Oracle OpenWorld Blog

Because It's Your. Open. World. Too

If you're a partner in Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), make sure you're tuned in to the things we've planned just for you at Oracle OpenWorld 2008. We've got ways to connect you to customers, and activities to keep you on the inside track. (If you're not a partner—but want to be—visit the OPN portal. Join, and then come meet us in San Francisco.)

Sunday, September 21 is partner day at Oracle OpenWorld, so come join us at the Oracle PartnerNetwork Forum. This free Forum is open to all partners in OPN who are registered for Oracle OpenWorld. It's your inside track to information on emerging opportunity areas, strategies for growth, and the key messages your customers and prospects will hear from Oracle. Click here to learn more and to register.

The Forum is just to get things started. There are plenty more Oracle OpenWorld activities and resources just for partners:

North America Titan Awards: recognizing innovation and business achievement.
Oracle PartnerNetwork Reception: a great opportunity to talk to other partners and to Alliance and Channel executives.
Oracle PartnerNetwork Lounge: meeting space, networking opportunities, info kiosks, and meet-and-greets.
"Partner Only" Sessions: informative sessions designed specifically for you.
Increase your visibility: opportunities abound at Oracle OpenWorld.
Solutions Catalog: another way to make sure customers can find you.

But don't wait for September—join the conversation today in the Oracle OpenWorld group and the OPN group on Oracle Mix.

Sharlene Ratcliff-Korenica
Director, Worldwide Alliances & Channels

A Better Way to Plan Your. Open. World.

You told us you wanted a better tool for choosing and scheduling your sessions at Oracle OpenWorld. We listened. Now we're happy to announce the launch of a smoother, smarter way to create your entire schedule for the conference. Here are some highlights of the new Schedule Builder:

Recommended sessions: A recommendation engine powered by Oracle Data Mining provides a list of the sessions most relevant to you.
E-mail a session: Send your colleagues an e-mail about an interesting session right from the scheduler.
Improved user interface: Access session information directly from your calendar view. Add or remove sessions with one click. See multiple pop-ups of session information.
Other cool features: Build your Oracle OpenWorld agenda and export it to a calendar. Schedule personal activities or meetings with friends, colleagues, and partners. Check out the action at the Exhibition Halls.

To use the new scheduler, here's what you need to do: Register for Oracle OpenWorld. Take a short guided tour of the tool. Start scheduling. (Use Internet Explorer for full functionality and best results.)

And don't forget—to be certain you get a seat at your preferred sessions, be sure to sign up in advance with Schedule Builder and arrive at the sessions at least 10 minutes early.

Feel free to let us know what you think of the new tool.

Cross the Bay Bridge and Discover What Nobody in San Francisco Will Tell You

In this second of four posts on San Francisco Bay Area getaways, we'll travel east. Know what you'll find there? Sunshine. Easy (or at least easier) parking. World-class—and hugely diverse—dining and music venues. The Raider Nation and the Oakland A's. Charming, strollable neighborhoods. And countless parks and nature areas.

Check it out.

TO THE EAST
Berkeley: There are all sorts of music venues, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theater, and all the tie-dye you could ever want. Try to get a reservation at Chez Panisse, which was ground zero for California Cuisine. Take a walk around the Cal campus.

Oakland: Just as cool—if not cooler—than Berkeley, with better parking, its own baseball and football franchises, and quite possibly the best pizza (Arizmendi, Pizzaiolo, Zachary's) and strawberry shortcake (Bakesale Betty) on the face of the earth.

East Bay Parks: Discover miles and miles of hiking and biking; remarkable vistas, lakes, and picnic areas; and off in the distance, Mount Diablo.

If we reveal more, the Let's-Keep-the-East-Bay-to-Ourselves Coalition will come after us in force. On the other hand, if you have some great East Bay haunts, or want to recommend something to the Oracle OpenWorld community, leave your comments.

Otherwise, we'll get back to you after the next A's game.

Part 1: North

And the Winners Are ...

Once again we'd like to offer a great big Thank You to everyone who submitted ideas and voted on sessions for Oracle OpenWorld 2008. Go to Oracle Mix for more details about the winning submissions (the top 25 will be presented). These sessions will also be listed in the Content Catalog when titles and content are finalized. Oracle's Lisa Stuart has already begun contacting the winners to make it official and work out the details—so if you're a winner, be sure to make her your friend on Oracle Mix when she extends the invitation.

You've waited long enough, so without further ado, here are the winners of the first ever Oracle OpenWorld Suggest a Session:

Rank: 1 (113 votes)
Security: Writing Custom Authentication Schemes for Oracle Application Express (Oracle APEX)
Submitted by: Raj Mattamal

Rank: 2 (111 votes)
BEA Aqualogic Versus Oracle Fusion Middleware Shootout
Submitted by: Lonneke Dikmans

Rank: 3 (96 votes)
Implement Pro Card Functionality for Immediate ROI
Submitted by: Don Wynn

Rank: 4 (95 votes)
Visual Dashboard Design
Submitted by: Steve Stein

Rank: 5 (90 votes)
How to Hack an Oracle Application Express Application
Submitted by: Anton Nielsen

Rank: 6 (87 votes)
Successfully Developing and Integrating Applications in Oracle APEX Within Oracle E-Business Suite
Submitted by: Haseeb M

Rank: 7 (84 votes)
Indexing Secrets with Richard Foote
Submitted by: Richard Foote

Rank: 8 (81 votes)
How to Look Like a Star DBA: Shell Scripting Tips and Techniques for Junior DBAs
Submitted by: Sreekanth Chintala

Rank: 9 (77 votes)
The Next Generation of Business Integration: Making the Right Choice!
Submitted by: Nathalie Roman

Rank: 10 (76 votes)
Do You Have the S.W.A.T. to Get Your Highest ROI (On Your Next Upgrade)?
Submitted by: Christina Caporale

Rank: 11-12 (75 votes)
Use These Simple Tips to Quickly Find Answers to Your Oracle-Related Questions and Keep Your Oracle Skills Up-to-Date
Submitted by: Eddie Awad

(Re)Developing a Logistic Application in Oracle APEX in the Real World
Submitted by: Roel Hartman

Rank: 13 (74 votes)
Oracle's PeopleSoft Time And Labor—Getting it Right the Second Time at a School District
Submitted by: Andrew Beck

Rank: 14 (72 votes)
Real-World Best Practices for DBAs
Submitted by: Arup Nanda

Rank: 15 (69 votes)
Oracle's PeopleSoft Treasury—ROI Through Automation and Improved Cash Management
Submitted by: Jeannine Berman

Rank: 16 (68 votes)
Oracle APEX Team Development: Best Practices, Collaboration, and Application Deployment
Submitted by: Priya Lapham

Rank: 17 (67 votes)
How to Effectively Use Web 2.0 Technologies Within a Portal
Submitted by: Howard Block

Rank: 18 (66 votes)
Rapid Development and Validation of Oracle APEX Applications at an FDA-Regulated Medical Device Company
Submitted by: Deb Groskreutz
Rank: 19 (65 votes)
So, You Want to Be an Oracle ACE?
Submitted by: Dan Norris

Rank: 20 (62 votes)
Back to Basics: Simple Database Web Services Without an Application Server
Submitted by: Chris Muir

Rank: 21 (61 votes)
Using Oracle APEX to Analyze Your PL/SQL Source Code
Submitted by: Flavio Casetta

Rank: 22-23 (60 votes)
Oracle Portal, Oracle WebCenter, and Stellent—Which One Should You Use?
Submitted by: Eric Marcoux

Undocumented Oracle DBA Utilities: Black Magic for the Oracle Expert!
Submitted by: Ben Prusinski

Rank: 24 (59 votes)
Oracle Business Intelligence (OBIEE)—Custom Versus Prepackaged
Submitted by: Adam Getz

Rank: 25 (58 votes)
Oracle Database 11g: New Features for DBAs
Submitted by: Arup Nanda

Insights from Meeting Strategies Worldwide

As promised, Nancy J. Wilson, the CMP of Meeting Strategies Worldwide, is here to report on our green efforts for Oracle OpenWorld. Thanks Nancy for sharing your insights.

Long before it was cool, Oracle demonstrated commitment to sustainability, which has put it at the forefront of addressing energy, environmental, and social issues in the software industry. This corporate responsibility extends to the way their events are planned, executed and evaluated.

As a leader in sustainable event management, Oracle was ready for the next step in 2007 … an environmental assessment of Oracle OpenWorld with the following goals in mind:

1. To determine what baseline meeting practices are in place that support sustainability.
2. To identify specific opportunities for reducing impact and maximizing community benefit moving forward to Oracle OpenWorld 2008.
3. To use greening Oracle OpenWorld 2008 as a platform for developing a broad plan to make all meetings hosted by Oracle more sustainable.

Oracle Openworld 2007 Event Highlights

• 57% of all waste diverted from landfill
• 2,000 lbs of food donated to San Francisco charity
• 80% of exhibitors made use of online kits
• Print materials used 10% post-consumer recycled content paper and vegetable-based inks
• Used greener shuttles for attendees and hybrid cars for VIP transportation

Exciting numbers! And the scope of Oracle OpenWorld, with over 40,000 participants, makes it even more impressive! Oracle OpenWorld 2008 will exceed these benchmarks and take sustainable meetings to the next level.

What can you expect at Oracle OpenWorld 2008? Click on this Green Program link for an in depth look at what’s in store for this year’s event.

What Can You Do?

There are lots of ways you can help minimize the footprint. Some of them before leaving home, such as turning off all lights and heat, unplugging appliances, stopping the newspaper, and packing your own coffee mug and water bottle.

Once you get to Oracle OpenWorld, take advantage of recycling stations, travel on mass transit, use the linen and towel reuse program at the hotels, don’t order room service (too many individually packaged items), take conference handouts or bags only if you need them, and visit the Green Pavilion.

Nancy J. Wilson
CMP, Meeting Strategies Worldwide
Meeting Strategies Worldwide was hired to assess the Oracle OpenWorld 2007 green meeting practices and provide guidelines for Oracle OpenWorld 2008 and other Oracle events.

Schedule your sessions by following the experts

By the time Oracle OpenWorld attendees hit the show floor, most of them already have a scratch list of all exhibits and sessions they plan to attend. When mapping out your conference options, it’s helpful to know which keynotes or panels are popular among the VIPs, fellow attendees, or industry insiders.

Business intelligence guru Michael Armstrong-Smith is one such wonk. He carefully maps out his itinerary for the entire conference and shares his favorite presenters and live demonstrations on his Learn Discoverer Blog. A veteran of the Oracle road show circuit (and the author of the Oracle Discoverer Handbook), he not only posts his schedule of events, but also usually follows up by reviewing the hands-on labs and providing additional links or related articles.

Another way to prepare is to follow the blogs of some of Oracle OpenWorld’s finest speakers, like Steven Feuerstein, an evangelist and software developer whose main obsession these days is code testing. On his FeuerThoughts site, he outlines three of his upcoming presentations at Oracle OpenWorld 2008 and keeps the world up-to-date on everything PL/SQL. Or keep an eye on the online postings of Oracle employees like Steven Chan as he riffs on the latest technology stack news from Oracle Applications Development.

Finally, be sure to check back here on July 22—we'll have an exclusive announcement about the release of some cool new scheduling tools.

What They Mean by "Only in San Francisco"

Today we welcome Val Diamond of Beach Blanket Babylon, who has a very special invitation for everyone attending Oracle OpenWorld. Take it away Val ...

On behalf of producer Jo Schuman Silver and the cast of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon, welcome to the wonderful city of San Francisco!

During your stay, we invite you to attend a performance of Beach Blanket Babylon, the longest running musical revue in history. The always-changing show, packed with hilarious parodies of political and pop culture, outrageously gigantic hats and one show-stopping number after another, has been a staple of San Francisco for over 34 years.

In Beach Blanket Babylon, Snow White goes on a fast-paced musical journey around the world in search of her "Prince Charming" and, along the way, encounters a star-studded lineup of political and pop culture characters, including Senator Barack & Michelle Obama, Amy Winehouse, Senator John & Cindy McCain, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Oprah Winfrey, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Highlights of Beach Blanket Babylon's eventful history include a performance before Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, an invitation to the White House by President Reagan, a successful 18-month run in Las Vegas, a performance on the Academy Awards, and most recently, a performance before Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of York.

To purchase tickets to Beach Blanket Babylon, please call our box office at 415-421-4222. Mention "Oracle OpenWorld" when purchasing tickets and receive complimentary chocolates and a commemorative Beach Blanket Babylon book.*

We look forward to performing for you!

Val Diamond
Cast member since 1978

* Subject to availability. All guests must be 21+, except on Sunday matinees. Valid ID required.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Oracle is committed to protecting the environment, and we make sure that our efforts and awareness extend to Oracle OpenWorld, the world's largest event dedicated to helping you get the most from your information technology. During the 2007 conference, we did a lot to ensure that the event had as little environmental impact as possible, but in 2008, we want to do even better.

With that goal in mind, we commissioned Meeting Strategies Worldwide, an award-winning environmental firm that specializes in the meetings industry, to make a green assessment of our 2007 conference. We wanted to find out what we did right, where we could do better, and how to use Oracle OpenWorld as a springboard to implement environmentally friendly practices companywide. Let's begin with what we did right.

During Oracle OpenWorld 2007, we donated a ton (literally 2,000 pounds) of food to local charity, and diverted almost 60 percent of all the conference waste from landfills by composting, recycling, and reusing. Eighty percent of our exhibitors used online kits instead of printed material to provide brochures, fact sheets, and white papers to customers. Printed materials for the conference were produced with 10 percent post-consumer recycled paper and soy-based ink. And we transported VIPs to and from the show in hybrid or biodiesel vehicles.

We didn't get everything right, however. Meeting Strategies made some suggestions about how we could be doing more. For instance, the evaluation pointed out that we could include green clauses in contracts we sign with local vendors, ensuring that their best practices are contractually obligated. Additionally, we might also want to purchase some carbon offsets for all the unavoidable emissions the convention creates.

These are just a few of the evaluation findings. Check back soon for more green posts, including important insights from guest blogger Nancy J. Wilson, CMP of Meeting Strategies Worldwide.

There are many different takes on what makes a conference truly green—see this CNET article for example. If you have observations or suggestions about how to make Oracle OpenWorld greener, please leave them in the comments section below. We'd love to hear what you think.

Jodi Morrison
Senior Director, Event Marketing Technology and Operations

Head North for Natural Beauty and Culinary Delights

The Bay Area is pretty interesting, even after Oracle OpenWorld ends.

While it’s likely you didn’t come to San Francisco for sourdough and crab cakes, once the show is over, you might enjoy taking a little time to check out the city and all the cool things there are to do nearby. Conveniently, Oracle OpenWorld 2008 ends on a Thursday (September 25). That leaves you the weekend to have some fun.

In a four-part series of posts, we’ll offer tips on things to do to the north, south, and east of San Francisco, as well as a few things to do if you stay in town.

There’s no way we could include everything there is to see and do, so we’re limiting our lists to major attractions and things you can enjoy within a two-hour drive from Moscone Center.

TO THE NORTH
Alexander Valley: A spectacular wine-growing region of Sonoma County often ignored by tourists.

Mount Tamalpais: Sacred to the indigenous Ohlone and Miwok, it’s now revered for miles of hiking trails, stunning views of the Bay Area, and secluded picnic areas. Check out Muir Woods—one of the world’s few remaining stands of old-growth redwoods that haven’t been logged.

Napa Valley: Enjoy world-class wineries and wine tasting as you look out across picturesque vineyards. Dine at fine restaurants including The French Laundry—the only Michelin 3-star restaurant on the West Coast. And don’t forget to simply unwind and bask in the hospitality of a charming bed and breakfast.

Point Reyes: How about 14 destinations in one? You’ll find gourmet restaurants and goofy little gift shops, sleepy beaches and spectacular crashing surf, some of the best oysters in the world, artisan cheese, great kayaking, and mile after mile of amazing hikes.

Sausalito: A charming fishing village as envisioned by Giorgio Armani.

Sonoma Coast: Jagged cliffs, spectacular ocean vistas, long winding roads, and award-winning wineries. Be careful about the order in which you enjoy all that.

So what do you think? If you have been in the Bay Area and have your own ideas, share your comments. Or if there’s something in particular you’re interested in, maybe someone here or in the user community can get you the info. And, if you manage to get through to French Laundry, get a table for 40,000.

Have fun and let us know about your adventures.

Part 2: East

Winners to Be Announced Here July 21

While the final votes are being tallied, we'll take this opportunity to extend a great big Thank You! to everyone who submitted session ideas and voted. We couldn't be happier with the outstanding submissions and enthusiastic voter turnout. Sessions are now being carefully evaluated and winners will be announced on July 21. Mark your calendar—then get ready to make your schedule.