The build up
A
couple of colleagues of mine Guillaume Slee and Martin Skelly had been to
Kaleidoscope previously and consistently said it was the best conference
opportunity – as consultants – there was. KScope was always there as something
to aim for, but most likely in a few more years.
In a
rare period of downtime, I started my blog and looked into KScope in a bit more
detail – thank you to Opal Alapat who encouraged this!
I
discovered ODTUG’s New Oracle Professional Scholarship and applied thinking
there was a minimal chance of being offered it, so when confirmation came
through that I’d been awarded it, I had a convincing business case and the
excitement began!
The day arrives - San
Antonio here I come!
Consultants
are generally good with people but I challenge anyone who isn’t nervous about flying
half way across the world on their own to meet some of the most influential
people in their industry. Registering on the first day, I was given a bright
green label on my name badge: “Newbie”. Okay, no way of hiding in the crowds
now…
I was
thankful for the Newcomer’s Orientation; the whole ODTUG team welcomed the Newbies
to the conference, shared their stories and our answered questions; a great ice
breaker and a chance to meet fellow disoriented Newbies 😊
Everyone
loves a bit of Harry Potter, so at the first event in the Exhibit hall, InterRel’s
Harry Potter themed stand enticed me in. I was greeted with both friendly
faces and unidentifiable people in costumes! Here I met two other Newbie’s – Ghaida
and Aleksandra who were also attending alone and both in EPM, i.e. BFFL 😉
Note to Newbies: You need not be afraid,
you WILL meet people!
[Photography credit to THE Cameron Lakpour]
Sessions, sessions, sessions
Oh my, where to begin on the
sessions – there are soooo many to choose from; from the “What’s new, what’s
next”, to the deeply techie scripting sessions, to the hands-on labs: there is
something for everyone.
The beauty of the conference
is that you have the opportunity to ask your questions to the individuals who either
have the answers or know someone that does. (Or maybe drop that one in an email...)
The content itself is what
makes the conference so valuable for consultants and clients alike; there is
always more to learn about the products we work with daily – it’s one of the
reasons why we enjoy what we do, right? – and there is always someone that’s
explored and experimented with functionality that’s worth sharing with fellow
enthusiasts.
Note to Newbies: You will want to go to more sessions than you
can, but don’t worry, you can always download the slides of the sessions you
missed :)
Filling that spare time
I hate to break it to you,
but you will have no spare time. You’ll be lucky to find time to sleep.
Before breakfast activities
included Chi Gung (moving meditation) in the early morning sun and a 6am 5km race (somehow I ended up with a 1st place medal!).
Breakfasts were communal –
sorry to those subjected to my morning self! Lunch events included lunch and
learn sessions and a Women in Technology event – congrats to Ghaida Khader for being
awarded the ODTUG Woman in Technology scholarship, well deserved being the only
woman in her company!
When sessions come to an end
and you think you might just lay down for a while, happy hour makes an
appearance and fights off the jet lag/exhaustion leaving you ready for an
evening of Werewolf, Geek Games, or if you’re not feeling up for that, maybe searching
for the biggest bowl of pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese in Texas…?!
FYI - It wasn't mine!
Happy Birthday ODTUG!
Happy Birthday ODTUG!
The final evening saw the
Special Event hosted by ODTUG; this year marked their 20th birthday
and the theme was Casino, Beach, 80’s or Masquerade. I saw things I’d never
seen before… sweets frozen in liquid nitrogen, extraordinary dance moves and a
certain Hyperion Nerd in a Pacman suit!
One thing’s for sure, ODTUG
know how to host a party!
Note to Newbies: Wondering how to find out about everything
that’s going on? There’s an app for that! The KScope app tells you everything
you need to know: session times, lunch events, networking events,
evening activities, people attending, maps, everything!
This is only the beginning…
You will leave the conference
with a mind boggling with new ideas, a heavy heart from saying goodbye to those
you’ve met and, of course, a rucksack full of freebies – I hate to admit the fidget
spinners were a personal favourite!
KScope18 will be held in Disneyland, Orlando! I’ve already got
my Minnie Mouse ears so doubt I’ll need much more of a business case :)
I hope to be reunited with those I met this year and meet the Newbies who keep the conference growing as it deserves.
I hope to be reunited with those I met this year and meet the Newbies who keep the conference growing as it deserves.
Next time I'll have no bright green label, oh, and a
bigger suitcase!
Perhaps I’ll even submit an
abstract to present…
Ciao for now! #newbienomore
