VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas – Day 1 – Warm-up

Day 1 at VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas is kind of a warm-up day. Some people are still traveling, some are already at the event, taking part in the first sessions, hands-on labs and more. Day 1 is the perfect day to get to know the expo building, look at the map, plan the sessions or do some labs. The VMware Explore mobile app is very helpful for this, you can find all the important information there. For me, the day started with registration and swag pick-up.

The Hub

After registering, I headed to The Hub, which is devided into couple secions – VMware Communities, VMware Awards, Design with Us, Meet the Experts, and Customer Experience and Theater of Success. Firstly, I went to the VMware Communities, where I met Correy Romero – VMware Senior Social Media & Advocacy Manager, Head of vExperts. It was great to be able to talk in person. VMware Communities is a place where you can take part in an session, meet vExperts and other members of the community.

Hands-On Labs

Hands-On labs were right next to The Hub, so I went there to practice. I’ve done some Disaster Recovery labs:

• VMware Cloud Provider Platform – DR and Migration using VMware Cloud Director Availability (HOL-2482-02-HBD)
• VMware Site Recovery Manager – Data Center Migration and Disaster Recovery (HOL-2205-01-SDC)

Lab staff was available at all times, describing how the lab works and helping in case of any problems.

Conducting the labs enabled me to live-test the capabilities and functionality of VMware Cloud Director Availability and Site Recovery Manager in real-time.

Sessions

Even though it was Monday, registration and warm-up day, there were plenty of Meetings with Experts and educational sessions to choose from.

The most intresting for me were:

• Easy Migrations and Expansions into VMware Cloud on AWS [CEIT2555LV]

This presentation delved into the intricacies of architecting for cloud migration, with a particular emphasis on meticulous planning and precise design for transferring workloads to VMware Cloud on AWS. The session addressed critical factors to ensure seamless migrations and presents a range of options to facilitate the transition from an on-premises VMware vSphere setup to VMware Cloud on AWS.

• VMware {code} Lab: Learning to Code Using CHATGPT API Interface [CODE2960LV]

The VMware {code} program offered a practical coding experience through hands-on sessions at The Hub. In an instructor-led workshop, participants learned coding with Microsoft Visual Studio. IT administrators could acquire fundamental coding skills and create a small ChatGPT application.

As an employee of Kyndryl, a VMware partner, I also participated in the Partner Keynote session [PARK3032LV].

Welcome Reception

Day 1 ended with a welcome reception at The Expo for all VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas attendees. That’s the kickoff. Most likely, everyone has already arrived, ready for tomorrow’s main conference day. During this day, there will be a general session featuring the most significant announcements. Welcome reception is a great moment to meet people, talk and exchange experiences.