Can you believe it has been almost a year since we all gathered together in Orlando at Cisco Live? Well, it has and you know what that means -it is just about time for Cisco Live San Francisco!

One of the great things about Cisco Live is the educational experience afforded to everyone who is in attendance on-site and who joins via the Internet at Cisco Live Online (https://www.ciscolive.com/online/connect/publicDashboard.ww). There are hundreds of sessions where you can learn about networking technologies -from Mastering Subnetting (BRKCRT-9346), to Nexus 7000 Virtual Device Context Design (BRKDCT-2121), and even the latest information on the Architecture of the Nexus 9000 (BRKDCT-3640). There are sessions encompassing Data Center, Security, Service Provider, Certifications, Wireless, Voice, etc. They have sessions for everyone and every skill level -it is a great chance to gain exposure to technologies that you have only heard of!

Another great benefit of attending Cisco Live in person is a free Cisco Certification test at the on-site Pearson Vue testing center at Cisco Live in Moscone West. Yes, this testing center is on-site, and yes you are allowed one free test at the event provided you register before May 17th at http://www.pearsonvue.com/cisco/live/. You may also take another test, provided space available, for 50% off when you register on-site. This is a great opportunity to sit a session on a topic and then go take a certification test.
Table Topics are an often overlooked opportunity at Cisco Live to sit down and chat with a Cisco Expert. These discussions take place over the normal lunch hour at the event and are open to anyone who would like to participate. You do not need to schedule these, you just have to find the table with the topic that you want to have a discussion on. At that table you will have a chance to talk to a Cisco Expert as well as your peers on a common topic. Some of the great table topics this year include Cisco ISE, UC Deployment, Data Center Migration from 6500 to Nexus, and many other topics. If you have a question or a problem, this is a great place to discuss it!

A great nightly gathering place is World of Solutions. Here you will find hundreds of vendors showing off their latest offerings, talking to you about what they can help you with, and also providing you an opportunity to discovery new companies and solutions. One thing that you can find at World of Solutions is refreshments! Yes, dessert is found here as well as adult beverages. It is nice place to hang out with your new-found friends and just explore. There is one more thing, from what I have heard, there are some great games that will involve World of Solutions and vendors.

The last but not the least great thing that happen at Cisco Live is the ability to network with your peers and form relationships. Forming these relationships and meeting your peers was the foundation of Networkers, now Cisco Live. It is not just about the education, it is also about networking with the people.
Closing out the event is the Customer Appreciation Event and it will be hosted at ATT Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants. This is a wonderful part that is always fun, memorable, and just simply amazing. This is a place to let loose and just have some fun with your peers and new found friends. This year our music headliners will be none other than Lenny Kravitz and Imagine Dragons. The big question that everyone is asking, and nobody will know until the night, is "What is the hat?!"

Looking forward to seeing you soon at Cisco Live US!