actually a rare chance to do in person what I do virtually most of the year, talking with people, sharing experiences, and learning.
This is where I count myself a bit fortunate. Unlike most of the conferences I’ve attended lately, I’m not speaking or presenting. Luckily, I have no concerns about preparing session materials, putting myself into “presenter mode”, or stressing out about being on time and living up to the audiences expectations. Instead, I’ve been selected to help staff some of the “expert” areas. I couldn’t imagine a better outcome for my first trip to TechEd. I get to spend at least 16 hours of the event specifically talking with and helping people with the technology I’ve focused the last 3+ years of my career on.
Now I don’t want to discount all the great sessions that will be at the conference. I always pick up new info no matter how many times I see presentations from the likes of Mark Russinovich, Clemans Vasters, Nathan Totten, Nick Harris, Brad Calder… the list goes on. But it’s the stories and questions from the vast array of fellow professionals, all working to solve their own challenges, that I never tire of. I’ll slow down when I overhear something in a hallway or inadvertently eavesdrop on conversations on an airplane. If they’re struggling with an issue, I stop and offer to help. Sometimes I’m fortunate and can give them that one piece of info they need to solve the problem, but as often as not, I learn from them.
As a consultant, my experiences are limited largely by the clients that engage my services. I rarely have the time to work on side projects. But at TechEd I’m hoping to have a never ending buffet of stories, ideas, and challenges I can learn from.
So if you’re going this year, please stop by the Windows Azure booth or the expert center, look for a guy named Brent wearing a green shirt, and say “hi”, and share your stories with me. I’ll be easy to spot. I’m the guy that’s grinning like a kid in a candy store.
PS – oh, and swag. Swag is always good.
About the author
Brent’s nearly 20 year career has spanned platforms from the mainframe to mobile devices. Brent started working with the Windows Azure platform early in its CTP phase, and is now focused on helping colleagues and clients explore the promise of cloud computing. Brent is also one of the inaugural Microsoft MVP’s for the Windows Azure Platform.