User Group Conferences

I think of April, May, and June as the US Oracle conference season. We have Blueprint 4D, Ascend and KSCOPE, and I'm lucky enough to speak at all three.

 

KSCOPE starts this weekend and as I am on the board of the ODTUG usergroup, I'm obviously biased that this is the best. And what makes KSCOPE so special is the in-depth learning and amazing feelings of belonging.

 

But before that starts let's have a quick look back at Blueprint 4D and Ascend. These are my personal thoughts based on how I see it as an outsider, and I am sure there are things that I am not aware of.

 

I presented at both events, learnt more myself and loved the user interaction, but whilst it may be a little controversial have the following observations.

 

Prior to COVID there was Collaborate, this was a conference that had been running for over a decade and comprised of three separate user groups:

 

·      QUEST who services JD Edwards and PeopleSoft

·     OAUG (now OATUG) who serviced traditionally E-Business Suite, some PeopleSoft. 

·      IOUG whose serviced technology especially the database communities

 

Collaborate events were successful but there was little overlap between the communities to start with but with the introduction of cloud applications this started to change. At the same time IOUG found a home within the QUEST organization itself and then the decision was made that these two organizations would return to separate events.

 

COVID was a bit of a false start and whilst modest events happened in 2021 it would be unfair to judge the new way on that year. 2022 saw both events back-to-back in Vegas the biggest advantage and or disadvantage of this was for vendors who found themselves at 2 trade shows and no opportunity to follow up on leads from the first one before the second one started. Although most vendors preferred only having Collaborate.

 

This year they were a few weeks apart Blueprint 4D being in Dallas in May and Ascend being in Florida just last week. This was much better for exhibitors and for speakers who may be attending both, but conferences are not just about exhibitors and speakers it's all about the delegate experience.

 

If you were a JDE, EBS or any other Apps Unlimited organization happy where you are, looking to be platformed on Oracle cloud or even moving to cloud applications, these events are perfect, you can find other organizations who have been there and sharing their story, their tips and tricks, but I can't help wondering that if you're already a cloud applications customer, would you not benefit from more organizations who are there the combined populations of these two events. The benefit may have been diluted.

 

Let me explain that further, after the Collaborate separation, OAUG now called OATUG, joined forces with OHUG for the new Ascend conference series. OHUG services all Oracle HCM users whether they be on premise or in the cloud. This is the direct overlap of OATUG who have Oracle e-business suite and some PeopleSoft HCM and cloud HCM, so by joining forces they are enlarging the populations of each of those constituents rather than diluting.

 

In the same way KSCOPE covers technology and database and is the now much smaller IOUG also suffering from the same dilution of communities.

 

In person events have been dwindling for many years, not a COVID specific phenomenon and should user groups be working tog to find a new model

Ladies That Lunch

Well a different title than Women in IT. 

I want more women to have a voice, I want to encourage them in and into our industry but I am not about quotas. So when I was asked to take part in an ANDOUC Innovation by Women with Oracle Technology techcast panel in early December, my first thought was are they were struggling to find enough women in their own community?

ANDOUC is the Analytics and Data Oracle User Community, which I am very aware of but not my bailiwick, but as I was asked by the host and dear friend, Edelweiss Kammermann to take part, and I would never say no.

The idea was that the speakers, Maria Colgan, Jean Ihm (who replaced Melli Annamalai at the  last minute), Heli Helskyaho, Abi Giles-Haigh and myself would each talk about our Oracle highlight of the year. I didn't know Jean ior Melli before the techcast but I love the others and have spent lots of time with them over the years, and what a great time we would have together (including Jean and Melli), so have chosen to call this, ladies that lunch.

I spoke about how the applications benefit from the enhancements in the technology. You can see my portion here or the full playlist, well worth the watch, here.

It was such fun to do, both the prep and the actual techcast. And if I am invited again, I won't think twice.

Happy Holidays from The Family

 

As in any household it is down to the mum to send out the holiday greetings. So here is the one from my Oracle Family.

It has been a better year, we have got out a lot more but haven't all managed to catch up with each other.

I saw my sister and father in law in January when I had the chance to visit San Francisco, it was still very much social distancing, so we had lunch out by the coast.

At Oracle Cloud World I caught up Maria again, the children and many of our wider ACE family.

Tim didn't appear out until the end of November, as the  only person in the world who liked lock down, getting out was a challenge for him. He did join the ACEs for their evening at Breakthrough 22 but I wasn't there and neither of the children were either. 

He must of missed the rest of us as a week later we decided to extend the family, so welcome Amy. 

I think I was missing him and was feeling especially emotional towards him until he then posted this:

I won't see him for a while so hopefully I will have forgiven him by then.

So from all of us, Happy Holidays.

Imagine I was a Footballer (Soccer Player)

As the Football World Cup kicks off, I want you to suspend your disbelief* and imagine I am a footballer.

Imagine I am a footballer at the top of my game, my club have won everything this year, and I’ve been a big part of that.

Like every other footballer, I dream of playing in the World Cup. I’ve played in many tournaments before and done really well so when I didn’t get called up for this World Cup I was devastated.

It is said grief comes in five stages and yes I've been through them all.

denial - Oh why not? Surely it’s a mistake, I am at the top of my game!

anger - yes I got angry so very angry

bargaining - I'm not beyond begging after all this is the world cup!

depression - I feel so alone, everyone is talking about being part of the event

acceptance - I can't change it

The reason I’m so upset is my passion for the game and for this tournament, it hurts, it really hurts and I can’t watch my team without it hurting more. I can’t look at my social media and see them arriving, enjoying the local sites, the hotels and then there’s the matches themselves, so I’m switching off my social media and I’m going into self inflicted hibernation until it’s all over. 

But underneath my hurt, I’m still passionate about the game and I want my country to do well and to succeed even if I can’t be part of it, so I wish them success.

OK, I’m not a footballer, but I am a speaker, a successful speaker and ACED director and recently had a very successful Oracle Cloud World so I was devastated not to be successful in getting a place or a session at UKOUG's BREAKTHROUGH event. 

I’ve been through my stages of grief, and I finally arrived at acceptance, but it STILL hurts and so on Saturday I’m going to indulge my other passion, taking myself away for a week diving to cushion the blow, (well hibernation is a bit boring).

Just like myself the footballer. I still wish for a successful UKOUG and that everyone who does attend has the most wonderful experience and for me there’s always next time.

*The footballer analogy came to me as the World Cup is everywhere I look, but if you attended the recent ERP Today Awards  you know this is possibly an analogy too far. 

22 EMEA Community Tour 2022 - Norway - A Tale of Three Talks

 

A bit late on this post, but I do have a reason...

The Oracle User Group in Norway is one of my favourites - they have a good applications community and their annual conference was traditionally on a boat and I love it.

In fact, that conference was my first Covid casualty, when cancelled just a few weeks out in March 2020.

With the relaunch of the ACE Program over the summer there was an opportunity to take part in EMEA Community Tour. I submitted a few papers and was pleased to be accepted by OUGN and LuxOUG. Unfortunately the logistics of Luxembourg to Norway were complex and as I was really busy getting ready for Oracle Open World I accepted just OUGN as I felt I had a commitment to them.

Those logistics were a challenge for many and in the  main OUGN lost out as many speakers travelled direct to Croatia from Luxembourg, skipping the Norway leg, which made it more straightforward. I hope that one day I will get to LuxOUG but in the  meantime happy to do a webcast anytime.

I had 2 papers accepted by OUGN and Ann Sofie the Chair from OUGN asked if I would do a Q&A panel as well. I love answering questions, this is how I learn. However as we got closer to the event, there were not enough experts for a panel so I agreed to do three talks relevant to applications and make it a very interactive afternoon.

I arrived the day before and Ann Sofie took me to the new National Museum which was amazing. I especially loved the clothes through the ages and looking at the quality of them, mainly and made.

The conference day started with a presentation from Julian Dontchef on which was to be an early run of his Oracle Cloud World presentation, on What if you are considering leaving the  Oracle Database. It was, as ever a great presentation from Julian, with well thought our arguments. As a post script poor Julian got Covid and missed OCW, although I am pleased to say it was a mild case.

My afternoon was fun, not the biggest audience but a good mix. The ever present discussion on which cloud, OCI or SaaS an EBS customer should take, and this is what I love, the discussion around real organisations and why the obvious 'it depends', depends on what they are trying to do. I recently wrote an Inoapps blog around this presentation.

Then we looked at Oracle HCM Journeys and My Experience, and finally extending SaaS. We talked a lot about APEX as those still on EBS are using APEX and that sets them up for when they do move to SaaS. 

I did tell everyone that the last 2 sessions would be expanded after OCW. I knew we had won the Oracle ME competition and the announcements that would be made around extending. But that is what makes this world so exciting, the innovation that cloud allows. And that is why the post was a bit late.I hope to present these updates at other user groups should they be accepted.

Thank you Ann Sofie and OUGN for having me, and hopefully I can come again in the Spring.

Thank you to the ACE Program for making this happen.

Oracle Cloud World 2022

I wasn't expecting to be a big fan of Oracle Cloud World but actually I am.

I loved Oracle Open World being in San Francisco and 2019 was my 16th consecutive Open World.

Just after 2019 OOW and way before Covid, Oracle had already announced that it was moving its annual event to Las Vegas.  The later announced this was going to be Oracle Cloud World so a very different event.

I tried to approach Las Vegas with an open mind, trying not to compare it with OOW but to see it as the first of a new era. My biggest concern is that I don't really like Vegas, I hate gambling and all it stands for and I have seen some pretty sad things in Vegas, not my idea of fun.

That all said Oracle pulled it out of the bag and I loved the event, for many different reasons, there were less people but everyone had a real reason for being there and so conversations were focus, I loved seeing people and I loved the buzz. Oracle say there were13,000 people in attendance, it felt more, but that may be down to the clever use of space.

I did attend the main appreciation event, old enough to know who the  Steve Millar Band are but I didn't stay long, too old to party all night!

Here are my main thoughts:

Main BOLD Messages
Inoapps on Tour
Oracle ACE Program
Partner Program
Extending Oracle Cloud Applications
Inoapps Oracle ME Award
Even the Travel

22 OCW Partner Program

Before the main conference starts there is a dedicated Partner program, a bit of a heads up on the  conference messages and how the program is changing to meet customer needs.

For me the main takeaway was the increasing importance of certifications for partners but balanced with a recognition that delta exams may lessen the burden of keeping unto date.

And if you attended Oracle Cloud World don't forget the certification offer that came with your full pass.

EMEA partners also had the  opportunity to be together even earlier with a fantastic trip out to the  Fire Valley National Park, an amazing place with a great guide to share so much with us. This finished with a lunch on The Strip.

Later there was a welcome reception in the  Fremont Area of Las Vegas and a chance to relax with other partners and Oracle Alliance leaders before the non stop of Cloud World itself.

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