Posted by Craig Powers on ASUG News
Attending SAP TechEd && d-code? Interested in spending some extra time in Las Vegas while learning more about some of the hottest SAP topics? Then ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars are what you are looking for.
The day before the SAP TechEd && d-code session floor opens and the conference kicks into full gear, ASUG is offering three full-day and three half-day seminars on Monday, Oct. 20. Topics include: SAP BusinessObjects, SAP HANA Cloud Platform, SAP user experience, SAP Fiori, SAP Solution Manager and Big Data.
ASUG Volunteer Joyce Butler is a regular attendee of ASUG Pre-Conference Seminars, and she previewed this year’s SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.1, SAP BW, and SAP BW on SAP HANA session on SCN recently. I decided to catch up with her and found just why ASUG’s Pre-Conference Seminars are so appealing.
You said you’ve attended the ASUG Pre-Conference sessions at SAP TechEd && d-code for the past five years. What about them has you coming back every year?
The content, presenters and the other attendees keep me coming back.
As you can see from the pre-conference list, the items are hot, forward looking, advanced topics or subjects. And the majority of the presenters are the SAP product owners. The SAP product owners are by far the best resource to get not only how and why to use the current product but what can be expected for the product in the near term and longer term roadmap. The other attendees are like me – they are either using the product and are looking for implications or improvements to their current business roadmap or they are developing a strategy and need to determine how the product can be leveraged or integrated. What a wonderful group to network with.
How might an ASUG Pre-Conference session at SAP TechEd && d-code differ from an ASUG session during the conference?
The pre-cons are a great lead in for the conference. I will be attending the SAP BusinessObjects BI 4.1, SAP BW, and SAP BW on SAP HANA - All in One Day (Hands-On) with SAP Mentor Ingo Hilgefort. I chose this one because I am focusing on the visualization of data to meet various business requirements including adhoc/self-service models. The session is a comprehensive overview of the SAP BusinessObjects products. The session will also help me solidify what sessions I will concentrate on during the conference. The pre-cons are a combination of in-depth education and summary overviews with longer time frames than the conference sessions.
And, on a lighter note, any tips for how someone attending a pre-con at SAP TechEd && d-code can expect to entertain themselves for an extra night in a sleepy town like Las Vegas?
I usually come in the weekend before – some stay the weekend after – so many things to do in Vegas, concerts, shows. It was wonderful seeing Elton John there. I’ve seen Jimmy Buffet in Las Vegas too – yes I have been known to be a secret parrot head fan.
If you enjoy football or other sports, Las Vegas is a great place to watch. Sports bars are over the top and October is right in the middle of college football season too (Roll Tide!). Last year I did the Dream Race car driving at Las Vegas Speedway, driving a Ferrari 458 Italia around the race track.
But Las Vegas is also very scenic. The Hoover Dam/ Lake Mead are awesome. The Grand Canyon is awe- inspiring.
Oh and there is also the gambling.
For information on ASUG’s SAP TechEd && d-code Pre-Conference Seminars and to register, check out the event page here.
