EMC World - Sunday

This evening, Orlando found itself swarmed by intellect with the inception of EMC World at the Orange County Convention Center.

What travel of mine is ever without incident? You guessed it... none. :) The flight was actually nice - met a random PR gal who was on her way to do some schmoozing for a client. She definitely made the flight go quicker and wouldn't you know, she lives in Boston - made a new friend for when I'm back there to go hang out with. We taxied up to the gate after about an hour delay to find that our gate extension wasn't functioning properly. I found myself sitting in 5D waiting as we are towed to another gate that had hopes of functioning surrounded by a general stint that made it clear that not all passengers valued hygiene as much as I do.

I arrive at Embassy on International Drive - nice digs... nice room... I like being a Diamond member - it's actually somewhat comical to see the staff try to execute on their VIP procedures. I call the one member of my client team who arrived today for the festivities to try and see where to go.

The Orange County Convention Center is about as big as my entire neighborhood - gynormous! Great directions Randy - har har... I finally find myself at the South Building (which is really north - those Orlandoians really have a great sense of humor). :)

I get through registration and feel compelled to mention how much fun the registration staff actually was - I really do love working at EMC. So I get registered, get a fabulous phone book size conference handbook and make my way toward the main area.

Very cool stuff around - there's a golf course green area to the left filled with some pretty cool challenge activities - playing golf with a miniature football, polo opportunities while mounted on a life-size plastic horse (which is high-quality entertainment to watch in and of itself) and other random games.

Strewn throughout the middle of the area were tables of food (yummy food might I add), beer / wine counters, and tables piled full with conference attendees and their families. I saw literally no one I knew from EMC - they must have been hiding at some very cool party I hadn't been invited to attend or were skipping this introductory show. :)

I find Randy (from Fidelity) and Brian Hagen (from EMC) and plopped us at a table near the front of the stage. While waiting for Hootie and the Blowfish to take the stage, Randy finds a new friend from the Cirque de Solei type characters meandering around the flocks of people...

So the ceremonies finally begin with a kick off by a VP of EMC: (this guy...)

The Hootie and the Blowfish take the stage and rock us out...

Killer concert... they played new stuff and some classics and a few cover songs. I desperately wanted to mosh but didn't see a whole lot of others who would join in so I just danced around with this nice lady I met from JCPenny and her husband - another loved EMC client.

We grabbed our awesome EMC World backpacks full of some great chatchkies, partied with Hootie and the Blowfish and meandered back to our hotels to get ready for tomorrow.

More tomorrow...