Intro
VMware Explore Singapore Day 1 has just ended and wow. I’m so grateful to be here again. Having joined VMworld Barcelona several times in the past, I was happy to finally being able attend the event again, only this time in a different place. Being hyped up about all the news from Barcelona, I was really looking forward to it. The stairs with the VMware Explore stickers definitely give me the “I’m back 😁” vibe.
I have a lot of friends, readers and professional connections that are from the USA & EMEA region. The question that I get a lot is “how is it in comparison with VMware Barcelona?”. So let’s make a honest recap of this first day, and also my first impression.
First Impression: Singapore, the perfect spot for a tech Event
First of all, VMware chose the perfect place to host this (first time) event in the Asia region. Singapore itself is like the perfect country, spot and location to host any big event or anything tech related. Especially when you consider that the country and people of Singapore are a technology & business driven society, which have an interesting and impressive history. That revolves a lot around change, adapting and transformation. Hosting a VMware event here, is almost like a match made in heaven. Just like VMware, Singapore is often a pioneer in the world and you could almost say that they are the embodiment of exactly the same vision & belief system that VMware has as a company. Which is change, adaption, transformation and pushing the limitations of what is possible. If you never heard or read about the history of Singapore, then definitely look it up. It’s really an impressive story of how they were able to change the fate and course of their country, and were able to transform into an economic hub for business in Asia in a really short amount of time. I’ve always wanted to see Singapore, and I’m extremely impressed. Besides the great infrastructure & interesting history and culture, the people in Singapore also speak multiple languages, with English actually as one of their main languages. So for a foreigner that comes outside of Asia, this is actually one of the easiest places in Asia to find you way around and to connect.
The only thing I could say that I did found confronting (besides the extreme amount of camera’s that are everywhere), is the fast-paced life that you immediately feel. It is not a bad thing, but for someone that just moved to Bali with his family, I noticed at arrival that I was completely not in sync or aligned with the fast-paced society. However, that is just me, and I think that would be the same of when I would move back to Europe.
Comparing: VMware Explore Barcelona vs Singapore
Having the pleasure to have been at VMworld Barcelona for several times, I cannot help but to compare. While it is the same event, there are quite some differences. So let’s sum them up
Price
First of all, the biggest difference is the prices. VMware Explore in Barcelona can cost you easily between 1200-1700 euro’s, depending on when you book. While on the other hand, VMware Explore in Singapore is free, yes free 😱😱😱. I actually didn’t knew that at the time that I signed-up, so when I was checking out the shopping cart of the event, it was a big, big, big pleasant surprise. When you consider this is actually a free event, it is actually insane what VMware has done here. The event is being held at an amazing venue called the “Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre”, which is at a beautiful bay right within a great shopping center. So, there is enough to do besides the sessions of VMware. Even if this will turn into a payed event in the future, I think the venue would still be used, since its simply just an amazing area and location. It’s big, and it also gives a similar feeling and vibe as the venue in Barcelona, but with more fun things to do right outside the building. I’m not sure if it would still be fitting if it would scale up to the same size as Barcelona, but for now it is definitely a top notch spot.
Content
Now the event itself is of course a bit smaller. VMware Barcelona is around 4 days, while the event here is around 2 days. I think in the past that was also the case in Barcelona, and since this is the first edition and totally free, I can totally understand this. Also, the amount of choice and diversity in the sessions, as well as the vendor boots are much lesser then in Barcelona. However, the 2 days are still packed and there is enough to do. For me, it actually became much easier to schedule my agenda, because I was sometimes overwhelmed of all the sessions in Barcelona. Which were often fully booked as well. With this comes another advantage, and that is that you have a much relaxter and easier time of recapping of all what has happened. Since Singapore (together with Japan) is the 3th event right after all the announcements in San Francisco & Barcelona, the biggest announcements have already been put out. There are still enough cool announcements that weren’t covered or got lesser attentions during the other two events, but I noticed that this event is actually a nice moment to recap everything. So actually, I like this more since it is more relaxed, and I have more time to talk and connect. Were in Barcelona I was in a constant struggle with myself of connecting with people vs not wanting to miss out on sessions. They both have their own value, but for now, I definitely love to keep coming back to Singapore as well.
What Do I Miss
So for a free event, I think it is actually insane what VMware has done here. There are freebies and give aways, free and great food, and a nice mix of gaining knowledge and enjoyment. Still, there are a few things that I do miss, and that is the community events and parties, like the ones for the vExperts. Maybe I just don’t know of them, since this is my first time in Singapore and I still have to explore the market here, but it is just noticeable. This makes it also a bit more difficult to connect and meet new like minded people. Also, it is just great to have something to do and look forward to, after the event.
Besides that, I think it is actually really great and I’m happy that I can be part of this.
Looking forward to Day 2.
Samir is the author of vSAM.Pro & a Life enthusiast who works as a consultant in the field of IT. With a great passion for Tech & Personal Development, he loves to help people with their problems, but also inspire them with a positive outlook on life.
Besides that, he is also a big Sport & Music junky that loves to spend a big chunk of his time on producing music or physically stretching himself.
