Getting Ready for Kscope16

Now that I've finally uploaded the final drafts of both my presentations I feel like I can get excited for Kscope16 in Chicago. I'm really looking forward to seeing old and new faces. I can't wait to see some of the presentations. A few stand out:

Hybrid in Production Panel
Hybrid, hybrid, hybrid is all I heard at Kscope15. Let's see what people are doing with it.

Essbase, the Cloud, and Why You Should Care
I have a feeling Kscope16 is going to be all about the cloud, cloud, cloud.

Strange Essbase Experiments
This sounds like it will be right up my alley.

I'll be speaking about my own experiments and findings with Hybrid on Monday at 10:15AM. I'll also be sharing my ASO tuning and calculation experiences on Monday at 2:00PM. Please feel free to stop by and say hello afterward.

Smoking Hot Kscope16 Deal For Recent Graduates

I remember way back to the late 1990s when I started working with Essbase. I was a year out of college when I first learned the tool. I was very eager to learn so I'd go home in the evenings and read the Essbase DBA Guide which was a two volume paperback set.

I also had a manager who loved to talk about Essbase. He was a smoker and I was not but I'd still tag along with him on his smoke breaks so we could talk about Essbase. I'd fire question after question at him. I learned a lot quickly.

It was the spring of 1999 and the Hyperion conference was coming up. I asked him if he would take me. He didn't think I was ready to go. So being a brash young developer, I pushed a bit. I said, "If I get my Essbase certification will you take me?" I'm sure he figured this was an easy out so he agreed.

This pushed me to work even harder. I set a date to take the exam on a weekend and didn't tell anyone. I was able to pass the test and got to attend the conference in sunny Orlando, Florida.

It was at this conference that I made so many contacts in the Essbase world including a young Tim Tow just getting his company started. I also made a contact at Hyperion who invited me to participate in the v6 Essbase beta program. That experience got me a trip to Sunnyvale, CA for v6 training. That experience got me a slot giving a presentation at the Hyperion conference the following year in Las Vegas. I could go on and on about the cool people I got to meet and the great experiences that came out of that first conference I attended.

That brings me to my point: there is extreme value for recent graduates and newbies attending conferences like Kscope. The dividends pay off over years rather than days or weeks.

I'll close this posting with some really cool news. ODTUG is offering 50% scholarships to recent college graduates (2013 or later). Hurry up and try to get one of the 50 scholarships available.

I hope to see you in Chicago in June!

Don't Forget To Register For Kscope 16!

Friday, March 25th is the last day to save $300 on your Kscope16 registration. If you are going to attend one conference in 2016, this is the one to choose. I know many presenters are working hard, putting in extra time during their evenings and weekends, to get content ready for this terrific conference. Don't miss out. Click here to register.

Sweet Home Chicago

I'd like to take this laid back Friday to talk about Chicago and Kscope. I attended my first Kscope back in June. I hadn't been to a conference in many years (the last conference I spoke at was in 2000 -- discussing the upgrade to Essbase 6!). It was time to check out this Kscope everyone was raving about. I was still skeptical but I submitted an abstract and it was accepted. Little did I know what I was in store for. This was unlike any conference I had been to. There was emphasis on actual technical content. I talked with people who have been living and breathing Essbase since it ran on OS/2. It reinvigorated me and rekindled my passion for this technology. I saw all the cool things people were doing and it made me want to do better. It made me want to explore new things like HSO.

If you're reading this blog, you're probably using Oracle EPM in some way. You have to go to Kscope16. I want to meet you and hear about your implementations -- about how you overcame some seemingly insurmountable obstacle. I want to hear your presentations. So get going, write up a killer abstract and submit it. The deadline is October 15th.

In case you need some more motivation, I can personal attest to the fact that late June in Chicago is the best time all year to visit. If you've never been here, you have to come. Chicago weather in June is just about perfect. Chicago is filled with world class parks, museums, architecture and restaurants. So get that abstract in next week and I'll see you in June.