After months of meticulous planning, Cloud Wars Expo 2022 ran at San Fransisco’s Moscone Center from 28-30 June. What promised to be a game-changing event didn’t fail to deliver, and I’m in no doubt that every attendee left feeling both inspired and informed.
As a speaker at the event, I was in a privileged position to provide insights and attend some of the other sessions and keynote speeches. I was blown away by the sheer volume of content and the many angles covered by the speakers.
What stands out is the approach. Sessions were short, to the point, and led by speakers with many years of experience in the fields they covered. This wasn’t speculative. This wasn’t sales or brand-focused. This was accurate advice and insights from industry experts.
Education and Inclusion
On the first day, the diversity of the education sessions was outstanding. From Cloud ERP migration to digital transformation to my Metaverse sessions, attendees had a vast range of talks to experience. People would go from room to room or stay put in anticipation of the following related discussion, absorbing an incredible wealth of information.
There was a tangible buzz. Visitors were excitedly chatting about what they had learned and how it could impact their practice. And then there were the keynotes and fireside chats.
Introduced and led by Bob Evans, whose prowess as a journalist was evident in the way he commanded the stage and directed conversations, the discussions on the main stage were beyond impressive. The sheer caliber of speakers was like a who’s who of tech space leaders.
We had the likes of Howard Boville, Head of Hybrid Cloud at IBM, and Mike Sicilia, Executive Vice President, Vertical Industries at Oracle, revealing to an engaged crowd the future of the cloud and, more than that — how to prepare for one of the most significant periods of technological change in a generation.
What struck me was the buoyancy. Hearing directly from the leaders of the cloud revolution, attendees were given an exclusive insight into how technologies adapt to the changing world and its new challenges. And the mood was both optimistic and exciting.
Beyond this, there was an overwhelming feeling of collaboration. Speakers were talking with, not at, the attendees. Even during fireside chats and keynote speeches, there was a personal touch. The sense was that we were on the cusp of the next wave of cloud-driven technologies, and everyone in attendance was welcome along for the ride.
Cloud Wars Expo through a Metaverse lens
From a Metaverse perspective, the Cloud Wars Expo event was incredibly positive. There’s a fear that the infrastructure required to support our transition into virtual and mixed reality worlds is under par and that we may be attempting too much too soon. Yet, hearing how the biggest tech companies are focused on sustainable growth, filled me with confidence.
Furthermore, there appears to be a growing synergy amongst technology organizations. There is a shared commitment to a common goal, and although competition must remain, everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn sheet. That is precisely what is required for a flourishing Metaverse ecosystem.
My top takeaways
- I was honored to be part of the judging team for the Innovation Path startup competition. During the judging, we were shown presentations from 15 different start-ups. What was overwhelmingly obvious is how much many of these companies were committed to sustainability, not through necessity but by design.
- Of all the Metaverse sessions, perhaps the most powerful was the “Metaverse Business Models of the Future” panel discussion I was lucky enough to moderate. The three panelists, former AWS executive Anoop Nannra, Blockworks founder Jason Yanowitz, and Michael Anderson from Framework ventures, had a vast collective knowledge of blockchain, decentralization, and related industries. In the end, the message was loud and clear, Metaverse business models are constantly evolving, but crucially, the barrier for entry isn’t as high as many might think, and now is the time to get involved.
- During the Industry Cloud Battleground sessions, speakers from top tech companies like Microsoft and Cockroach Labs covered many areas from healthcare to finance. For me, the adaptability of the cloud to service every sector and critically enable organizations in these sectors to achieve their full potential was a revelation. Cloud companies have responded to the challenges of distributed teams, restricted supply chains, and more to provide simple unified solutions.
- Finally, you don’t need to preach to be heard. I can’t emphasize enough how unique the approach was at Cloud Wars Expo. For the first time at a tech event of this kind, speakers explained how to practically achieve the results attendees desired, P2P, not B2C. The playing field was thoroughly level, so attendees left educated and informed, not converted.
It’s not over yet…
The great thing is, even if you couldn’t attend the event in person or stream content at the time, starting July 20th, these critical sessions will be available to view online. It’s straightforward. Just head to the Cloud Wars Expo website and sign up for your free On-Demand Pass. You’ll get instant access to over 40 hours of content professionally captured on film at the event.
I’m already thinking ahead to the next conference in 2023, and I’m in no doubt that Cloud Wars Expo 2023 will be even more critical than this inaugural event. The Acceleration Economy network has proven to be an insightful, influential, and innovative source of information for brands and businesses in every sector.
The support from and inclusion of some of the world’s most important tech companies — Microsoft, SAP, Oracle, IBM — shows the industry’s confidence in this new approach to in-person events. I can imagine what round two is going to look like!
