geek·herd/GekÉ™rd/
Noun:
A person who attends to the needs of geeks.
Verb:
Tend (geeks) as a geekherd.
See also: Cat-herder, Nerf-herder
February 23 and 24 is Gestalt IT Virtualization Field Day 2. This is significant in many ways, but is especially poignant for me because I will not be there. For the first time, the “geekherd’s crook” at Tech Field Day will be wielded by someone other than me, though I remain as involved as ever behind the scenes.
I Don’t Know the Way to San Jose
Nearly all of the work that makes Tech Field Day happen takes place in the months before the event. Delegate selection, lining up companies to present and sponsor, negotiating contracts, arranging travel, and setting the schedule requires a massive amount of effort. I’m not sure anyone (apart from Matt Simmons and Claire Chaplais) really understands what it takes to make an event like this happen.
Virtualization Field Day 2 will be the fourteenth Tech Field Day event I have organized in just over 3 years. And there are at least 7 more events planned for 2012! I suppose the time eventually was going to come when I could not make it to Tech Field Day, but I always assumed it would be because I was ill. Happily, this is a somewhat brighter situation.
I will not be in San Jose next week because I will be at a ceremony honoring my son, Grant. We recently learned that Grant’s essay on the modern relevance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was selected by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission as the best by any seventh grade student in the state of Ohio. I’m extremely proud not just that Grant was able to express and articulate his ideas so well, but also that he sees the world so clearly at just 12 years old. Given the choice between honoring my son and attending my own event, I would always choose the former.
All About Virtualization Field Day 2
Matt Simmons will take my place as the “geekherd” on-site in Silicon Valley. His responsibilities include hosting the delegate and presentation portions of the event, ensuring everyone is where they’re supposed to be at the right time, keeping the schedule running smoothly, and attending to any needs that might crop up. Matt will be assisted, as usual, by our talented video team from PrimeImageMedia, the travel staff at VIP Travel, the presenting companies, our on-site vendors, and the delegates themselves. I will be standing by live to help out as much as possible as well.
Virtualization Field Day 2 features some really excellent companies. We will begin with Symantec, a frequent presenter at Tech Field Day events. After lunch on Thursday we will hear an update from Zerto, who in Boston gave us a behind-the-scenes sneak peek before they even launched. We will finish Thursday with Xangati, a once small virtualization management company that has grown since their first presentation last year.
Matt has a special treat in store for Thursday evening, and I don’t want to spoil the fun here. But I can’t wait to hear from the delegates, and I suspect we may be going back for another round in the future!
Friday begins at Pure Storage, another company that launched their marketing efforts at Tech Field Day last year. Friday afternoon sees a first-time presenter: Pivot3 makes a consolidated infrastructure offering for virtual desktops, and I have been wanting to get them in front of the delegates since I first learned of them.
We will also take time on Friday for a totally different sort of session. W. Curtis Preston and the team from Truth in IT will return for Battle of the Bloggers, a video Roundtable series started in Austin last year. Also, Edward Haletky will record his Virtualization Security Podcast at 11:30 AM.
As always, Virtualization Field Day 2 features a great set of delegates. In addition to 11 familiar faces, Dwayne Lessner and Robert Novak will be joining the crew. I guess they’ll have to learn the ropes from Matt and company instead of listening to my sage advice!
Stephen’s Stance
Although I’m sad to miss Virtualization Field Day 2, I am thrilled to be able to honor the person my son is becoming. Tech Field Day will go on fine without me in San Jose, and I will be watching the live streaming video just like hundreds of others. Plus, the time spent here in the office will give me a chance to focus on Networking Field Day 3 and the first ever Storage and Security Tech Field Day events!
Howard Marks says
Many congratulations to the proud papa.