It has taken me longer than I expected to recap Lotusphere this year, but I finally finished it. See the end of the post for links to my pictures from Lotusphere 2012.

Sunday

I managed to get to two Jumpstart sessions this year, the first JMP203 Getting the Most our of IBM Connections Profiles and Tivoli Directory Integrator. I have had some bad luck in past years with Jumpstart sessions presented by IBMers but this one was excellent, and I did pick up a few new tricks to bring home and implement in TDI. After lunch I attended Andrew Pollack and Gabrielle Davis (now famously redacted) Security Jumpstart. Andrew and Gab took what could be a dry topic and turned it in to an extremely informative session with lots of humor.

Sunday afternoon/early evening was occupied watching the Giants defeat the Packers in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.

Monday

I definitely enjoyed the Opening Session this year, I had never heard of OK Go before Lotusphere, but they definitely rocked the house opening up the OGS. Michael J Fox was a terrific speaker (goes in to my top 3 with Neil Armstrong, and Jason Alexander). To begin with the Back to the Future Trilogy are among my favorite movies, seeing Michael J Fox dance on and off the stage to Johnny B Goode was outstanding. Michael J Fox also delivered a great speech talking about his experience with Parkinsons and the intersection of his illness and Social, starting off the them of Social technology and medicine that would continue throughout the week.  The OGS itself was good, lots of demos early on.  I enjoyed seeing IBM Connections front and center as the first demo, might have been a good idea to have put the Notes and Domino segment a little earlier in the program though, but overall a good sessions.

I along with many other IBM Champions had lunch on Monday with the GBS Students, we  were each asked to host a table of students for lunch.  I had a lively bunch of students at my table, we had good conversation over lunch, and later on in the day at the Social Cafe in the vendor showcase.  After lunch I participated in a panel for the students, along with a few others fielding questions from them for about 45 minutes.  The majority of the questions were around getting jobs, and what the workplace is like today.  From the panel and my conversation with students I would sum up their main concerns as follows

•  Extremely concerned about finding  jobs upon graduation
• Worried about differences in communication styles between younger and older workers
• They believe that having access to IBM Collaboration tools while in school would be something that would make a difference on their resumes (but don’t see using them in place of Facebook, etc)

Like last year this was a great event, I hope that IBM and GBS bring students back to Lotusphere next year, and that I am invited back to participate.

In the afternoon I took in a few sessions, followed by a number of receptions and of course UK Night to round out a busy Monday.

Tuesday

Tuesday started out with the keynote session “Social Business An Opportunity  to stand out” I live blogged this session so you can see the recap here.  Overall a good session, I really enjoyed the TD Bank segment.

Next up on Tuesday was the Nerd Girls Sparks Session where I presented my 6 minute talk titled “Get Cancer Get Social”.  This was a very different type of presentation from what I am used to, but I really enjoyed sharing my story, as well as hearing the other presenters stories.  I have a video of my talk, but the audio is not great, I believe there is a better one out there I am going to try to get a hold of it and post it.

Tuesday afternoon was filled with back to back to back  meetings,  followed by Speedgeeking, which as always was a great time, but pretty much finished off my voice for the week.  If you have not attended Speedgeeking before I suggest the next event you attend that offers it you take advantage of it, it is both fun, and a way to pick up a little information on a variety of topics in an hour.

Following Speedgeeking was a quick stop at the IBM Champions Reception, followed by the Great Geek Challenge, various other parties, and of course a stop at the not to be missed Australia party at Lotusphere.

Somehow the Tuesday recap looks short here, but it was an incredibly busy day.

Wednesday

Another excellent keynote to being Wednesday titled “Looking Forward The Future of Social Technology”  I had originally planned on live blogging this session, but by Wednesday morning I was both tired, and frustrated by the WiFi (or lack thereof), so I passed on the live blog.  Here is a replay of the session.

I spent the rest of Wednesday split between meetings, the vendor showcase, and attending sessions, before heading out to Seaworld.  If you like roller coasters don’t miss Manta at Seaworld… WOW.

Following Seaworld I ran out of steam and went to sleep at a relatively early 12:30.

Thursday

Thursday morning, so tired, but up early to record This Week in Lotus (audio, video) a good time and good conversation.  This was followed by Gurupalooza and Ask the Product Managers.  After the boxed lunch,  I passed on Ask the Developers and headed over to the Dolphin for the Closing Session.  I had never heard of Andrew Zimmern until he was announced as the speaker for the Closing Session.  Next time there is a chef at the closing session I won’t try to sit up front again.  Funniest part of the closing session for me was waiting outside to enter, joking around with the security guards, turned out they remembered me from last year, it’s not that I am that memorable, they just wanted Wisps.

The Closing Session is followed by the Blogger Open, followed by a final trip to Kimonos, the Dolphin Lobby, and before I knew it, I was headed to the airport and home.

It took me longer than expected to get my recap together this year, I am sure I missed some details, but hopefully I got most of it which will allow me later on to remember each day where I was and what I did.

You can see all of my pictures from Lotusphere 2012 in this Flickr Collection.  I have added links to others photos and videos on my Lotusphere 2012 page, if you have a link you want added let me know.

I think they are ready for Lotusphere 2013, what do you think?

One of the Thursday morning mainstays at Lotusphere is Gurupalooza, a session that features speakers from the Best Practices Track on stage taking questions from the audience and occasionally even answering them.

Hosted by Susan Bulloch it is a fun and informative session, starting with each of the Gurus introducing themselves, which I captured here.

Still trying to catch up from Lotusphere, until I get to some more detailed posts here are 20 random thoughts from this years event.

1. Manta at Seaworld is an awesome ride.

2. My bathroom was the most photographed bathroom at Lotusphere.

3. Lotusphere beat Mat Newman in round one, but he came back with a knockout punch in round 2 (even if he did try to blame me)

4. Darren Duke did not permanently ruin any of my favorite songs at Kimonos this year.. thanks Darren

5. Never having eaten a Pretzel Cookie myself I am not sure I get the obsession, though until this year I though they were universally loved, now I know otherwise.

6. In a bar at 1:30 in the morning Paul Mooney is evil.

7. After a terrific year last year the WiFi was terrible this year – the positive side of that I live blogged less than I planned and enjoyed the sessions more as a result.

8. Ask the Product Managers  terrific again, good questions, some humor, and good information.  Ask the Developers, not so much I have tired of this session and rarely go anymore (hint if you have a specific, in depth technical question visit the Meet the Developer labs all week, don’t save it for Thursday afternoon).

9. Way too many things happening at the same time during the week, you have to make tough decisions what to attend and what to skip.

10. Vendor showcase had a different feel this year, less shirts then ever before, but good to see some new faces, and a number of vendors exhibiting solutions for IBM Connections.

11. The Droid X battery held up well during the week with help from this, I learned this week that when the battery meter goes red there is still plenty of life left.

12. Great guest speakers this year Michael J Fox, Tim Berners-Lee,  Dr. Burns from Childrens Hospital of Boston, Manoj Saxena GM of IBM Watson.  It was all going so well until the closing session.

13. Always make time to spend in the Innovation Labs at Lotusphere, what they are showing this year in the Innovation Lab has a good chance of being a product/feature next year.

14. Stuart McIntyre travels with a replica of the Death Star.

15. The Giants should play the Packers in the playoffs every year during Lotusphere.

16. 89 sleep deprived geeks drinking beer on the Disney Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course and for the fourth year in a row no one was hurt, nothing short of a miracle.

17. OK Go, LS12, LS12u and OGS all trending on Twitter.

18. Never watch a football game with Mat Newman the beers keep coming at you faster than a Pez Dispenser.

19. No Laptop… No Problem

20. No I didn’t really do this on Sunday I just sat for the picture.

Last years 20 Random Thoughts

Another Lotusphere is in the books. I have so many pictures and videos to sort through, session slides to download, notes to follow up on, and people to follow up with, but first sleep.

This was my 8th Lotusphere, and while I always appreciate the opportunity to attend, this year was a little different, and I am especially thankful I was able to attend Lotusphere 2012..

It is always hard to explain Lotusphere to those who have never been, part conference, part family reunion. It was incredible the number of people who stopped me this week, both friends, vendors, and complete strangers (as much as any lotusphere attendee can be a stranger) to offer words of encouragement and support over Elisa’s recent battle with cancer. All of your support is appreciated.

To my many friends who went out of your way to so something extra to make this past week just a little more special you know who you are. Thank you I miss you already.

My employer continues to see the value of Lotusphere and made attending possible again this year, thank you.

I said it before Lotusphere but thanks again to Elisa, and our support system our parents who made attending possible this year.

Big thanks to the weather for cooperating this year, no snow causing flight problems or creating one more thing to worry about at home.

Thanks to the Giants for winning their playoff game on Sunday one more little (OK big) thing that made the week more fun.

There is much more to be said and written about Lotusphere 2012 all of which will have to wait until after a lot of sleep, and the Giants game on Sunday.