VEXPERT: Increasing the number of vExperts in Belgium and Luxembourg

June 5, 2018 Kim Bottu 3

 An excellent idea “Yes, that is an excellent idea!” was Tom’s reply when I asked him if he would mind if I would try to encourage more people to join the vExpert program in Belgium. Probably you don’t know, but there are only 14 VEXPERTS in BeLux (Belgium and Luxembourg combined). Not a big number. It is shocking that a similarly sized country such as the Netherlands manages to have 92 vExperts compared to 14 in BeLux!  We are convinced that the vExpert presence in Belgium and Luxembourg might increase if only people would see what the program can do for them and how good the vCommunity is to its family members. My small idea about encouraging the vExpert program […]

How attending VMworld changed my professional life and can change yours too!

June 3, 2018 Kim Bottu 2

It’s been six years since I attended VMworld for the very first time. Up until my very first VMworld I never had attended any vendor conference and here I was on the plane on route to Barcelona. As soon as I got off the plane and out of the airport, I immediately got smacked in the face with a heatwave. My first planning mistake became very clear as soon as I entered my hotel room: crappy air conditioning. Not really what you desire for when it is blistering hot outside. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be my only planning mistake. Ahead of the conference I had made a list of all the sessions I wanted to attend to and all the guided labs […]

VMworld 2017 – Day 2

September 14, 2017 Kim Bottu 1

vBreakfast At 6 AM my alarm sounded and it was time to drag myself out of bed, get some coffee down and move my feet towards #vBreakfast. That was me out and about at 6.15AM and cursing myself around 6.17AM because it started pouring down and I had left my new #BLOGBEAT jacket in the apartment. Clever, only fools ask for rain one day and leave their jackets in the apartment the next day.  At #vBreakfast I got to meet more fellow community members who all looked about as tired as myself *grin*. If that makes you wonder if people can have interesting conversations after jetlag and little sleep, join us next year. The short answer is yes we can […]

VMworld 2017 Barcelona – Day 1

September 11, 2017 Kim Bottu 0

Despite my VCAP6-DCV Deployment lab which kept acting up and having to resit the exam again, it did not ruin my day. I might not have passed the exam but I was offered an exam redeem voucher two hours into the exam after loosing somewhere between 30 and 50 minutes of exam time because my lab just didn’t react at all to any input whatsover. “There will be a next time” – soon. I also had the pleasure to meet two of the finest community leaders:  – Katie Bradley, VMware Technology Network Community Manager @vKTBcommunity – Elsa Mayer, VMware Blog Program Manager @Elsajmayer If you are a current blogger or want to become a blogger, look them up tomorrow and […]