Storage Field Day 18 will be a full event, according to Stephen Foskett. And Stephen doesn’t use italics too often! Three days, likely 3-4 sessions a day, each two hours long. Add a jetlag, a foreign language and new technology, which all need inline processing to keep up to speed. Outside of the sessions: very interesting conversations (tech and non-tech) while we drive between companies, so no naps. In other words: our brains will be melting for three days at Storage Field Day 18. And I’m VERY much looking forward to it!

Unfortunately I missed out on the previous Storage Field Day 17. We were having a vacation in Australia shortly after, so it would have become a logistical nightmare to combine both. Plus the last 4-5 months or so have been absolutely mental at work, churning out storage and backup system installs at a rate far above comfortable. This is also the reason why my blogging slowed down a bit over the last few months. That’s now ancient history though, and I’m ready to absorb new technology and industry developments! So what’s in store?

Storage Field Day 18 companies and delegates

The Storage Field Day 18 event page now lists Cohesity, Weka.io and Western Digital. There’s also a “Secret Company” logo, which usually means one or more start-ups will present their product(s) to the world at SFD18. Over the next few weeks, the GestaltIT team will no doubt add more companies to the list.

As for delegates, I see Chris, Dan and Enrico on the roster. Max and Howard will also be joining, so the band is coming together again. For the rest of the delegates you will have to keep an eye on the event page. Bookmarking that page makes sense anyway, since the presentations will be live-streamed on there too!

But why?

“So you’re getting in a metal tube for 2 x 11 hours, only to listen to more storage technology for 6-8 hours a day, drink buckets of coffee and still fall asleep during dinner. For the love of all that’s holy, why?!”

Simple! We have the privilege of listening to product and industry developments, straight from the source, from all kinds of companies big or small. Sometimes it’s an improvement of an existing product, other times it’s some groundbreaking new tech that’s going to change our working lives.

We’re listening to these presentations with a band of delegates from all over the world and from a variety of backgrounds. What they have in common is an enthusiasm for storage tech and/or IT in general, and they are pretty darn smart people altogether. There’s a saying: If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. Well, let me tell you: I’m not the smartest guy in that room! It’s great to spar with these people, absorb some of their views and ways of thinking, and to contribute to this group. And to the rest of the industry later, by sharing the knowledge via blogs or in person.

So if that sounds like something you could see yourself doing (be it storage, or networking, or security, or…), apply to become a delegate! Stephen and his team are constantly trying to bring fresh blood to the table. It’s definitely not an “old boys club”, with usually 3+ delegates being absolute Tech Field Day newbies each event.

Alright Jon, we’ve got it…

Keep an eye on the Storage Field Day 18 event page: more companies and delegates will be announced in the weeks leading up to the event. Follow the #SFD18 hashtag on Twitter; we can relay your questions into the room during the presentations. T minus 1½ months and counting!