Tag cxi

First of all, let me say WOW.  Okay, and I’ll follow that up with a following WOW! :)

This blog post comes out less than a week after I published the invitation for #CXIParty!

Let’s take a look at at the statistics as it stands so far!

Those numbers when you count them up come to the metrics of 346!  Wow, and there’s only a handful of tickets left!   But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the game… so be sure to get yourself on the wait-list when that opens up as well! There’s always opportunity to come on down one way or the other!

I’d like to thank my paying sponsors so far!   This list will update when I get updates from my OTHER sponsors :)

Spousetivities

Special thanks to @StorageWTF for being the Bartender Sponsor!

While this is the slide which I tossed over to Chad (and he presented in his Chad’s Pre-VMworld Webinar) for those of you who do know what to expect, let me tell you the history of #CXIParty and give you a little idea of what might go down ;)

• Attending #EMCWorld or #Interop be sure to attend the VIP #CXIParty too! Hosted by @CXI Mon May 9 2011 at 9PM!!!

• Post EMCWorld Apocalypse! #CXIParty Recap and OMG VCE?!?!

Earlier this year as I was preparing to attend EMC World there was an internal contest to win some ROCKING suite, in which all you had to do was produce a video to enter!  I wont be embedding the video because it is LONG {~9mins} and won’t submit you to that unless you’re interested in the VNX. It wasn’t a BAD video, just a long one.. but I did win!   And win absolutely I did!

If you read those earlier blog posts.. you’ll see I won this OMG BEAUTIFUL AMAZING SUITE.  I was effectively a ‘VIP’ as a result, and let me tell you something. I love things to be overly dramatic, massive in proportion.   But on the other hand, I absolutely LOVE sharing and I don’t need a lot for myself, thus if I’m going to be treated as a VIP… you’re ALL going to be treated as a VIP!   Thus was borne #CXIParty a VIP Party FOR the People, BY the People! [Enabled by my Sponsors who came together in the 6days I planned this whole event]  

#CXIParty wasn’t like some crazed and wild frat party where you won’t remember anything the next day and it’s all a haze.  It turned out more so to be like a group of your closest friends getting together to drink and be merry.   Unlike other Parties which go on at conferences, the relationships which come out of this are lifelong and permanent, yea baby that’s what I’m talking about! No, but seriously.  It was great, my bouncers didn’t have a lot of work to do and everyone had an absolutely amazing time!   

So, what you can expect from part deux to #CXIParty is something VERY similar, just with more people here at VMworld, oh and even BETTER VIEWS!     Yes the venue is going to be slightly bigger, and there’ll be one or more bartenders, but the logistics will be roughly the same [getting up to the room will STILL be somewhat of a hassle, if not less so than before] and there’ll be so much rocking fun you’ll leave in a daze of how cool this is!  Probably more giveaways too (I leave that in the hands of my sponsors… and respectively… sponsors funds ;))

While there are less Tickets available for #CXIParty today, there will be more opening up as we get closer to VMworld.  However for you hardcore guys you know I love you, I’m opening up a special batch of tickets for those of you who actually read this blog post, thus feel free to use the “I found this ticket on PKGuild” to register! – Also, please leave some comment in “where you heard about this ticket” just so I know you READ this ;)

I actually wanted to start this blog post (and an entirely different one) off with a completely separate subject.  Yea… I did.   And then I went looking for citing data on what I was going to talk about only to find OMG DID WE NOT ANNOUNCE THAT?! Talk about a major faux paux if I announced something we didn’t even show-case or isn’t even public yet.  #Awkward! That and I’m sure PR/Marketing/OtherScaryFigures would be like WTF CXI and other 3 letter acronyms. ;)

Okay, on to the show! OMG THERE WAS A LOT ANNOUNCED! I know some of you were like ‘How do you follow up that whole Record Breaking thing earlier in the year with 40 some odd announcements. (I forget the exact number… it wasn’t 42, which would have made sense ;))”   Yea, and I’m not looking to basically do a repeat of what was already done and said elsewhere; often quite well in delivery.  No.  This is going to be a very unique perspective on a few things which happened at the show.   For the sake of vanity (Because I’m clearly so vain ;)) I’ll do a little coverage of the most rockingest party #cxiparty, absolute rockstar!   But also, a little message which may have gotten lost in the gist of things, and what I see as an internal AND external direction going forward, citing me to refer to 2011 as OMG YEAR OF THE VCE!

OMFG #CXIPARTY OMFG

Did you attend?   If you did, I’m sure you’re left saying OMFG THE VIEW. or ZOMG THERE WERE SO MANY COOL PEOPLE THERE. or WHY IS CXI TALKING ABOUT SHOES.     Yea baby.  That’s what this was about! Networking, and primarily shoes… :)

So for you naysayers out there who say “Whoa, how can a vegan who doesn’t drink throw quite possibly the BEST PARTY ON THE PLANET”  That’s damn straight! For those of who you could not make it (I received your apologies, due to sickness, other conflicts, etc) and the rest of you; truly missed out on an EPIC and LEGENDARY event.  Relationships were formed which will last forever!   Everyone had a great time and I made some great friends with the exception of the AVNET guy who was BLITZ I think even before he got there! Hey what can you do!    (I guess I could throw a follow-up party at #VMworld ;))

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors who helped make this possible though!  Nexus IS, Oxygen Cloud, and Storage Staffing!

Between Keith Norbie @keithnorbie from Nexus, Julia Mak @juliamak from Oxygen Cloud and Shelton and Joe from @storagestaffing I was able to provide you with refreshments which made the party that much more enjoyable!  Be sure to check them out, especially if you attended the party!   Oh, as a side note, I’d also like to call out some good friends of mine who helped bring some added cred to the party!

• Rockstar SQL GOD Denny Cherry @mrdenny
• OMG Super Star Chuck Hollis @chuckhollis
• PHD God of FCoE J Metz @jmichelmetz
• NerdHerd Crew – Sean Thulin @sthulin, Luigi Danakos @nerdblurt and Matthew Brender @mjbrender
• The one the only Brian Deloria @storagewtf
• Big Data king Koset Surakomol @koset
• Truth in IT madman W. Curtis Preston @wcpreston

If you are not included in this list, it doesn’t mean you don’t matter; it simply means I finished the list and you still do matter very much! That’s what the ‘who attended’ list looks like in regard!  If you attended and enjoyed it, please provide feedback! I’ve considered doing a surveymonkey on ‘what worked well, what didn’t work well’ etc sort of details.  You let me know either way, as I have complete and total plans of doing the EXACT same thing at VMworld in a few months; so just consider that ;)

OMG VCE!!??!

Okay, at this point if you’re a customer you probably don’t want to read what I’m about to say.  This content is really written to be positioned towards internal sales people, field sales and partners.   I’m not going to STOP you from reading it, but bear in mind you are not my audience! ;)

Hey guys! I think we’re alone.   WOW OMG DID YOU SEE WHAT I DID? In the event that you missed it. Just wow.   The kind of traction, currency, what is available today and what is coming tomorrow (incremental in existing investments) in what VCE is offering.  Wow, just an unequivocal WOW!

I’ve ALWAYS had intimate knowledge of what has been going on; (Past, Present and Future) but what is already public domain knowledge and how things stack up against what I’ll refer to as “competitive converged infrastructure solutions” so as not to call any one out in particular.  Our stack from end to end, from engineering on the floor (I wish I could get you some videos of the actual building process, Sigma whatever all that stuff and the serious hardening and baking it goes through)  and to the point of delivery on your customers floor.  If you are NOT positioning or being able to find a use-case for the VCE – Vblock with it’s magical EMC, Cisco and VMware combo ; you’re doing something fundamentally wrong!   I encourage you then to reach out to me directly (I do NOT work for VCE mind you, or a team which is focused exclusively on Vblocks, but the message is so simple, we can knock it out!)

So the lessons to walk away from this is; 2011 is NOT the year of Converged Infrastructure.   It IS the Year of VCE.    No question, no doubt about it.   You will see things shift, shape, mold and beyond in the coming months; no that doesn’t mean there are more things coming that you need to wait for, quite the opposite.  It’s there.  Start working with the tools available to you today.  I don’t see a reason you shouldn’t be able to grasp that!  Get out there and do whatever it is you do! ;)

Sales, Partners, whoever you can stop reading now! And the rest of my audience feel free to come back!

While that was a little vague, to tell you the truth… I want to get this published, and I should just do a video/audio recording of the whole messaging around this because I don’t want to type it up right now, the OMG passion really comes out when spoken (At least when I speak it ;))  Time to finish this up as I’m in a rocking VPLEX session with a VP! Later guys, and see you at VMworld ;)

“Wow, have a contrived enough hashtag for your party?!?!” Yea, I thought it through and… this is what I thought of a month ago, and I’m sticking with it!   

Okay, so if that wasn’t bad enough… I even created an Eventbrite Invite for this event! Check it out at http://cxiparty.eventbrite.com/

Let’s get the lowdown, the lay of the land, the scoop as it were; I’ll quote from the invite briefly, and then go into the REAL Details! :)

Are you going to be at EMCWorld and always hear about all of these amazing parties which are either full, or you have too many to choose from and not sure where to go?  Well, look no further; in my eyes, you are ALL VIPs and I’m hosting a VIP Party at this years EMCWorld!

Theory has it I may also be having a SWEET VIP Suite for this event, and if I don’t.. I’ll still have a pretty damn sweet suite (say that three times fast!)

I called the hotel.  I HAVE THE ROCKING SWEET ASS SUITE!!!

With that said, YOU ARE INVITED, OMG LETS EXCEED MAXIMUM OCCUPANCY! Yea, that’s the plan.

Sit down, eat, drink or whatever and talk with some of the best and amazing folks of Industry (food/drink will be organized based upon number of attendees)

Oh, Interop folks? Yea you’re invited if you ask ;)

The where and the when?

This will be at the Cosmopolitan hotel – Exact room number to be determined when I get on the groudn and check into the hotel.

MONDAY MAY 9TH 2011 – COSMOPOLITAN HOTEL

Follow #cxiparty hashtag for more details as to the exact WHERE and the WHEN – Please do sign up for ‘tickets’ so I have an idea of what our occupancy looks like.

Feel free to invite a guest, colleague, customer, whatever.

This is a networking event or something to that effect, so come enjoy yourselves! Let’s make the first official day of EMCWORLD a VIP Experience for all to enjoy!

Oh, FYI: If you want to "sponsor" which is a nice way of saying buy drinks, food, or even demo your tech/gear/whatever; let me know and everyone will GLADLY appreciate that, and I’ll be sure to make gracious mentions of you, and who knows… countless video interviews, etc :)

And if you need to reach me, feel free to email, twitter or txt me.

christopher.kusek@pkguild.com
@cxi on twitter
630-362.1320

See you there!

We are going to be partying in this damn nice looking suite which will more than accommodate most of us if not all of us… Yea that’s the ticket! ;)

1200 SQ Foot, with 480 SQ Ft Private Wrap-around Terrace, Panoramic views of Las Vegas Skyline; and the top minds in industry :)

So, if you’re looking to talk to some of the finest of the finest, enjoy yourself in a relaxed yet hectic atmosphere with some absolutely amazing networking, fun and adventure, the party doesn’t stop at 11 but I needed to figure out ‘some’ time claim it ends.  You’ll make connections which will stick with you for your entire life.  So come on down, enjoy yourself and let’s rock this out!

Vendors are highly welcome, customers especially.  #Vendors are also welcome to Sponsor and pay for food/drink and everyone wins ;)

This Monday night is all about YOU the attendee, so come on down, promote, share, so on and so forth and be sure to sign up at #CXIParty so I know who is coming! Guests are allowed!

That’s right! You can come party with us as we begin our tour of Education and America!

Our first stop will be Atlanta!  So I encourage to come join us in whichever capacity you can!   Also feel free to follow the happenings on Twitter if you’d like! @cxi and @mslearning

Friday, May 1st: Atlanta, GA

• United States Army School of Information Technology, in Fort Gordon, GA, 8:30am – 11:00am
• Ask the Experts at New Horizons Atlanta 3:00pm – 6:00pm
• Book signing with Eric Griffin, author of the Microsoft Press book, “Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition Step by Step” at Barnes & Noble (Buckhead store), 7:00pm – 8:00pm

I look forward to seeing and meeting you guys!

What is the @girlkawasaki effect? How does this work, and how can it work for you?

Let me first off by telling you that @girlkawasaki is a very real person who has a very real blog.  They’re a very good friend of mine and are fortunate to have been an influence of the first draft of this (Originally it could have been the @cxi effect, but that’d be lame and the fruits of my labors resulted in the direct effect to apply to @girlkawasaki :))

So, WTF is this?!? – Alright, I’ll tell you!

While studying the way Twitter works, and more importantly how other people on Twitter work, I began to analyze some trends and patterns of likely events.  I personally love conversation on all topics, so I would follow people of all backgrounds on twitter.  When someone re-tweets someone else on something interesting, I follow them as well, continuously spreading the love of knowledge whether me sharing or simply learning from others experiences.

I noticed that when you add some people, you may get an immediate follow-back, and more often than not an Auto-DM (Direct Message).  A lot of people find these Auto-DM’s to be a bit annoying.  I simply find them to be rather insincere and only a little annoying. ;) I do like them because Auto-DM’s typically give rise to the fact that you’re using a 3rd party service like SocialToo or others which auto-sends that, and often Auto-follows on your behalf :)

So if you have a boatload of followers like I do (Hey I’m no @guykawasaki) But I do have a fair number of followers, many of which happen to reside in my own industrie(s) You’ll tend to find that by following a lot of people, a lot of people will often follow you back.

So in that first test, @girlkawasaki wanted followers for the same reasons I do (People to learn and share with) so she followed a bunch of the people I (@cxi) happen to have been following and a number of them ~half followed her back.  And this trend would carry on for some time, of people following her either directly (a response to being followed) or randomly based upon tweets, comments and interaction.

So the next phase of this, once @girlkawasaki was seen to have a comfortable following of stable tweets, I then tried to follow everyone (minus spammers and locked accounts) that happened to be *Following* her ~650 people were following @girlkawasaki which were then followed.

This is where it gets interesting.  You might think “I’ll get a mass of followers instantly!”  But that isn’t true and isn’t the case, because people use different services which have large databases with different scrubbing and updating routines.   The result turns out to be that after the first hour of following ~650 people,  ~130 twitter accounts followed back.

This is after the first hour ofcourse, and after several hours we’ll see how the numbers reflect.    I’m not saying you’re guaranteed to get hundreds of followers if you follow everyone who is following @girlkawasaki, however after one full day I’ll update this to include what the final number looks like.    The account I used in this test is indeed an actual real twitter account so these are real live and valid numbers to be working with. :)

This is not a test of a Denial of Service, more of an interest of parties out there (like me) who want to follow more people and want more followers so we can continue our conversation in life, in Tweetdom and most importantly with ourselves :)

This is no disrespect to anyone who follows @girlkawasaki and are interesting in what she tweets (both actual tweets and her wonderful blog posts :)) Just think how many followers you get by consequence when you don’t fall into that small criteria of auto-followers :)

Thanks, and don’t hesitate to ask any questions or leave any comments on your success! :)

Control Group: 373 followers in 17hrs, for 56% followback!

When that’s out of 650 that’s pretty amazing!