My OOW16 - The Off Piste Fun

Oracle Open World is busy, it is hard work, but it is also great fun. To me there is very little difference between the fun and the work, but in this post I want to concentrate on all the great things I had a chance to do.

I meet so many people at Oracle events and yet I am useless at remembering names. I am more likely to remember something silly you have done, a dress you have worn or a hairstyle than your name. I think that is why I hate people who have an avatar or no picture on their profiles. How am I meant to know who you are?

Amongst all the thousands of people I have had the privilege to meet there are those I get to call friends, and OOW is a chance to meet up and have fun.

As I said in the main OOW16 post I met with Oracle friends at HQ on my first day, and then had dinner with Misha Vaughan from the UX team. If we don't plan this time in our diaries, it simply doesn't happen.

Tim and his dad

The ACE Director briefings are such fun, these are people I have travelled with on OTN tours and such special people. There is also the chance for my Oracle Family to reunite.

I have posted separately about my OOW triathlon, but that isn't the end of the physical exercise, simply being at OOW ensures you meet your step count each day, especially when the sessions I want are spread out over several locations.

When we moved into the city I bought flowers, or rather my friend Dina did for me. Flowers in my hotel room (or home) means I am there for more than 4 nights. I am really good at taking a large water bottle and creating a vase for them.

For Larry's keynote the ACEs got together and made a video welcoming everyone to OOW. Thank you Linda our President from UKOUG for catching it on video  (you need to turn the mute off).

Alexis & I

Then we had our ACE dinner on Pier 39, where I was able to introduce Alexis to some of the middleware ACEs he has only been able to follow on their blogs. This is again an example of the community helping each other, and thanks especially to Luc Bors.

Mark Hurd & Billie Jean King

Monday I attended the Oracle Women's Leadership in the Executive Forum where the keynote was Billie Jean King. She gave us a great speech and then she was interviewed by Mark Hurd. I found the interview a little odd, it was obvious Mark had not been there for her speech as he asked a couple of questions where the answers had been covered in her talk. She handled it very well but I would not have been so polite.

I popped into Oak Table World first thing on Tuesday but only had time to taste the wonderful doughnuts.

I also had a little bit of time to visit the exhibition later and took the opportunity to have a caracture done, which actually I am not sure about at all. 

I caught up with old colleagues from Fujitsu US on their stand and other friends around the hall.

The bloggers meetup was Wednesday sponsored by Pythian and a great opportunity to watch up with other friends but all too soon that was over as Wednesday is also the appreciation party day. 

This year it was very different. Firstly it was in AT&T Park and not Treasure Island. That meant we could walk there, all the ACEs and Java Champions had reserved seating, so we walked together. The set up was great just like a game, but with all concessions free. 

I loved the concert, Gwen Stefani was great and I loved Sting. I saw my first Police concert 36 years ago when I lived in Brixton and they played a free concert on Streatham Common. The best part of the concert was Gwen singing a duet with Sting. 

Me, Alex, Jennifer & Roel

Walking home was also fun and then several of us finished the night with a cocktail in the SkyBar on the 47th floor of our hotel.

Once the conference was over I headed to North Beach with John King, Alex Nuijten and Tim Hall to visit the best pizza place in San Francisco, although that also meat we had to wait. However we then were joined by Mark Boback and ate outside. The pizza was worth waiting for.

Whilst we were waiting we found a private detective agency and think that is somewhere we could all work once our roles have been replaced by the Cloud.

Friday morning I had breakfast with the left over contingent from Holland and then did a little shopping. 

Then just as I was leaving to get my car to the airport I met Oliver Vom Deich who used to be my partner manager, and he travelled with me to the airport.

Then in the BA lounge I met Mark Rittman and had a great catchup with him. After our last flight together in June I was pleased he didn't get an upgrade.

A very busy 10 days, lots of friends caught up with but many more not. So I leave the last words to Rene who summed it up so well

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