Coauthored By: Mike Rodriguez
Technology conferences are a great way to meet people and learn about what’s new in your field. Some might even say that tech events are the best way to network and get ahead in your career. But whether you attend a conference to gain new insights, get your questions answered or build connections with others, your time will be well spent.
Here’s a monthly list of some great tech events happening in the first half of 2011. This list will be regularly updated as more events get announced for the remainder of the year.
February 2011 Tech Events
Microsoft Certified Career Conference: February 17
The Microsoft Certified Career Conference is back with more helpful sessions on Microsoft technologies, certifications and career tips and this time, four Train Signal instructors will be presenting. The 24 hour virtual event is scheduled for Thursday, February 17.
More information: Microsoft Certified Career Conference
SCALE Linux Expo: February 25 – 27
For all of you Linux lovers out there, SCALE is the Southern California’s Linux Expo focusing entirely on open source. The event is coming to Los Angeles and includes a great list of special events for open source cloud, education, and more.
More information: SCALE Linux Expo
Pulse 2011: February 27 – March 2
IBM’s Pulse conference is for IT professionals tasked with optimizing IT infrastructure and processes. The conference will have plenty of opportunities for hands-on labs, training and workshops in addition to presentations. Pulse 2011 is coming to Las Vegas, Nevada.
More information: Pulse 2011
March 2011 Tech Events
CeBit Expo: March 1 – 5
The CeBit Expo 2011 in Hannover, Germany is one of the biggest international tech conferences in the world. The event is organized in sections designed for specific audiences including, business operations, consumer, government solutions, as well as research and development. The “hot topic” of the 2011 expo is “Work and Life with the Cloud.”
More information: CeBit Expo
Code paLOUsa: March 4 – 5
Code PaLOUsa is a two day software development conference taking place in Louisville, Kentucky. The event is for software developers who work with a variety of different platforms and sessions are organized into eight tracks including architecture, cloud, desktop development, web development, methodologies, mobility, languages and entrepreneur.
More information: CodePalousa
Cloud Connect: March 7 – 10
Cloud Connect is a cloud computing conference and expo coming to Silicon Valley, California. If you’re interested in learning about the latest technology advancements in data and storage, performance and monitoring, automation and more, all revolving around the cloud then this event is for you.
More information: Cloud Connect
TechMentor Orlando: March 14 – 18
This year’s TechMentor conference in Orlando, Florida offers 11 different tracks for IT professionals on PowerShell, Virtualization, Windows Deployment, Security, Troubleshooting and more, by popular IT speakers like Don Jones, Jeff Hicks, Mark Minasi, and Train Signal’s J. Peter Bruzzese and Ed Liberman. If you can’t make it to the March event in Orlando, then make sure to check out TechMentor Las Vegas happening in October.
More information: TechMentor Orlando
DevConnections: March 27 – 30
DevConnections is a series of events focusing on different Microsoft technologies including Visual Studio, ASP.net, Silverlight, SQL Server, SharePoint, Exchange and Windows. With top names in the industry sharing their expertise, DevConnections is a great way to advance your skills and network. This year’s DevConnections is coming to Orlando, Florida.
More information: DevConnections
April 2011 Tech Events
MIX: April 12 – 14
MIX is an annual conference for web developers and designers interested in learning about the latest tools and technologies in web development. The 3 day conference is coming to Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and offers pre-conference boot camps for those who need to hone in their skills before the conference begins.
More information: MIX
The Experts Conference – TEC 2011: April 17 – 20
The Experts Conference is designed for experienced IT Professionals offering 400-level training on vital Microsoft technologies. TEC 2011 is organized into four tracks: directory and identity for Active Directory and Forefront Identity Manager (FIM), Exchange Server, SharePoint Server and new this year, virtualization and cloud computing. The conference is a great learning and networking opportunity for higher-level admins.
More information: The Experts Conference
Infotec: April 19 – 20
Infotec has been around a long time; the conference offers educational and networking opportunities IT professionals and business leaders and focuses on the latest technologies and trends. It’s also one of the few technology events in the Midwest, as the two day conference is coming to Omaha, Nebraska.
More information: Infotec
May 2011 Tech Events
TechEd 2011: May 16 – 19
TechEd is one of the biggest tech events of the year, and it’s a lot of fun. This year’s US TechEd is happening a bit earlier than usual; the Atlanta, Georgia event is scheduled for mid May. TechEd India, coming to Bangalore is taking place March 23 – 25 and TechEd Middle East in Dubai is from March 8 – 10; TechEd Europe dates have not been announced yet, but most likely will happen in November.
More information: TechEd North America, TechEd India, TechEd Middle East
Citrix Synergy 2011: May 25 – 27
Citrix Synergy is coming to San Francisco in May and Barcelona, Spain October 26 – 28. With a focus on virtualization and cloud computing, the conference is organized into three tracks including, desktop virtualization, datacenter and cloud, and IT business and strategy.
More information: Citrix Synergy
June 2011 Tech Events
SharePoint TechCon: June 1 – 3
This year’s SharePoint Technology Conference in Boston, Massachusetts has a heavy focus on the newest version of SharePoint and plenty of technical classes and workshops to keep you busy for three days. Those who register before March 4th can save $450 on registration fee.
More information: SharePoint TechCon
Cloud Expo: June 6 – 9
The 8th international Cloud Expo is taking place in New York this year and is promising to cover the “entire scope of the Cloud Computing spectrum” throughout more than 200 technical sessions. The long list of technical topics includes, SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS, Cloud Standards, Cloudsourcing, In-Cloud Data Encryption, Cloud-Delivered Security and Reliability, Cloud Management, Cloud Analytics and the Enterprise Cloud, amongst others.
More information: Cloud Expo
GigaOM’s Structure Conference: June 22 – 23
Meet the top cloud innovators at the Structure Conference in San Francisco, CA. Focusing on “Making Sense of the Real Cloud,” the Structure conference will feature plenty of big-name speakers on the present and future uses and advances in cloud technology. You’ll hear presentations from hundreds of speakers including names from VMWare, Amazon, Netflix, Rackspace, and many more.
More information: GigaOM’s Structure Conference
ISTE Conference: June 26 – 29
The International Society for Technology in Education is focused on using technology to create innovative and effective learning and teaching opportunities. The conference is coming to Philadelphia, PA and the schedule includes plenty of workshops, networking activities, and student/product/vendor showcases.
More information: ISTE Conference
Future of Web Apps (FOWA) Conference: June 27 – 29
The Future of Web Apps (FOWA) is a 3-day conference coming to Las Vegas, NV aimed at both web developers and entrepreneurs. Discussion topics include technologies and platforms, as well as business models for current-gen web apps.
More information: Future of Web Apps
Office 365 & Dynamics CRM 2011: Better Together: June 28 (10:00am – 11:30am PT)
This relatively short tech event will be held at the Microsoft Technology Center in Mountain View, CA and will allow you to get a first look at Office 365 and Dynamics CRM 2011. Presenters will be demoing Office 365 and the new features that Dynamics CRM 2011 brings to the table.
More information: Office 365 & Dynamics CRM 2011: Better Together
July 2011 Tech Events
Cisco Live: July 10 – 14
Cisco Live has announced five global events for 2011. It’s too late for the Europe event, as Cisco Live in London took place in January, but there are four more events you can still attend. The US conference is coming to Las Vegas, Nevada July 10 – 14; The Australia – New Zealand event is happening in Melbourne March 29 – April 1; Cisco Live, Middle East is in Bahrain from April 10 – 13; Cisco Live, Mexico is in Acapulco on November 7 – 10.
More information: Cisco Live
HI-TEC Conference: July 25 – 28
Targeting technicians, industry professionals, trade organizations, high school educators, workforce development advocates, and community college and university educators, the HI-TECH conference aims to help update your knowledge and skills and focuses on preparing the existing and future workforce for high-tech job sectors. The four-day conference in San Francisco, CA will feature seventeen workshops, three tours, over 60 breakout sessions, a technology showcase, and more.
More information: HI-TEC Conference
O’Reilly OSCON: July 25 – 29
The O’Reilly Open Source Convention focuses on all things open source. Aimed at everyone from activists to engineers, OSCON provides the setting to learn and communicate about everything from writing better code, to maximizing productivity. You’ll also get a chance to learn about new technologies, languages, and platforms like HTML5, Android, Clojure, and OpenStack. The OSCON is coming to Portland, OR this year.
More information: O’Reilly OSCON
Black Hat USA 2011: July 30 – August 4
The Black Hat USA conference in Las Vegas, Nevada is divided into Training days (July 30 – August 3) and Briefings (August 3 – 4). It is the largest conference with a focus on IT security and features some of the best known experts in the field of security.
More information: BlackHat USA
August 2011 Tech Events
CompTIA Breakaway: August 1 – 4
This year’s CompTIA Breakaway conference is coming to Washington D.C. and will feature new “intensive” instructor-based training on new technology practices, keynotes, educational sessions, a technology vendor fair, and the CompTIA learning lounge. Topics this year include Cloud/SaaS, security, unified communications, and more. You’ll also have plenty of opportunities to network during the evening receptions, luncheons, breakfasts, etc.
More information: CompTIA Breakaway
CompTIA Tech Summit: August 4
The CompTIA Tech Summit for Healthcare IT and Cybersecurity will be held with the CompTIA Breakaway Conference and will focus on creating greater efficiencies and more secure systems. The conference will have two half-day tracks discussing various laws and legislations affecting healthcare IT and cybersecurities, as well as industry trends and how they may affect public policy. CompTIA Tech Summit will take place in Washington D.C.
More information: CompTIA Tech Summit
Tech Field Day 7 – Austin: August 11 – 12
Gestalt IT hosts a number of Tech Field Day events throughout the year, each focused on a different area. Tech Field Day 7 in Austin focuses on IT datacenter infrastructure and will feature presentations and discussion with IT product vendors and through leaders in the industry.
More information: Tech Field Day 7 – Austin
Oracle Technology Day: August 16
This one day Oracle event will feature three tracks: Private Database Consolidation onto Private Clouds, Power your Cloud with Oracle Fusion Middleware, and Oracle Sun Enterprise Server. The event aims to show how you can focus on business innovation, rather than supporting functions by using “the power of simplicity”, and Oracle technologies, of course. The Oracle Technology Day is coming to Reston, VA.
More information: Oracle Technology Day
VMworld 2011: August 29 – September 1
VMworld is coming to Las Vegas this year for another exciting event focusing entirely on virtualization and cloud computing. VMworld is the largest virtualization conference, and a great networking and educational opportunity for anyone in the virtualization field. VMworld Europe is coming to Copenhagen, October 18 – 20.
More information: VMworld 2011
September 2011 Tech Events
Microsoft Professional Developers Conference aka BUILD: September 13 – 16
Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC) is focused on technical strategies on the Microsoft developer platform. The conference is aimed at developers, architects, and technology leaders. The 2011 event is dubbed BUILD and will focus on helping hardware and software developers take advantage of the Windows core to build dynamic applications for all types of devices.
More information: Build Windows
Tech Field Day 8 – Silicon Valley: September 15 – 16
Gestalt IT hosts a number of Tech Field Day events throughout the year, each focused on a different area. Tech Field Day 8 in Silicon Valley will focus on general topics surrounding IT datacenter infrastructure.
More information: Tech Field Day 8 – Silicon Valley
CODESTRONG 2011: September 18 – 20
Appcelerator’s CODESTRONG Developer Conference is based on mobile app development. Topics include the “mobile cloud”, Advanced JavaScript, designing mobile apps, architecture, building/testing/deployment techniques, and Titanium/Titanium+Plus modules for iOS and Android. The 2011 conference is coming to San Francisco, CA.
More information: CODESTRONG 2011
SNIA Storage Developer Conference: September 19 – 22
This year’s SNIA SDS conference is still in its planning stages (under the supervision of the SNIA Technical Council), but if you’re interested in storage products and technology, you’ll want to mark this event on your calendar. Find out if you should attend by reading the “Why Attend” section of the conference website. The SNIA Storage Developer Conferenceconference is happening in Santa Clara, CA this year.
More information: SNIA Storage Developer Conference
SNIA Cloudburst Summit: September 22
The Cloudburst summit focuses directly on cloud storage, rather than the cloud in general or cloud computing. If you’re a storage professional looking to cloud storage as a solution in your specific IT infrastructure/environment, you might want to look into the Cloudburst conference. Topics include Cloud Data Management Interface (CDMI), Cloud Deployment, Business Cases, Backup, Recovery, Storage, Reliability, and more. The SNIA Cloudburst Summit is coming to Santa Clara, CA.
More information: SNIA Cloudburst Summit
Semantic Technology Conference
September 26 – 27: London, England
November 29 – December 1: Washington, DC
The 2011 Semantic Technology Conference (SemTech) will feature presentations, panels, tutorials, announcements, new company/product launches, and forums for conversation. A few of the many topics of discussion include Enterprise Information Management (EIM), Semantic Software Development, Business Applications, Enterprise Data Management, Networked Knowledge, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and much more.
More Information: Semantic Technology Conference
October 2011 Tech Events
Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2011: October 3 – 6
The goal of the 2011 SharePoint Conference is to help you get the most from SharePoint, that’s why Microsoft engineers, product managers, and Microsoft MVPs will be presenting on SharePoint best practices and real world insights. The four day conference in Anaheim, California will also be celebrating SharePoint’s 10 year anniversary!
More information: Microsoft SharePoint Conference 2011
Interop: October 5 – 7
Interop New York will be featuring plenty of great topics, including cloud computing, virtualization, data centers, networking, information security, risk management, storage, and more. Specific program details will be available online this summer, but for now you can read up on the event at the link below.
More information: Interop New York
PASS Summit 2011: October 11 – 14
The PASS Summit event is for SQL Server techies and it’s one of the best events to get training, technical tips and networking opportunities in the SQL world. The event is coming to Seattle, Washington and it’s boasting to be the world’s largest conference for SQL Server and Business Intelligence professionals, so don’t miss it!
More information: PASS Summit 2011
Storage Network World (SNW): October 10 – 13
SNW focuses on storage, data center and IT infrastructure and features certification workshops, educational sessions and presentations on cloud computing, virtualization, energy efficient data centers and much more. The four day conference will be held in Orlando, Florida.
More information: Storage Network World
TechMentor Las Vegas: October 10 – 14
The TechMentor conference in Las Vegas features a stellar lineup of speakers, including the keynotes by Mark Russinovich and Mark Minasi. You will also get a chance to learn from TrainSignal’s own J. Peter Bruzzese and David Davis.
More information: TechMentor Las Vegas
BrainShare 2011: October 10 – 14
The BrainShare conference in Salt Lake City, Utah offers a wide variety of technical sessions and classes to help you build your skills and get tips from experts in the field.
The technical training sessions will help you master products from NetIQ, Novell and SUSE and see technical demos and previews you won’t find anywhere else.
More information: BrainShare 2011
e-Discovery Field Day – Silicon Valley: October 13 – 14
In addition to the regular Tech Field Days, Gestalt IT is also planning on hosting an e-Discovery Field Day, which they’re describing as a “forum for engagement, education, hands-on experience, and feedback.” At this point in time the information for this event is limited, but make sure to check out the Tech Field Day website for more info as the day approaches.
More information: e-Discovery Field Day – Silicon Valley
Visual Studio Live!
October 17 – 21: Redmond, WA
December 5 – 9: Orlando, FL
These two Microsoft-supported events will offer training and support for developers using Visual Studio and .NET. There will be both organized sessions, as well as networking and discussion opportunities to get how-to advice, tips, and tricks from Microsoft instructors.
More information: Visual Studio Live!
2011 MCT Summit – North America: October 19 – 21
The 2011 MCT Summit is the first community driven event in North America, put together by MCTs for MCTs. This is a great opportunity to network and learn from other Microsoft MCTs and there’s even a chance for you to become an MCT yourself during the conference.
More information: 2011 MCT Summit
Spiceworld — Spiceworks IT User Conference: October 20 – 21
The Spiceworld IT User Conference is a networking opportunity where you’ll get info on IT trends, how-tos, best practices, and more. Spiceworld seems to take IT conferences to the next level by maintaining not only the professional and technological aspects, but also the fun/networking side by offering up scheduled “Happy Hour” sessions, coffee breaks, and BBQ’s in between the IT tracks and breakout sessions. Spiceworld will be held in Spicework’s hometown, Austin, TX.
More information: Spiceworld
November 2011 Tech Events
Powering the Cloud Events — SNW Europe, Datacenter Technologies, Virtualization World: November 2 – 3
Coming to Frankfurt, Germany the three “Powering the Cloud” conferences focus on each element of cloud computing strategies from data management to network virtualization. SNW Europe focuses on storage technologies and educational tracks on a wide range of technologies. Datacenter Technologies focuses on development and deployment of cloud-based data centers. Virtualization World looks at developing virtualization standards and solutions.
More information: Powering the Cloud Events
PASS SQLRally Nordic: November 8 – 9
Another SQL Server focused event, PASS SQLRally is coming to Aronsborg, Sweden for two full days of SQL training for SQL Server database admins, developers and Business Intelligence professionals. A great way to learn and network with SQL peers and experts.
More information: PASS SQLRally Nordic
Security Field Day – Silicon Valley: November 17 – 18
For IT professionals with a strong interest in security, this Tech Field Day is a great way to connect with security experts and vendors. Find out how to become a Field Day Delegate and how you can contribute to the event in a meaningful way.
More information: Security Field Day – Silicon Valley
More Tech Events Coming Soon
As new information becomes available, we’ll keep you posted with more tech events coming in the later half of 2011.
You are forgetting the one of the biggest european events then it comes to IT and technology.
The CeBit Expo in Hannover Germany
Thanks Jonas!
This is the first time I heard about the CeBit Expo. I’ll make sure to add it to the list.
Keep the suggestions coming!
Kasia