IT conferences are a place where us nerds flock to a designated destination to discuss all things IT related and get your yearly supply of vendor t-shirts. Microsoft’s TechEd conference is no different and this year it’s held on May 12-15 in Houston, TX. Tech conferences are more than the KoolAid and who has the best swag, it’s also about the parties/events and the people you meet there. The networking that one can do at a tech conference is amazing; you have vendors and IT professionals all in one location at your disposal. Making those connections can mean new business deals or even a job, you never know the sky’s the limit. Not only are you building your IT professional network but attending social events after hours keeps you from watching re-runs on TV in hotel room. Who really wants to do that? Not I.
If you are new to TechEd or don’t know where to start with all this social activity I’ve made a list of some events that you may want to check out. You never know you may even run into me at one these events…
Sunday Night 5/11/2014
- The Krewe Meet and Greet at House of Blues – 7:30pm – 10:30pm
Kick off TechEd by meeting members of the world famous #TheKrewe- #TheKrewe is a community organized professional networking group. Their mission is to build a dynamic networking community through various activities and gatherings that extend beyond TechEd. The event is on a wait list but email meetngreet@iamkrewe.org to try to get yourself on the wait list.
Monday Night 5/12/2014
- TechEd Expo Welcome Reception – 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Tuesday Night 5/13/2014
- Petri IT Author Meet and Greet – 5:00pm- 7:00pm
Come meet the authors of Petri IT knowledgebase (including myself!) sponsored by Veeam and Proximal Data.
The following Petri authors, contributors, and editors should be in attendance:
Aidan Finn – @joe_elway
Damian Flynn – @Damian_Flynn
Phoummala Schmitt – @PhoummalaSchmit
Jeff James – @JeffJames3
Daniel Petri – @p3daniel
Peter De Tender – @pdtit
J. Peter Bruzzese – @jpbruzzese
Mary Branscombe – @marypcbuk
Simon Bisson – @sbisson
Jonathan Hassell – @jghassell
Jeffrey Hicks – @jeffhicks
Space will be limited – RSVP ticket by clicking on the following link and registering for the event http://www.eventbrite.com/e/petri-it-knowledgebase-author-meet-and-greet-at-microsoft-teched-2014-tickets-11225258049
- Join NetApp for craft beer, food and fun at Saint Arnold Brewing Company- 4:30–7:30 p.m
Stop by at the Netapp Booth with your TechEd Badge before Tuesday for an invite and party badge.Transportation to and from will be provided. Pick up will begin at 4:15 p.m. and runs through
5:30 p.m. outside of Hall F at the George R Brown Convention Center. Just look for the
NetApp logos.
- Veeam TechEd Party at House of Blues – 8:00pm – 11:00pm
To register for the Party Apply stop by at the Veeam booth or pre-register here: http://go.veeam.com/teched_party_2014.html
- CommVault TechEd Jam Session at House of Blues- 9:00pm – 1:00am
Come hang out with your fellow attendees and see who has some musical talent. If you’re not into singing or jamming on stage just sit back relax and enjoy a beer, you might even see me swinging by.
Wednesday night 5/14/2014
- TechExpo Happy Hour and Best of TechEd North America 2014 Awards – 5:00pm – 6:00pm
- 7th Annual UC Roundtable – 6:00pm – 8:00pm
The purpose of the UC Roundtable is to gather Exchange and Lync admins, MCMs, MVPs, Exchange product group members, architects, and experts for a free-flowing discussion about issues, questions, and experiences related to Exchange, Office 365, and Lync Server. If you work with Exchange, Office 365, or Lync you need to be at this party. Come join other Exchange and Lync admins, MCMs, MVPs, Exchange product group members, architects, and experts to discussion about issues, questions, and experiences.
Please RSVP to jeff@expta.com for event details and location
- Scheduled Maintenance Party hosted by ENow – 9:00pm – 12:00am
The awesome folks at ENow are bringing all of us Exchange, Lync, and SharePoint admins much needed “Scheduled Maintenance”. This is a party you don’t want to miss. It will be EPIC!
You can also stop by the ENow booth for more details.
Go to http://schedulemymaintenance.com to request a pass.
- Meet the DevExpress Team at TechEd and Lucky Strike Houston! – 7:00pm -11:00pm
Come meet the DevExpress Team and enjoy a night of cocktails, appetizers and bowling.
RSVP as soon as possible @ rsvp@devexpress.com
Thursday night 5/15/2014
- TechEd 2014 Closing Party at Minute Maid Park – 7:30pm 11:00pm
Close out TechEd by enjoying an evening at Minute Maid Park where attendees have exclusive access to the entire park. There will be lots of food, drinks, music, games, and activities. You must have your wrist bracelet to attend party. Guests of attendees can purchase tickets for the party , see information/registration desk at convention hall.
Exchange Goddess 