The conference was great! The keynotes were fabulous and very motivational. We heard from Garrison Wynn, Scott Klososky, Steve Farber, Jackie Pflug, Ruben Gonzalez and Les Brown. If you are not inspired after listening to Les Brown, you are not alive. Jackie Pflug, a survivor of a gunshot would to the head during a plane hijacking, was a true testament to the will to continue. Olympic competitor Ruben Gonzales shared his struggles and successes in becoming world class in the Luge. Scott Klososky gave an impressive view of the technology integration of man and the importance of managing your on-line reputation. Steve Farber spoke on giving of yourself and about OS!M. Garrison Wynn taught us how to win an unfair fight.
I attended a pre-conference work shop on knowledge centered support. If you work on a service desk, work as a 2nd or 3rd tier support level, or manage any of the above, you need this training! KCS will structure the thoughts you have on how to use the knowledge you already have in and effective and efficient manner. Face it, there is knowledge everywhere and most of us are trying desperately to get people to share the knowledge they have tucked away in their brains not to mention then trying to get our staff members to use the knowledge as written.
I attended several conference sessions on ITIL and realized how much more work we (UKIT) have in front of us. OS!M. I also attended two board meetings and was on the interview panel for the Analyst of the Year award.
I was great to see many old friends. Kirk Weisler always makes you feel special and great. Sophie Klossner, Cinda Daly, Craig Baxter, Jennie Raines, Kerri Hanna, Rick Joslin, and all the other members of the HDI staff just simply make you feel like family. Sophie, Cinda, Rick, and Craig make serving on the Strategic and Desktop Support advisory boards fun, compelling, and valuable. Darien, Marie, Phil, Matt, Mark, Sidney, Heather, Robert, and Ron, it was great to see you! I was able to meet several industry leaders including Malcon Fry (funny as ever), Pete McGarahan, Katherine Lord, and Rea Ann Bruno. Jim Bolton and I had a very good chat about ITIL implementation.
One of the things that I am truly amazed by is the friendliness of the HDI attendees. I made many new contacts and friends. To all my HDI family, let's stay in touch and I can't wait to see you again!
I also served as a faculty member for the conference. I put together and facilitated a Desktop Support town hall meeting to discuss current trends and topics impacting Desktop Support. The panel of Mark Fitzgerald, Rosanne Delaney, and Kristy Trice were wonderful with their answers and I feel that we help generated much needed discussions around where Desktop Support is headed.
As for how I did at the tables, let's not discuss it...it will just make me sad.
One of thing I love about Vegas is the wealth of entertainment available. I was fortunate that the Blue Man Group was on of the house acts at the Venetian. I was able get a ticket in the 3rd row in an area known as the "splash" zone. The ticket comes with a cheap poncho to wear. I didn't get any paint, Twinkies, or bodily fluids on me (making you wonder?). The show was excellent! The group are marvels at communicating emotions with out uttering a single word. The music is outstanding and the "instruments" they use are ingenious. The show is well worth the price of admission. If you find yourself in Vegas and want to have a fun and energetic time, check out the Blue Man Group.
Thursday night was the HDI conference party at the TAO nightclub. Okay, I will never be "cool" enough to get in a joint like that without something like the conference hosting. The club was amazing. One outside roof level known as the TAO beach with pools and cabanas. It was a nice night out, be the area was very crowded and the MaCarren airport had established the flight path directly over the hotel, so it was a little disconcerting. The 1st level of the club is a bar/restaurant style seating but the conference party was not held on that level. The 2nd level is a combination of a lounge with lots of Asian figures/statues, a balcony with an amazing view of the Vegas strip, and the dance club. I spent most of the night in this section. Got out on the dance floor with several friends and just a good fun time. Next time you are in Vegas, take your party clothes, make a reservation, as spend some time at TAO. I think you will be amazed.
I ended the week by seeing Tim "Toolman" Allen performing his stand up comic routine. Just like most stand up comedians, the persona you see on TV and movies is almost a complete 180 from the stand up comic. The show was funny and fun and I had a good time. If you want to see Mr. Allen's stand up, be prepared for a lot of adult language.
All in all, it was a great week, but it sure is good to be back home and I can't wait for HDI2012!
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