Take for example the use the event made of the
convention center. Packed into this venue were aisles littered with exhibits.
Almost all the teams involved in racing that weekend had stalls attended by the
marketing types you typically come across at any other event you care to name.
Outside of the convention center there were many other stalls selling trinkets
together with numerous food and drink pavilions. The program committee had put
together an agenda that would have pleased even the least interested
participant and yes, this agenda was color-coded so you wouldn’t miss a session
you had looked forward to seeing (and hearing) once the gates opened.
Yes, there were lanyards covered in badges and yes,
there were areas set aside for the primary sponsors of some of the teams. There
were additional areas cordoned off for hospitality for extended family members to
network with like-minded souls. All that was missing were the PowerPoint slides
and yes, on the second night, there was entertainment in the form of a band
that performed in front of the crowd at no charge. It seemed as though
everywhere we turned there were reminders of NonStop events of the past.
If you have missed the stream of updates coming from
the Connect organization then you would have missed the news that for 2022,
with the exception of just a few chapters, in-person events had returned with a
vengeance. Whereas tens of thousands attended the Long Beach event we will be
part of NonStop fans measured in the hundreds, but even so, the energy levels
will be commensurate with the level of participation at Long Beach, but with
just a little less volume.
It
would not be a stretch to admit our fondness for such in-person events. The
opportunities that come with participation in events never cease to amaze us as
we interact with clients new and old. As for the keynotes and session
presentations there is always something that will surprise attendees. HPE and
the NonStop team have come a long way since we witnessed the migration to the
Intel x86 architecture, which we had taken as probably the end game for
NonStop. What could possibly top that announcement?
Three
things come to mind with regards to our attendance at events and I suspect that
this is true for other NonStop vendors as well. For Pyalla Technologies, LLC.,
it’s all about marketing, networking and connecting. By this I mean that we
bring focus to each event in a way that allows us to present our company, Pyalla.
Focus is important to our company as it has been our experience over the years
that there is always much that can distract even as there is equally as much
that can anchor future actions.
By
this I mean there are products and services announcements that will fuel our
practice even as there a slideware updates that leave us scratching our heads.
But again, this is why we show up time and time again. As a consulting company
it is critically important to stay current on all that is NonStop and
attendance at events is the most effective way to remain current even as we absorb
where future directions lie.
Marketing:
When it comes to outreach Pyalla participates at events
where we gain the most traction with the NonStop community. Whenever we meet
with individual members of the NonStop community there is always the prospect
for a lively conversation to develop. For good reason we give this much
attention to events as they maximizes our ability to reach a broader audience
with either our company message or messages of our clients . Yes, call it the
best bang for the buck if you like, but it has been our experience that nothing
truly comes close to matching the engagement we can have with the NonStop
community than what we witness first hand at such gatherings.
And there is a lot more than simply showing up and engaging
in conversation. When it comes to marketing it is always a two way street as we
look for the NonStop team’s marketing messages. Have they changed? Are they
consistent with what has been conveyed at previous events? Does the message
resonate with the NonStop community at large? Again, this necessitates
considerable attention being given to the many NonStop keynote sessions given that
this truly is where the rubber meets the road.
Networking:
Oftentimes overlooked or simply discounted with just a tad
of annoyance at times. There is no guarantees that the conversation will head
in the direction you thought they might take, but then again, as with all
guarantees it is what it is and you need to contribute your point of view if
you want the conversation to be meaningful. Perhaps it is the evening cocktail
hour or the beer bust that preceded it but whatever signals the beginning of
the informalities of the day, much can be gained when networking with peers.
In a similar vein to what we saw at the Long Beach Grand
Prix there are always rooms set aside for private meetings. For the NonStop
vendor community each time we have an opportunity for a private session with
NonStop product managers and developers we jump at the chance to provide
updates on our own business pursuits or to share a message from one of our
clients. Through the years, Pyalla has enjoyed numerous opportunities to lobby
on behalf of our clients and the information flow has been bidirectional and
beneficial.
Connecting:
Margo and I would be the last to say we have met everyone in
the NonStop community. Over the years we have been attending in-person events
there are always new faces that turn up which is an opportunity to meet
interesting individuals. With social media channels open to all adding new
connections has become a lot easier to do – who still collects business cards
these days? In former times I had hundreds of cards but now, if you aren’t
connected to Margo or me on LinkedIn then perhaps you should reconsider.
There is another side to connecting that Margo and I really
enjoy and that is listening to newcomers to NonStop who are attending their
first ever in-person event. Connect does a great job of marketing the annual
NonStop Technical Boot Camp – have you registered for TBC 22 to be held in
Burlingame, CA? – but doesn’t stop there. Often times you will see Connect team
working behind the scenes to help out even the smallest chapter or regional
user group. The NonStop community is very fortunate to have such support as
planning and then running an event is an effort best left to the professionals.
At
any event of significance there is always the guest speaker. That special
person we have waited a long time to see. For the Long Beach Grand Prix, Margo
and I were given access to the Andretti team hospitality tent and it was good
to see Mario Andretti and his son Michael working the tables. Mario even signed
Margo’s pit and paddock pass. At the NonStop events it is always good to see
the HPE execs attending and in the past years there have been many who have
devoted time to interacting with the community.
And
this is perhaps the greatest attraction of all; nothing can be subject to any
dilution whether its product or simply messaging when you hear it firsthand. So
no, we may not see a Mario or a Michael present at any of our events but know
full well that for mission critical transaction processing on fault tolerant
servers, yours and my participation will be the place where we have all the
news served up (not on silver salvers, that is) but just as readily digestible.
See you in Reston, London, Las Vegas and more and yes, to everyone planning on
participating at any of these events, safe travels.
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