The world's biggest cycling competition has come to a close, but the world's biggest SAP technical and business process education event is just ramping up. The Tour de France wound down last weekend, but we're continuing our push to make SAP TechEd'09 an exciting, valuable tour in its own right. We're getting ready for another high powered season of SAP TechEd activities.
It might be interesting to compare and contrast these two events...
This year marked the 96th Tour de France or "Tour." Over the years the Tour has grown in scope and intensity and has continually been regarded by many as the greatest cycling event in the world. Although it has expanded significantly over the years, the Tour is still based mostly in France but now crosses into other countries as well.
SAP TechEd started in 1995 and this year will travel to four cities on three continents: Phoenix, Vienna, Shanghai, and Bangalore. Some of us have the opportunity to attend most or all of these in a single season.
Year after year SAP TechEd has experienced rapid expansion and increasing popularity while spreading educational excellence around the world. Just last year, 96% of attendees surveyed said they would recommend SAP TechEd to a colleague.
The original organizers of the Tour (de France) thought that they could only sustain interest in the event if they changed the course every year, varying its distance and number of stages. Today there are typically 21 stages and not more than 2,200 miles. The shortest course was 1,500 miles in 1904 and the longest, 3,570 miles, in 1926. Fans love watching riders conquer new cycling challenges every year.
Like the Tour (de France), SAP TechEd continues to evolve and adapt to attendees' needs. This year's educational session tracks and sub tracks reflect the diverse but deep nature of our offerings:
Business Intelligence and Information Management
- Business Intelligence Platform
- Data Services
- Data Warehousing and SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse Accelerator
- Master Data Management
- Performance Optimization Applications
- SAP BusinessObjects Client Tools and Advanced Analytics
Business Process Management
- Business Process Modeling
- Business Rules Management
- Composition
Custom Development
- ABAP Development
- Java Development
User Productivity
- Mobile
- Portal and Content Management
- Search
- User Interface
Application Life-Cycle Management
- Deploy
- Operate
- Optimize
- Overview
- Requirements, Design, Build
- Test
Security and Identity Management
- Identity Management
- Security and Secure Interoperability
SOA Middleware
- Process Integration
- SOA in Practice
- SOA Repository and Registry
SAP TechEd remains an exciting opportunity for the community to experience the synergy of learning alongside peers, meeting face-to-face with recognized experts, and the value of personal connections. The SAP ecosystem is an active, vibrant community all year 'round (online) that meets physically every year (at TechEd) to exchange ideas and inspire innovation. SAP TechEd travels the globe bringing the community together to learn, share, network, and have fun.
Some of the features our SAP TechEd full conference attendees have the chance to experience:
- Keynote Presentations
- Educational Lecture Sessions
- Hands-On Workshops including advance sign-up for two workshops
- Demo Jam
- Session materials downloadable from Web site
- Sessions on USB Flash Drive
- Exhibition Hall
- Community Clubhouse
- SAP Celebration Night
- Subscription to Virtual SAP TechEd 2009
(There's much more than this simple list can convey, and some "local" TechEd events are different from others. Please see the descriptions of what's happening at individual locations for details on the specifics between the Phoenix, Vienna, Bangalore, and Shanghai event agendas.)
The keynote addresses at SAP TechEd give attendees a chance to hear visionary insights from different perspectives, and can cover everything from high level strategies to specific technical details. Keynote addresses this year include Dr. Vishal Sikka, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of SAP, in Phoenix and Bangalore, and Jim Hagemann Snabe, Member of SAP Executive Board, in Vienna.
We're continuing to make SAP TechEd a real value for the investment. We understand that every attendee and company wants to stretch their budgets even further this year, which is why we're offering "early bird" registration discounts in all four locations. And in Phoenix and Vienna we have a "Buy Four Get One Free" package, as well as a drawing to win eligibility to reserve a spot in a third hands-on workshop.
There's a reason why millions watch the Tour in person every year: they get a completely different experience by attending in person. The same is true of SAP TechEd!
Thousands of attendees come to SAP TechEd every year for a learning experience they can't find anywhere else. They connect with old colleagues and expand their professional network. They get firsthand experience with new technologies while learning directly from experts. They experience the excitement of the Demo Jam and keynote addresses. They even have fun relaxing in the Community Clubhouse and at evening events. As social beings, members of a community need personal interaction with their counterparts, which SAP TechEd provides in a rich and productive yet flexible venue for attendees to take advantage of in whatever means suits them best.
The Tour de France brings together teams of elite athletes from around the globe every year in an event of sportsmanship, camaraderie, teamwork, extreme physical and mental feats, and some fun mixed in along the way. SAP TechEd also allows an elite group to gather together each year under these same ideals.
While you may be convinced of the value of SAP TechEd and anxious to attend, bosses with tight budgets might need a little more convincing. In order to help you get the approvals you need to attend, we've put together letters outlining the benefits of attending this year and why your manager should send you. Just choose a location to "Convince Your Boss": Phoenix, Vienna, or Bangalore.
We look forward to seeing you this year during our tour: SAP TechEd.
- Phoenix October 13 - 16
- Vienna October 27 - 29
- Shanghai November 11 - 12
- Bangalore November 18 - 20
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Credits:
Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajacied/3760453977/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/62788535@N00/3309664364/
Tour de France facts: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France
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