Next week I will be attending, for the first time, Storage Field Day in San Jose! I’ve been a fan of all the previous SFD events hosted by Stephen and his team at Tech Field Day, so I’m very excited to be a delegate.   It’s a chance to connect with some familiar faces and meet a few new friends while discussing the latest in storage technology.  I have met several delegates and engaged with many of the other delegates on social media, and can’t wait to sit down with them and talk in more than 140 characters. Arjan Timmerman has written up a very nice round up of the entire delegate crew.

I’ve had a chance to meet Christopher Kusek at VMworld last year, and it turns out we may have met at a small conference in the 90s as well! He has given me some excellent advice in dealing with vendors during deal negotiations.  He’s seriously one of the funniest guys in the community, and I can’t wait to connect in person again.

I first met Dave Henry at EMC World a few years ago. He was, of course, drawing on a whiteboard.  Dave gave me advice early on in my blogging journey which has proven to be extremely helpful.  Hanging out with Dave is always a fun and dangerous experience, as he tends to throw things at my head.

Last on list of delegates I’ve met face to face is Howard Marks.  I’ve met Howard at EMC World, but more recently I had some questions about where my career was headed.  Some of my questions seemed to parallel part of Howard’s journey, and after a quick chat on twitter it was easier to just pick up the phone.  We ended up talking for nearly an hour about his path, where I was in my career, and where I wanted to go.

One of the most amazing things about this community is how willing everyone is to take the time out of their lives to help each other.  Having people who have helped pave the path you’re currently walking take time to share insight and thoughts is what makes this community, our community, a strong one. The ability to collaborate, pitch in, learn, and support one another is the most valuable resources.  A resource I am grateful to have and lucky to be able to give back to.

For more information on Storage Field Day you out the official event page, which will include live streaming video of the event as well as a list of presenters.  Enrico Signoretti has done an excellent overview of each of the presenting companies.  If you are looking for a larger preview, check out the detailed reviews being done by Keith Townsend.