This year I helped spearhead an initiative to promote more people speaking from the vCommunity at VMUGs in general. VMUGs have always had a fair slice of “vendor” speakers, which I guess I must admit I’m part of – now that I work for VMware. But I still passionately believe that User Group meetings should be about Users, not the vendors – who let’s remember are largely there to pimp their warez. If you haven’t heard of the “Feed4ward” program – toddle off to the www.vmug.com/feedforward landing zone to learn more.
There’s now another initiative called vFactor which is the name adopted by the London VMUG – to describe a more carrot than stick approach to garnering your contributions. So team there have put together vFactor – which award prizes for the best session delivered by a member of the community. The prizes are so jaw-droppingly excellent – I’m considering resigning my position at VMware, to throw my hat in the ring [JOKE!]
- 1st Prize: MacBook Air
- 2nd Prize: iPad Air
- 3rd Prize: iPad Mini
- 4th Prize: Amazon voucher
- 5th Prize: Amazon voucher
So basically – Come and present a 10min talk at London VMUG on 22nd Jan 2015 and have the chance to win Apple shiny good or Amazon vouchers – you can submit abstract & the rules here now – http://tinyurl.com/vFACTORLONDON
The VMUG committee pick 5 submissions from the entries to present at the event and the closing date is 19th December 2014 – everyone who presents will win something, and the audience will vote for their favourite to determine what loot you go home with from the above list…
You may be no Duncan Laverick, or Mike Dennemann. But if you regularly tell your colleagues what your project is and how its evolving you can speak at a VMUG…
Finally, is it me or is the prospect of Duncan Laverick – one the most horrifying thought experiments ever to be born?