Are you attending VMworld 2017 in Las Vegas, NV?  If so, I invite you to add Veeam to your MUST SEE list of vendors.

With so many vendors exhibiting at VMworld, how do you know which booths to visit and who to get on your busy schedule?  One of the companies on VMblog's MUST SEE list always the green team from Veeam.  This year, I had a fantastic time at their annual event, VeeamON 2017, where I learned so much and had a lot of fun doing it.  The company's Veeam Availability Suite includes Veeam Backup & Replication; and it leverages virtualization, storage, and cloud technologies that enable the modern data center to help organizations save time, mitigate risks, and dramatically reduce capital and operational costs.

Read this exclusive pre-show interview with Veeam to learn what they have planned for the upcoming VMworld 2017 event.

 

VMblog:  How can VMworld attendees find you this year?  Give us the details please.

Veeam:  Veeam is happy to be returning to VMworld 2017 as a Platinum sponsor. With a 30X30 booth space, and more than 100 Veeam staff attending, you won't be able to miss the Veeam Teeam at booth #1731. NEW this year, Veeam will also have the Vbar (booth #215), sponsored by Veeam, where attendees will be able to grab a made-to-order coffee beverage during the day and a lounge to kick up their feet to survive the long days of VMworld.

VMblog:  Wow, sounds like you will have a unique booth setup this year!

Veeam:  At VMworld this year, Veeam will have two spots on the show floor! In booth #417 we will have technical evangelists and many members of the Veeam Teeam to answer all of the attendees questions and make sure everyone gets their Veeam T-shirt. In booth #215, you will be able to come by and relax with a coffee to recharge and get you through the rest of the day. You won't miss BOTH Veeam booths with the signature large green signs!

VMblog:  What do you like most about sponsoring VMworld?  Why was this a must sponsor event for your company this year?

Veeam:  As part of the VMware ecosystem, it's a can't miss event! We love being able to connect with our current customers and partners to talk about Veeam and hear the stories of their product usage so far. It also gives us the chance to talk to our prospective customers and partners to share with them the benefits of Veeam. The atmosphere is an exciting and exhilarating experience and unlike any other show. This is a must sponsor event for our company because as Veeam continues to grow, we can still get in front of the 25,000+ attendees to share our story.

VMblog:  Can you give VMblog readers a sneak peek as to what you will be showing off at your booth this year?

Veeam:  This year, Veeam will have in-booth previews of Veeam Availability Suite v10; which has many highly-anticipated capabilities that will drives business continuity and agility to new levels, allowing enterprises to extend Availability.

VMblog:  How does your company and product fit within the VMware ecosystem?

Veeam:  Veeam has been a VMware partner from our very existence. As an Independent Software Vendor, we provide a better Availability experience for the data centers where VMware (and other technologies) runs. This continues to be a strong partnership. In the last year, Veeam has received VMware vSAN certification which is a huge milestone for our commitment to deep integration with VMware, and arguably, the best for our space.

VMblog:  What are you looking forward to most at VMworld this year?

Veeam:  VMware has effectively created the leading data center conference in the ICT space. Veeam really enjoys the strong networking opportunities at this event.

Additionally, being able to showcase our latest versions of the Veeam Availability Suite, and get the chance to talk about the Veeam story. Also, the Veeam Party on Tuesday evening, it's going to be the best VMworld party yet!

VMblog:  How many VMworld events have you sponsored?  And what keeps you coming back?

Veeam:  Veeam has sponsored every VMworld (US and Europe) since 2007! We keep coming back due to the natural fit of the VMware ecosystem and our expanding product portfolio.

VMblog:  How has exhibiting at VMworld helped your company's bottom line?

Veeam:  When Veeam started, we solved a primitive problem for every VMware user. Today, we give every VMware user the opportunity to have a real Availability experience. We've been profitable ever since we had a revenue product, and until 2011, all of our sales were based on VMware products. In short, absolutely!

VMblog:  Do you remember your first VMworld event?  What can you tell us about it?  What memories stand out?

Veeam:  Every Veeam employee remembers their first VMworld - the overwhelming amount of people coming to our booth, the last-minute push to get everything ready, the incredible party. We take VMworld very seriously, and every Veeam employee wants to attend this event. Luckily, we have a very strong event management team to maximize Veeam's presence throughout the week and provide the best experience for attendees, our partners and customers.

We were overwhelmed with the amount of people that are at the show. They don't come just for the swag but to really take the time to ask the hard questions and deep dive into the products and solutions that companies have to offer. My first memory of VMworld is the opening night, when they opened the doors for the first time of the Solutions Exchange floor. The attendees came running in to be the first ones to their favorite booths. It was the largest show I had ever been to and I had never seen anything like that opening night.

VMblog:  What would you say to prospective attendees who are thinking about attending VMworld but aren't sure if it's worth it or not?

Veeam:  Go! If you have the chance to attend the event, definitely do it. It is a jam packed couple of days, but you will leave with lots of information and the chance to meet with companies who you may not have been able to get a hold of previously.

VMblog:  What do you think we need to do collectively as an ecosystem to strengthen the industry?

Veeam:  Tough question. From the hardware and software vendor ecosystem, companies need to embrace new models of IT. Whether it is the cloud, cloud-native apps, or even software-as-a-service offerings. From the end-user perspective, companies really need to do the same thing in modernizing data centers and in avoiding any entrenched IT operations.

VMblog:  Do you have any tips for first time attendees of VMworld that you'd like to share?

Veeam:  Drink lots of water, and wear comfortable shoes! The day is full of walking and being on your feet, so be sure you are wearing your comfortable kicks, and staying hydrated, especially with the move to Las Vegas this year. I would also say, ask questions! As a sponsor, many attendees just come up to the booth to get their swag. But if you are a current customer or partner come to the booth and share your story! If you want to learn more about Veeam, ask us the questions that is what the Veeam Teeam is here for. Also, try not to overbook yourself too much on each day. The days are long and full of many activities, so study ahead and plan for the sessions, breakouts, and trainings that you really want to attend.

Also, if you want to be at the best party at VMworld head to the Veeam Party on Tuesday night at Hakkasan! Get there early to avoid the lines and don't miss out on the best Veeam party yet!

VMblog:  Attendees always enjoy a good trade show tchotchke.  Are you guys giving away anything special or interesting this year?

Veeam:  At the Veeam booth, you will be able to grab a Veeam T-shirt, Light-Up Fidget Spinner, Bouncy Ball, Beer Koozie, and VeeamUP energy shots! Not too mention you can grab a beer with us on Tuesday evening during the Hall Crawl and always grab a coffee on us at the Vbar (#215).

VMblog:  Does your company have any speaking sessions during the show?  If so, can you give us the who, what, when and where?

Veeam:  The Veeam breakout sessions should also be on every VMworld attendee's schedule builder. The first is PBO3309BUS which will show a deeper dive and closer look at Veeam Backup & Replication v10, which brings in many highly-anticipated features from users around the world. The other session, PBO3311BUS, is Implementing Advanced vSphere Features with Veeam Availability Suite. This is critical in today's world of leveraging the newest VMware features and keeping them available in case things don't go as expected.

VMblog:  You've mentioned it already, but can you give us the details on your now infamous VMworld party?

Veeam:  Yes! Veeam will be throwing its annual LEGENDARY VMworld Party on Tuesday, August 29^th from 8-Midnight at Hakkasan Nightclub. Entrance to the party will be granted with a valid Driver's License and your VMworld badge. Here is the registration link and event details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/veeams-annual-vmworld-party-2017-tickets-36012201464

Don't miss out on the BEST party at VMworld!

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