VMware EXPLORE 2023, the company’s flagship event for all things multi-cloud, took place from November 6 to 9 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain. The event attracted thousands of attendees from around the world, who came to learn, network, and discover the latest innovations and trends in the multi-cloud universe. In this blog post, I will recap some of the highlights of VMware EXPLORE 2023, and share some insights and impressions from the event.
Pre-Events…
one of the pre-events which is not to miss, when you're going to VMware EXPLORE is a vRockstar party. There you can find some old friends and buddies to talk with and then the next day find out that you have not much voice left -:)…
The General Session and Solution Keynotes
In good company #explore3word Sitting in the blogging/press VIP area at #VMwareExplore next to @microlytix #vExpert
Waiting for the general session……
The event kicked off with a general session by VMware CEO Raghu Raghuram, who shared his vision of the future of multi-cloud and how VMware is enabling customers to achieve it. He announced several new products and updates, such as VMware Cloud Platform 7, VMware Cloud Foundation 5, VMware Tanzu AI, and VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery. He also showcased some of the customer success stories and partner collaborations that demonstrate the value and impact of VMware’s multi-cloud solutions.
The general session was followed by six solution keynotes, each focusing on a different aspect of the multi-cloud journey: Cloud and Edge Infrastructure, Networking and Security, Modern Applications and Cloud Management, Hybrid Workforce, Vision and Innovation, and VMware Cloud on AWS.
The solution keynotes featured VMware executives, product managers, engineers, and customers, who shared their insights, best practices, demos, and use cases on how to leverage VMware’s multi-cloud portfolio to address the challenges and opportunities of today’s digital world.
The Breakout Sessions and Hands-on Labs
VMware EXPLORE 2023 offered over 500 breakout sessions across 10 tracks, covering a wide range of topics and technologies related to multi-cloud. The breakout sessions were delivered by VMware experts, customers, partners, and community members, who shared their knowledge, experience, and tips on how to design, deploy, operate, and optimize multi-cloud environments. The breakout sessions were also available on demand, so attendees could watch them at their own pace and convenience.
You could probably read all the announcements that were under NDA and I have covered in VMware EXPLORE Barcelona 2023 news here. To be honest, in this post, you'll find more than was announced during General Sessions, because we had actually more data to work with, during our NDA pre-briefing -:). But as we could not post it ahead of time, before the event, the post got then ‘buried' by my other blog posts that came later.
- Runecast Platform 6.8 and VMware EXPLORE Barcelona 2023
- HPE/Zerto news during VMware EXPLORE 2023 Barcelona
- Nakivo Backup and Replication VMware EXPLORE 2023
- Xormon NG – A great monitoring tool for virtualization admins
- VMware EXPLORE Barcelona 2023 news
In addition to the breakout sessions, VMware EXPLORE 2023 also provided attendees with the opportunity to get hands-on experience with VMware’s multi-cloud solutions through the hands-on labs. The hands-on labs were self-paced, guided, and interactive, allowing attendees to explore, experiment, and learn at their own speed and level of expertise. The hands-on labs covered topics such as VMware Cloud on AWS, VMware Tanzu, VMware NSX, VMware Horizon, and more.
The Expo Hall and the Solutions Exchange
One of the most exciting parts of VMware EXPLORE 2023 was the expo hall, where attendees could interact with VMware’s partners, sponsors, and exhibitors, who showcased their products, services, and solutions that complement and enhance VMware’s multi-cloud offerings. The expo hall featured over 200 booths, where attendees could learn, network, and discover new opportunities and possibilities for their multi-cloud journey.
Thanks to our partners/sponsors who were present. I had a great time meeting them all, in person, and with my video gear, recording an interview with their latest development. It's great to see that after the post-Covid era some of them are back and hoping for better -:).
Nakivo
With Nick and Sasha at the Nakivo booth…
And the video with demo….
HPE/Zerto
With Chris Rogers in front of HPE/Zerto booth…
Runecast
With Stan and Zuzka in front of the Runecast booth…
and the latest news about agent-less scanning!
Veeam
#VMwareexplore #Veeam With Rasmus, in front of a @Veeam booth. @VeeamVanguard @vmware @VMware_EMEA
Xorux
With Michal from Xorux showing upcoming Xormon NG which they are about to release (currently in BETA)…
The expo hall also hosted the solutions exchange, where attendees could watch live demos, presentations, and Q&A sessions by VMware and partner experts, who demonstrated how to solve real-world problems and scenarios using VMware’s multi-cloud solutions. The solutions exchange was a great way to see the multi-cloud solutions in action and get answers to specific questions and challenges.
The Social Media Buzz and the vCommunity
VMware EXPLORE 2023 generated a lot of buzz and excitement on social media, as attendees shared their thoughts, impressions, and feedback on the event using the hashtag #VMwareEXPLORE. The social media posts also captured some of the fun and memorable moments of the event, such as the welcome reception, the vExpert party, the VMUG party, the Hall Crawl, and the closing party.
That's how those blog posts are “in-progress”…..
I was especially impressed by the new VMware Tanzu AI, which is a generative AI platform that enables customers to create, train, and deploy AI models on any cloud. I also liked the new VMware Cloud Platform, which is a unified platform that simplifies and automates the management of multi-cloud environments.
I also enjoyed the networking and learning opportunities with other attendees, speakers, and experts, and the fun and entertainment activities that made the event enjoyable and unforgettable.
We had so much fun with the Fujitsu booth stand where you could take a picture of yourself, and then the AI driven software generated an avatar based on your choice. As I like the superhero and Marvel movies, the choice was done quickly !
-:)
VMware EXPLORE Barcelona 2023Party
During the party, the only way to find your peers is via What'sApp (maybe next time we should geo-localize ourselves? -:)…. Yes, here is the Czech Team.
@stmusil @STorder66 @Geogee007
And here with my friends at the party….
#vmwareexplore party 2023 with @NoLabNoPartY @MadiCristil @c_glemot
Great experience again this year…
Conclusion
VMware EXPLORE 2023 was again a successful and inspiring event that showcased the power and potential of multi-cloud and how VMware is leading the way in enabling customers to achieve it. The event provided attendees with a wealth of information, insights, and opportunities to learn, network, and discover the latest innovations and trends in the multi-cloud universe. We hope you enjoyed this recap of the highlights of VMware EXPLORE 2023, and we look forward to seeing you at the next VMware EXPLORE event in 2024.
The event was a success, there is no doubt about it.
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Stay tuned through RSS, and social media channels (Twitter, FB, YouTube)
