This is what my "What's Been Going On at VeeamON" Tech Talk is about. Can't wait!

I cannot wait. Hands‑On Labs is my recommended session.

First piece of advice. If you are from a Northern Climate don’t do anything stupid. Like rent a bike in the middled of the day and bike to Miami and back . On the Venetian Way that takes you to Downtown Miami there are draw bridges. So when the billionaires need to pass with their yachts you wait and fry in the sun . Luckily Canadians are tough as they are intellectually challenged and so after a few ice creams we were back in business. The bike share is pretty cool but you have to be careful of certain American drivers with huge insecurity complexes who think revving their motor in a gas guzzler displays some manner of bravery and heroism… come on don’t be scared get out of your air conditioned boxes.. “Care to dare, fight the scare, put on a mean stare”.. Hey I might have sun stroke .. time for a swim in the ocean then!!! Veeam Legends and Vanguards have a reputation to keep up!! :(  VeeamON 2023 already turning into something original and fantastic!!

You brought sunscreen I hope?

As a Disaster Recovery specialist I always preach prevention . Although I don’t know, I kind of got the feeling this Florida sun finds sun screen humorous. We shall see tomorrow if Roasted Burke is on the menu at one of these insanely expensive restaurants! 

Here in Miami. Time to get started with VeeamON. 

Remember folks, there is a Wallgreens right across the bridge on 41st street. I found it right away at VeeamON 2019 when I first saw the prices in the restaurant and bars here. Wallgreens has everything you need snack/drink wise that you might need. Plus you get a nice workout dragging it back in the sun. I remember seeing the folks in the restaurants watching me march by fully loaded with provisions. Their ennui of a life too easy with no struggle was evident . 

I may make a stop, if I can walk that far. Still healing...thanks Geoff. 

It is tough in the heat since you are surrounded by cement like in an oven, but evening much better. But yeah take it easy man get back to full strenght

 

May need to make this trek we will see.

Another tip. In the cheap eats / hole in the wall category: Just a bit further down the road from walgreens: Latin Cafe. (https://www.yelp.com/biz/latin-cafe-miami-beach)

I’ll be flying in tomorrow (Monday) landing in MIA around 3PM. Check-in, if I make the tech festival check it out, then eat at the Cuban place above and stop at the walgreens on the way back to buy some beer/water/snacks/whatever. 

It’s just me by myself going to VeeamON this year.

Sessions I look forward  to:

There is a Hole in my Bucket! How to Plug Security Leaks

Planning for Veeam Direct To Object Success on AWS

A-Z Automation Journey with Veeam’s Automation Desk

Object Storage Innovation with Veeam

Veeam Backup & Replication v12 Hidden Features

And some of the shorter 15 minute sessions between 11am and 1pm every day...(which leave me with no time for lunch!)

I’m actually staying at the holiday inn close by the fontaineblue hotel this time around. I stayed at the fontaineblue in 2019 for Veeamon and didn’t particularly care for it. I don’t kn ow about the holiday inn in MB, but wanted to give it a shot.

Ready for the virtual experience 
And have a bunch of awesome days there in Miami folks! 

Just because we are in IT does not mean we can get away from the wires and microchips, at least for a short time :) 

Day 1 ready to rock and roll booth duty with Al Rasheed.  Come by if onsite and visit.

Warning, Artic Monster Air Conditioner has been let loose. During the Kubernetes session I had to wimp out (and he is Canadian???) and go up and get my Veeam Legend Hoodie. Joking aside they go nuts with with the temperature sometimes :) 

The A/C in the hotel….as well as airport… was INSANE! Don’t think I’ve ever been to any venue where it’s been so cooold! Seriously! 🥶🥶

A huge thanks to @safiya for helping me sort out the hotel bill issue.  A huge shout out to Veeam for getting involved so quickly, I did not even have time to freeze on the 150 Miami Beach express bus before I got a reply from them . A great community can only survive if it is supported by great efficient people. Like the ones at Veeam. Not just saying that to get points or be polite, it is the truth, thanks again!!

Hi Folks,

I thought I would do a brief recap of VeeamON 2023. I am going to be honest because only honesty has value. 

What I did not like:

1. The hotel. The FountaineBlau is flashy but you get the feeling people go there to show off wealth and simultaneously their shallowness. This is often the case with “money” folks. A lack of inner substance is made up for with flaunting fashion and gold chains. At the same time the venue is like a massive cash vacuum cleaner sucking up all the dollars, quarters, nickels, dimes that it can. I guess for these kind of events companies want to make a statement so there is no avoiding “grandness” but I just got a feeling of being surrounded by phoney people with lots of empty dollars, not the VeeamON folks of course.
2. Tech Talks exposure. I don’t know if anyone other than Vanguards and Legends showed up to the Tech Talks but it seemed like these events were poorly advertised. It could be that my topic Kubernetes simply generates no interest value but I believe others also witnessed poor attendance. 
3. Noisy events. It is possible that I am transforming into GrandPa Bunker or something (if you know who Archie Bunker is then you are getting near senior age as well, if you don’t then = google.com) but I see very little value in having events where the music is so loud you can’t hear yourself think. Perhaps the Marketing and Sales folks dig the “spaced out rave party” feeling but it would at least be nice if there was an area cordoned off for technical folks to talk. Again this could Old Burke at work here but to be fair ever since University I have hated loud parties. 

What I did like:

1. Community involvement. This VeeamON has to be the biggest ever in terms of community participation. One gets the feeling that Veeam Leadership truly believe in the benefits of Community and put their money where their mouth is. I am not just talking about bringing the Veeam100 to Miami but allowing us to actively take part in presentations and tech talks is showing true trust in our abilities. I think this investment will pay off generously as in this manner Veeam is enabling disciples for its products who genuinely believe in the products and will be very loyal going forward.

2. Presentations: Even though I was very busy and could not attend many, nevertheless I was able to catch some online and they were excellent. When managers ask “what does our company get for attending VeeamON?”, my answer is “competitive advantage”. You not only are able to take in these great presentations but the folks doing them are actually physically present at the event and you can approach them directly with questions.

3. The Veeam100. What a group! These people are not only technical experts but also fantastic company. They completely throw out the stereotype that computer folks are a bunch of introvert nerds with dull personalities. If anyone doubts this they can find the signal chat Apart from the fun and games the Veeam100 are true experts and leaders in the field, meeting up with them is like attending the Harvard of Backup and Data Protection. 
4.  Hard to put into words but after attending VeeamON I always get a feeling that Veeam is  dynamic and moving forward. The same spirit that attracted me to this excellent backup software has not waned despite all the changes and transformation over the years. 

5. Lastly Location: This was an IT conference but I believe that stimulating surroundings has powerful positive effect on our intellectual creative capabilities. Miami beach is a fascinating place. It has a fantastic collection of Art Deco architecture that was luckily saved from destruction in the 1970s. The Art Deco at the time in the US reached its peak during the 1930s when Americans were trying distract themselves from the great depression. I will leave you here with a few photos.