Oracle OpenWorld Blog

Jodi Morrison Tells Us How to Find Out

This week I’m pleased to introduce another valuable member of the Events team who is, by no coincidence, our next guest blogger.

Jodi Morrison will join us here occasionally to provide updates on all the technology we’ll be running for the event. She’ll give pointers on the technology resources available for attendees before, during, and after the big show. She’ll tell us what technology we’ll see on the show floor and what’s happening behind the scenes. And she’ll be blogging about our Green initiatives.

In her first post, Jodi chats about Twitter, one of the best ways to use the Web to stay up-to-the-minute on information about Oracle OpenWorld—and everything else.

Tania Weidick
Vice President, Events Marketing

Start Right Here

Tweet, tweet. That's the sound of Twitter, and it's one of many ways you can get involved at Oracle OpenWorld 2008.

Twitter was a popular addition to Oracle OpenWorld last year along with many other social networking tools. Since then, microblogging on Twitter has exploded, and its use at conferences has added a whole new dimension of instant discussion among attendees. This blog will help make sure that you're not left out of the Twitterverse at Oracle OpenWorld this year.

If you're not yet familiar with Twitter, Common Craft made a great video, Twitter in Plain English, describing the service, and BusinessWeek recently published an article with a slide show about its uses. After you get started, you can stay in touch with us year round via @Oracle and @oracletechnet, and once Oracle OpenWorld 2008 gets underway, follow the event tracker @oow for some great convention information.

Also, we just started our own Twitter account: @oracleopenworld. We'll be using this account to help spread the latest word about Oracle OpenWorld 2008—but mostly we'll be listening to what you and the rest of the the Twitterati are saying about the big event.

You might also follow your colleagues at the conference to see their updates on a regular basis. That way, you can share the scoop on informative booths, engaging sessions, and exclusive parties. (But be careful. Twitter can be very addictive. You can find other Oracle-related Twitter addicts to follow by checking out the Oracle Tweeters wiki page.)

Twitter also allows you to follow discussions containing specific phrases, such as "Oracle OpenWorld." Using Twitter through instant messaging allows you to track key words you're interested in: anyone sending an update containing your tracked phrase will show up in your IM window, even if you don't usually follow that person. You can even use a search engine such as Summize or Tweet Scan to connect with other people sending updates about Oracle OpenWorld or any subject of your choice.

Twitter is only one of many easy ways you can keep up with Oracle OpenWorld. Don't forget, you can also shape the big event by joining Oracle Mix. And, you can always leave a comment on any of our Oracle OpenWorld blog posts.

Jodi Morrison
Senior Director, Event Marketing Technology and Operations

Build Your Oracle OpenWorld Network

Your Oracle OpenWorld networking isn't restricted to the conference floor. Start meeting others interested in Oracle right now. Join Oracle Mix.

Oracle Mix was built by Oracle AppsLab as an easy way for Oracle customers, partners, and employees to collaborate and learn over the Web. You can share ideas, create and join groups (like the Oracle OpenWorld group), and find people with similar interests. Signing up is simple and quick.

Besides Oracle Mix, you can find conference enthusiasts on other social networking sites you might already be using. LinkedIn members can start conversations by asking questions in the Answers section of the site. Industry professionals from all over can weigh in on Oracle OpenWorld questions, or you can supply first-hand answers during the show for people wondering what the conference is like.

You can hook up with others interested in the event by joining the Oracle OpenWorld group on Facebook. Add your photos, videos, and notes to your page and tag them openworld08 so everyone can find them. Just watch out for the zombies and vampires.

No matter how you find like-minded Oracle enthusiasts, by joining forces, you can help shape the future of Oracle. Get started now by adding a comment to this post.

Jodi Morrison
Senior Director, Event Marketing Technology and Operations

Bloggers Include Oracle Mix Badge on Sites

Want to proudly proclaim your plans to attend Oracle OpenWorld 2008? Simply post an Oracle Mix badge on your blog, like database expert Lewis Cunningham does on his IT Toolbox community forum pages. Complete with a friendly emoticon, this sleek banner tells regular readers that Lewis is bringing his extensive knowledge of cloud architecture to the City by the Bay—and includes a profile of his background and experience.

The first step to get your badge is to sign up with Oracle Mix. Then click “My profile” and copy the HTML embed code from the bottom of your profile page. Plop the colorful graphic into your layout and connect with others. It’s not just a great way to build up a network of conference contacts, it’s also a way to find out who’s following which streams and tracks this fall. Show your pride: Let your Oracle OpenWorld flag fly!

Your Ticket to More

Oracle Technology Network (OTN) is the world's largest community of Oracle developers, DBAs/admins, architects, and QA testers. So, what better place to gather than at the world's biggest Oracle event?

Oracle OpenWorld 2008 will host a plethora of learning, networking, and just plain fun activities for OTN members:

• The OTN lounge offers both business and pleasure. Set aside some time for the Oracle ACE Office Hours. Or swing by whenever for snacks, energy drinks, beer, and board games. Either way, don't forget to enter the iPod raffle and grab your free T-shirt, software, and swag.

• Get the party started right (and right away) at OTN Night. Take the shuttle from Moscone Center to the Hilton Hotel on Monday night for food, games, drinks, dancing, and more.

• Add Oracle Develop to your agenda for only $100 more than the price of a Full Conference Pass. Dig deeper into the latest developer technologies with keynotes, technical sessions, and hands-on labs. (Stay tuned for an Oracle Develop post coming soon.)

• Nobody should miss the Oracle OpenWorld Unconference. You're invited to present your own one-hour session or workshop—or see what your colleagues have to offer. The Unconference takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday at Moscone West.

OTN membership is free, so join now to get the most out of Oracle OpenWorld. Check out the OTN at Oracle OpenWorld preview page for more details. And of course, check in with the OTN TechBlog for interesting tidbits on all things OTN.

Network, Learn, Ask, or Just Relax

Do you have questions that you can’t ask in those large session rooms? Want to give your feedback or talk with product experts from Oracle? Then stop by the Oracle Applications Lounge centrally located on the second-floor lobby of Moscone West and meet Oracle Application product experts and key executives from Oracle's development and strategy teams.

In a casual, comfortable environment you'll have the opportunity to provide feedback about your experiences using Oracle products, learn more about current and upcoming product releases, and ask detailed questions about how to maximize your use of Oracle Applications.

We also have scheduled sessions, so you can plan ahead to talk to Oracle experts in-depth about the topics of greatest interest to you. We’ll have sessions for Oracle E-Business Suite as well as Oracle’s Siebel, Agile, and Hyperion applications. We'll also have sessions on Oracle Application Integration Architecture, Oracle Master Data Management, and other cross-applications topics.

Feel free to relax in the lounge as you watch live simulcasts of keynotes and general sessions geared toward Oracle Applications customers. However you choose to do it, be sure to make the lounge part of your Oracle OpenWorld experience.

Share Your Oracle OpenWorld Experience

It's Your. Open. World. But that doesn't mean you can't share it. We want to know what you discover during the show. Tag your Oracle OpenWorld 2008 uploads and content with "openworld08" so everyone can learn from your perspective.

If you get great pictures during the show, add the openworld08 tag when you post them to your favorite photo-sharing site, like Picasa, Kodak EasyShare, Shutterfly, or Flickr. Don't forget that Flickr also lets you post short videos now, too.

If you catch some longer Oracle OpenWorld 2008 video, upload it on Vimeo, YouTube, Revver, or another video hosting site. Let others post responses to your content, and broaden the discussions you start during the conference.

When you post your Oracle OpenWorld material, let people know what you thought about the keynotes, sessions, and networking events. Continue the conversation—interacting is what Web 2.0 is all about. So, see everything you can, capture the good stuff, and share it with the rest of us. You can start with a comment on this post.

Join the Discussion About This Information Overload eBook

If you agree that Oracle OpenWorld is about getting all the great information you can handle, and then some, here’s an additional resource you’ll want to add to your library (or to your Kindle).

Three Oracle experts and the CTO of Buzzlogic combined their vast knowledge to write Reshaping Your Business with Web 2.0, an innovative guide to leveraging today’s culture of participation at the enterprise level. It’s an excellent source of strategies and blueprints for aligning Web 2.0 technologies with your business goals to help drive growth and profitability

We liked it so much we featured the eBook as part of our Oracle OpenWorld Information Overload Package. And we set up an Oracle Mix group to discuss both the topic at large and the book in particular. We invite you to join the group—and the discussion—whether you’ve read the book yet or not.

Only 345 days until Oracle OpenWorld 2009!

Well, I’m sure you’ve noticed that our posts have tapered off since September, but there’s still plenty going on elsewhere. And plenty of opportunities to network, learn, and share ideas and opinions while you're waiting for the next edition of Oracle OpenWorld San Francisco in October 2009.

Oracle Mix is the best place to continue the friendships, partnerships, and conversations that you built up around this year’s conference. And Mix never takes a break, so it’s the ideal place to:

• Connect with colleagues and peers
• Find, join, or create groups around topics of interest
• Ask questions and share answers
• Suggest and discuss ideas

Our Web Architecture team is in the midst of reviewing and implementing numerous feature ideas that we’ve received from Mix members over the past few months, so it’s the perfect time to join up and chime in.

Important Upcoming Events from Oracle

This blog brings you regular updates about Oracle OpenWorld, but we want to highlight some other informative events we also follow. Our Events Team works year-round to create useful and enlightening gatherings in order to make sure you don’t miss out on any important product and service innovations.

Oracle Develop, the premier developer event, is in Moscow this week and heads to Prague next week. Attendees will hear directly from experts on how to get the most from Java and rich enterprise applications (REA), service-oriented architecture (SOA), and the database.

Another excellent source of information is the Oracle Fusion Middleware World Tour. The tour has been bounding from city to city since October 2008, providing operational efficiency ideas, strategies, and case studies for IT executives and managers. The keynotes and focused tracks for Application Infrastructure, Risk Mitigation, and People, Processes, and Information has one stop left in North America and a handful of dates in the Asia Pacific region.

For a look at all the showcases Oracle delivers, including the upcoming Oracle OpenWorld events in São Paulo, Tokyo, and San Francisco, check out the Events page where you’ll find the latest announcements, Webcasts, and podcasts. If you’re planning on attending any of these events, let us know in the comments.

Applications Unlimited Experts Live! Virtual Tradeshow

These days, we’re all making tough decisions about how we can do more with less. Nothing matches Oracle OpenWorld as a place to get the best answers to that eternal question—but where can you go if you need to find out how to leverage your existing IT investments and increase their value with new Oracle innovations right now?

Our Oracle Applications team has the answer: the Applications Unlimited Experts Live! virtual tradeshow. You can learn about product updates, roadmaps, and news. You’ll see how customers gained greater returns on their IT investments. You’ll hear an informative keynote from Oracle’s Senior Vice President of Applications Development, Ed Abbo. It’s free, and you won’t have to move an inch.

Because we’re bringing this show to you, visiting booths and exploring demos for Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle’s JD Edwards, Oracle’s Siebel Customer Relationship Management, and Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise products is as easy as clicking your mouse. With access to Oracle experts, your peers, and all our latest materials, you’ll be able to exchange ideas and share information as if you were in the same conference hall.

The Applications Unlimited Experts Live! virtual show is March 11, and registration is open now. Don’t miss this opportunity to get a sneak preview of some of the advances we’ll be bringing you at Oracle OpenWorld. Stop back here after the show and let us know what you thought about the virtual experience.

An Interview with Dr. Paul Dorsey, 2009 Presenter

Jeff Erickson, Senior Editor at Oracle Magazine, recently sat down with session presenter Dr. Paul Dorsey at the ODTUG annual Kaleidoscope conference in Monterey, California. Dorsey is an Oracle ACE, the founder of Dulcian, Inc., an Oracle consulting firm, and President Emeritus of the NYOUG.

Here, he discusses the importance of conferences like Oracle OpenWorld, Collaborate, and Kaleidoscope, and how the interests of database architects and developers are addressed by user group events.

Find What You’re Looking for the Old Fashioned Way

One of the best things about Oracle OpenWorld is the people you get to meet—face to face. It’s where you’ll find yourself surrounded by technology pros who are dealing with the same issues you are and can answer the questions no one else seems to get. After all, some of the folks walking around the conference are the same ones who create the software you use every day. You’ll also find them presenting sessions, leading demos, offering hands-on labs, or just waiting for you to walk up and engage them in shoptalk at our networking events.

The current issue of Oracle Magazine features a group discussion with an Oracle dream team. There’s Justin Kestelyn, editor in chief of Oracle Technology Network, asking the questions. Answers and insights are provided by Richard Sarwal, senior vice president of product development for Oracle Enterprise Manager, and Leng Leng Tan, vice president of development for applications and systems management for Oracle Enterprise Manager. Read the interview or watch the video podcast to find out what’s new with the latest release of Oracle Enterprise Manager and how it can make managing your entire Oracle stack a whole lot easier. Still have questions on the subject? Bring them to Oracle OpenWorld. You’re bound to bump into all the right answers.

Additional Perspectives on the 2009 Show

As we get closer to the start of Oracle OpenWorld, we'll be adding more voices to this blog. We want to make sure that you're getting the best guidance from the most experienced minds about who, what, and where will give you the best bang for your conference buck.

Over the next few weeks, look for interviews with Oracle ACEs, insight from our executives, and advice from the Oracle User Groups. We might also throw in a surprise or two.

As we start rolling out our guest posts, let us know how we're doing. Do you have a follow-up question for one of our bloggers? Can you share your Oracle OpenWorld experiences from days gone by? Let us know in the comments. Or, get a message to us on Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, or LinkedIn. We're ready for you to come with questions. And we'll make sure you'll leave with answers.

Join Your Colleagues for the Annual Oracle OpenWorld Partner Day

This is going to be an informative and productive year at Oracle OpenWorld for partners in the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN). You will have opportunity to connect with each other, with customers, experts, consultants, bloggers, and just about anyone else who can help you do the most for your customers (and your bottom line).

This year's OPN Forum is Sunday, October 11. It features a fantastic lineup of activities, features, sessions, and networking. This partners-only event includes:

• A special vision-and-strategy session with Oracle executives
• Special partners-only sessions
• North America Titan and Global PartnerNetwork awards

And be sure to check out the OPN Lounge in Moscone South. It's a great place to meet with colleagues and customers, or just to kick back and relax amidst the hustle and bustle.

You have to be registered for Oracle OpenWorld to join the OPN forum, so get your pass now while Early Bird prices are still in effect. Then register for the forum, and we'll see you at the show.

If you're not an Oracle partner yet—but want to be—visit the OPN portal.

Have any other tips for your fellow partners? Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

A Guest Post from Oracle's Chief Customer Officer Jeb Dasteel

We have an award-winning guest for you today: Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Jeb Dasteel. He was named the 2009 Chief Customer Officer of the Year at the first ever Chief Customer Officer Summit in June. Read why he thinks Oracle OpenWorld is so important for our customers.

When I think about Oracle OpenWorld from a customer perspective, I focus on two main benefits: hearing directly from Oracle on new product developments, and the opportunity to interact with customers who have like interests.

Over the years, I've seen customers get tremendous value both ways. But I'm especially excited to see customers interact with one another to talk about best practices and lessons learned. Oracle has a vast product portfolio, and reaches so deeply into so many customer businesses, that these customer-to-customer interactions become as important as working directly with Oracle.

So Oracle OpenWorld presents the best of both worlds: hear about what's new and exciting directly from us, and talk to fellow customers.

A Guest Post from Oracle ACE Director, Lucas Jellema

Our first guest post this year is from Lucas Jellema. In addition to being an Oracle ACE Director, Lucas is CTO at AMIS, an Oracle and Java Technology Consulting firm based in The Netherlands. He has his own blog, but today he shares with us his thoughts on the opportunities available at Oracle OpenWorld.

Oracle is huge—in terms of products and technology, and certainly in terms of people. Nowhere will the people part of Oracle become more obvious than at Oracle OpenWorld. For a whole week, San Francisco is red, taken over by tens of thousands of Oracle users and Oracle staff..

Oracle OpenWorld is an excellent opportunity to share your experiences, questions, knowledge, enthusiasm, or even passion with like-minded souls. To talk to the people behind the products—the product managers and software engineers in the campgrounds. And the people behind the forum entries, blog posts, and technical books. To learn, not just in the technical sessions and hands-on labs but also and perhaps more so during the lunches and while standing in line (an intrinsic part of Oracle OpenWorld as well).

I have had so many brief and long conversations with total strangers who in some way, usually through common experiences and shared interests, were very familiar at the same time. Conversations that often resulted in exchange of contact details and ongoing communication. For me, Oracle OpenWorld is about people—about friends, even.

Oracle OpenWorld Focus On Documents

Oracle OpenWorld has so much to offer, you don't want to play it by ear—and you certainly don't want to hear about a must-attend event from your colleagues after it's already happened.

Start planning now by reviewing the Oracle OpenWorld Focus On documents. These guides narrow all of the keynotes, sessions, demos, and networking activities relevant to particular areas of interest. They're one of your best tools for finding events sorted by Oracle products, technologies, solutions, and industries. You'll find topics as broad as database application development or as fine-tuned as a specific Oracle E-Business Suite module.

The Oracle OpenWorld team will keep Focus On documents up-to-date—and add new ones—as the show gets closer. Bookmark them today, so that you have them within easy reach as the updates get made.

A Guest Post from OTN Community Evangelist Justin Kestelyn

Today's guest post comes from Justin Kestelyn, Community Evangelist for the Oracle Technology Network. You can keep up with OTN happenings on his TechBlog, but today Justin wanted to highlight what OTN is doing at Oracle OpenWorld 2009.

Sure, Oracle OpenWorld is geek paradise--you could literally acquire a PhD in "Oracle studies" there if you had the time--but there's more to paradise than eternal knowledge.

Oracle OpenWorld is also your best opportunity to meet, network, and interact with your peers and colleagues in a relaxed, informal setting where you can share and discuss what you learned. And that setting is provided, as always, by Oracle Technology Network, the world's largest community of developers, admins, and architects.

For example, at the Oracle Technology Network Lounge (Moscone West, Third Floor), you can prepare for your day with an espresso along with Oracle ACEs from around the world. (At Oracle OpenWorld, the OTN Lounge is ground central for Oracle ACE meetups.) If you need a pick-me-up in the afternoon, stop by for an energy drink and snack. At the end of the day, join us for a beer.

It's not all about free beverages though. Visitors will also get a free commemorative T-shirt, free Oracle software, and other schwag that you won't find anywhere else at the show. We're also giving away books and gadgets in daily raffles.

Furthermore, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, you can meet and interact with the people we call OTN's Heavy Hitters--Oracle employee luminaries who are known worldwide for their expertise, as well as their willingness to share it.

If you want to start your Oracle OpenWorld experience with a bang, the annual OTN Night party, igniting this year under the Howard St. tent on Monday from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m., will deliver by serving up food, drinks, a DJ dance floor, and a friendly game of Oracle Jeopardy. For people who like to mix their partying with Linux, the Oracle-on-Linux Experience demo-fest will occur concurrently in the nearby Yerba Buena Room--with demos of "the cool stuff" and Q&A with Wim Coekaerts, Oracle's VP of Linux Engineering.

Finally, for people looking for a yet more personal experience and opportunity to interact, the Oracle OpenWorld Unconference (brought to you by OTN) offers the ability to design and present your very own technical session. Sign up now for your session on the Unconference wiki, or sign up in person on the whiteboard next to the OTN Lounge.

All in all, Oracle OpenWorld is not just about learning; it's also about sharing what you've learned. The Oracle Technology Network team tries to make that process not only easier, but also a lot more fun.

An Interview with Steve Lemme, Independent Oracle Users Group

The Independent Oracle Users Group is one of the largest Oracle-based member communities, serving nearly 20,000 database professionals throughout the world. Host to the annual COLLABORATE conference, the group extends its in-depth seminars, "ask-the-experts" sessions, and hands-on labs throughout regional meetings, Webcasts, and events. (IOUG board member Steve Lemme's upcoming session at Oracle OpenWorld will be about deploying virtual environments.) In this clip, Oracle Magazine Senior Editor Jeff Erickson talks with Steve about a "passion for learning" among IOUG members. The interview took place at Oracle headquarters in Redwood Shores, California.

Shining a Light on the Oracle Support Stars Bar

Today, we kick off our new video series Over-Dressed for Oracle OpenWorld, highlighting the antics of a misguided conference attendee who favors style over substance.

If you're coming to Oracle OpenWorld with some tough support questions, make a stop at the Oracle Support Stars Bar—open all week during the conference. It's an excellent venue for learning about the Oracle applications, database, management and infrastructure, and middleware products you use everyday. The stars of Oracle Support are the same people providing world-class support to the 345,000 customers who use Oracle products to run their enterprises. Get their autographs during the show at Moscone West, Level 2 during select hours.

An Interview with Todd Sheetz, Independent Oracle Users Group

When the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) decided to establish a special interest group (SIG) for Linux in 2007, Todd Sheetz saw an opportunity. "I thought there would be no better way to grow my Linux network than to lead the SIG myself."

Sheetz, a frequent presenter and panel discussion moderator at Oracle OpenWorld, is now preparing for his upcoming Expert Roundtable on Oracle-on-Linux war stories. In this interview from Oracle Magazine, Senior Editor Jeff Erickson talks with Sheetz over Skype about what makes a successful conference session.

Pitch-n-Putt for Prizes at the Callaway Experience

If you haven't yet seen our fashionable video series Over-Dressed for Oracle OpenWorld, be warned: it may force you to rethink your wardrobe for the show.

In this installment, an eager attendee gets all geared up for the Callaway Experience—an interactive par 3 golf simulation game, taking place inside the Exhibition Hall booth during the week. Badge-holders can participate in putting and chipping contests using Callaway foam practice balls. You could win any of several great prizes, including $100 Callaway gift cards and sleeves of Callaway balls. It's your chance to swing away in the great indoors!

An Interview with Mike Riley, Oracle Development Tools User Group

As president of the Oracle Development Tools User Group, Mike Riley's emphasis is perpetuating the sharing and teaching that he first experienced soon after joining ODTUG years ago. In this Oracle Magazine clip, Senior Editor Jeff Erickson talks to Riley about mentorship and collaboration among users.

Riley now oversees the 21 sessions that ODTUG will be presenting at Oracle OpenWorld 2009, including 16 at Oracle Develop. In addition, on Sunday, October 11, ODTUG is participating in the Oracle Users Forum through four Symposium events: a full day Oracle Application Express Symposium, along with the Independent Oracle Users Group, a full day Web Architecture Symposium, a full day Portal Technologies Symposium (another partnership with IOUG), and the Hyperion Symposium, held in conjunction with the Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) and featuring a keynote by John Kopcke, Senior Vice President of Oracle's Business Intelligence and Performance Management Global Business Unit.

Meet Riley and talk to other leaders of ODTUG during Oracle OpenWorld 2009, by visiting their booth in the User Groups Pavilion on the 2nd floor of Moscone West.

Make The Right Connections At Partner Events

Filling up your Oracle OpenWorld dancecard? Don't forget to add a stop at events designed specifically for our partners. Join the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) team at the Westin Hotel on Market Street for seven dedicated, partner-only sessions or drop by two dedicated OPN areas in the Moscone center.

The OPN Forum kicks off in the Moscone South hall on Sunday, October 11, with Judson Althoff who will announce the North America Titan and Global PartnerNetwork awards and tell you about new opportunities and strategies for increasing your business. It's the ideal chance to meet a powerful community of Oracle executives, customers, experts, and consultants.

Also in Moscone South, Room 100, the OPN Lounge will be open Monday through Wednesday for colleagues and customers to connect, relax, or get partner program questions answered. In addition to information stations and meeting rooms, there's a new Video Blogging Area where you can stop by during lounge hours and upload your clips from the show floor.

If you're not an Oracle partner yet—but want to be—visit the OPN portal.

Have any other tips for your fellow partners? Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Oracle OpenWorld Tools

By this time next week, we'll be more than mid-way through Oracle OpenWorld. Before the show gets started, we wanted to highlight some of the tools this site has for you to stay current on conference news, schedule changes, and exciting announcements.

We've got two sections near the top of this page that we're particularly interested in pointing out, Oracle OpenWorld Tools and Stay Connected. Each has a wealth of information to discover with just a few clicks of the mouse. First, let's focus on the Oracle OpenWorld Tools section.

Here we have links for the Content Catalog—so you can find the sessions you're looking for—Schedule Builder—if you haven't used it yet, what are you waiting for?—and the Oracle OpenWorld Wiki—your evolving reference for the 2009 show.

In the next part of our series, we'll take a closer look at the Stay Connected section. If you're planning your own on-line strategy to follow the show, share it with us in the comments.

Update:
We added Virtual Collateral Rack and Navigate. OpenWorld. links to the Oracle OpenWorld Tools section. These additions combine to give you the power to make the most of your time in the Exhibition Hall. You can search for collateral and the find the exact booths you need to hone in on the demos and exhibitions yo're looking forward to at the show..

Stay Connected

In our earlier post, we told you about how to learn more about next week's show from the Oracle OpenWorld Tools section of the site. Next, we want to highlight the Stay Connected features.

Under this area, you'll find the quickest ways to access our more interactive Web presences. Our Facebook page has a collection of posts and videos that you can share your opinions on. The Twitter account we created for the show let's us engage you in conversation and answer your questions. Our group on LinkedIn has been a great place for users to start their own discussions, and we hope that you're doing the same in our Oracle Mix group, too. Finally, our YouTube channel has been the place for informative, and sometimes light-hearted, video creations.

We'll be using all of these resources to make sure you can get the information you want, and share the thoughts you have with us. Make sure you keep coming back to this blog during the show. Our staff will be posting updates from keynotes, uploading interesting happenings to our YouTube channel, and sharing surprises and contests on Twitter. Check back often, and share your own stories in our comments section.

Sizing Up The Callaway Golf Experience

Attention golfers: there's been a change of course! The Callaway Experience—an interactive par 3 golf simulation game will be taking place inside the Exhibition Hall at booth #3623 during the week (not #3645, as previously reported).

It's still the same great chance to pitch-n-putt with Callaway foam practice balls to win prizes like $100 gift cards and sleeves of balls. This year, the golf experience is brought to you by Tata Consultancy Services. And if you're wondering what to wear to this "sport of kings," consult our video series, Over-Dressed for Oracle OpenWorld.

Have some golf advice for puttering putters? Feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Space Invaders Descend Upon the Digital Playground

How does one dress to spend an evening with Ms. Pacman? Perhaps the newest episode in our video series Over-Dressed for Oracle OpenWorld can best explain. It showcases the Digital Playground, an electronic lounge with a wonderous mix of cutting-edge interactive multimedia experiences and throwback arcade-style video games like Space Invaders. Enter this time machine, grab a station, and submerge yourself in retro favorites and new adventures created with the Oracle OpenWorld audience in mind—and sponsored by BlackBerry.

Here's a time traveler's tip: the Digital Playground lights up Monday night at Moscone West, Booth 3347, and stays plugged in until 10 p.m.

What's your favorite 20th century video game? Tell us here.

Exerpt from the official daily newspaper from Oracle Magazine and Profit. By Bobbie Hartman.

The party starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Oracle OpenWorld Welcome Reception. Head on over to the Howard Street Tent and Yerba Buena Gardens, and enjoy the food, spirits, and good company. While you're there, you won't want to miss the eclectic blend of blues and funk provided by BluesMix, a London-based band led by Oracle's own Robert Fleming.

Fleming, whose day job is vice president of Marketing Campaigns at Oracle, is quite comfortable combining a full-time career with his musical pursuits. "I think it's important to have some kind of passion outside of work," he muses. "For me, it just happens to be music. So when other people at Oracle enjoy their nonwork time of having dinner or playing golf, I'm at a club, playing my music."

If you want to hear more of BluesMix, you can catch the group again tomorrow night at Biscuits & Blues, at the corner of Mason and Geary in San Francisco.

Get the full story in the Oracle OpenWorld Daily.

Spot the "Over-Dressed" Golfer To Win Passes & Prizes

Twitter followers and blog readers may be among the lucky few in the V.I.P. section when Aerosmith turns up the volume at Wednesday night's Appreciation Event. Here's how you can get your hands on a pair of passes that'll open up access to prime positioning and primo refreshments at the Treasure Island concert.

Sometime between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. on Monday, we'll tweet the arrival of the decked-out golfer from our Over-Dressed For Oracle OpenWorld series on the exhibition floor. He'll pop up somewhere on the virtual fairway in booth #3623 at the Callaway Experience, and hand over two V.I.P. passes to the first attendee who says the secret password to him. (Hint: the password is "over-dressed.")

If you're late, there's still a chance to win great prizes. We'll twitter additional passwords for chances to take home Callaway balls, gift certificates, and Big Bertha drivers. Supply is limited, so keep your lips sealed and your eyes peeled.

Exerpt from the official daily newspaper from Oracle Magazine and Profit. By Bobbie Hartman.

Opinions on whether the glass ceiling still exists today vary widely, but Patricia Dues (pictured left), board member of the Oracle Applications Users Group (OAUG) and an Oracle ACE, has advice for those who may be bumping up against a glass ceiling: join a user group.

"User groups give you the opportunity to be noticed—to participate in an active leadership role that maybe you haven't been able to take in your own organization," says Dues, enterprise program manager for the City of Las Vegas. "You may be a great source of information sitting in your office, but nobody knows it. When you start participating in a user group, you're presenting papers, you're writing stories—things that can't help but get you known in the community."

Find out more about user groups at Oracle OpenWorld.

Get the full story in the Oracle OpenWorld Daily.

Casual Meetings Encourage Meaningful Dialogue

By Richard Levitt.

With tens of thousands of customers, partners, exhibitors, and Oracle product specialists milling around the many venues of Oracle OpenWorld, it may be a little surprising to know the most common term used to described the Oracle DEMOgrounds is "personal."

Peter Wahl, Oracle database product manager, observed, "You think you know what customers want, then you get face-to-face and hear it first hand. My understanding of customer issues and desires becomes far more complete and specific."

Customers and partners are all taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with the product specialists staffing the Oracle DEMOgrounds.

"I represent the interests of our customers," said Dirk Vermeiren of Oracle Partner Tripwire Solutions. "Here I can address those issues directly and walk away with meaningful answers."

His sales rep Yves Van Looy nodded in agreement, "Instead of going through all the formality of arranging a sales meeting or booking a room, we can meet here and get right to it."

Mark Karlstrand, senior manager of Oracle Identity Management, agreed, saying, "It can make all the difference to a customer in the decision-making proces… the DEMOgrounds create a certain approachability.

"On the other hand," said Mark, "the most valuable conversations happen later, over beer…"

If the Experts Don't Get Your Attention, the Swag Will

By Richard Levitt.

Nothing about the Oracle OpenWorld mission statement mentions squeezie-squeakies, LED blinky-things, or mini bags of M&Ms. But if all the attention and activity in Oracle OpenWorld Exhibition Halls is any indication, technology and IT solutions generate only slightly more interest than the other show on the show floor: the entertainment, swag, and eye candy.

So in the interest of honest reporting, we at your Oracle OpenWorld blog went out in search of the interesting, unique, and unexpected whatchamacallits being displayed and given away.

What do you think of all the glitter and sleight of hand? Any of it help make the sale? If you came across anything particularly compelling, leave a comment and let us know.

Oracle OpenWorld 2009: It's a Wrap

More than 1,800 sessions. Four hundred partner exhibits. One amazing show. The curtain came to a close for Oracle OpenWorld 2009 Thursday afternoon under the Howard Street Tent at the It's a Wrap party.

Oracle customers, partners, and employees savored one final opportunity to network, and enjoyed one last reason to celebrate: another successful show. The Five Hundred sweated out favorites from Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and The Violent Femmes at the tent's east-end stage. Attendees got to put off finding room for all their tchotchkes for a few hours as they snacked on chili dogs, pasta salads, tacos and popsicles—a respite before return trips home.

We hope that your Oracle OpenWorld adventure was all you expected and more. We're always looking for ways to improve your experience. Take a few moments and fill out our conference survey. And watch these pages. We'll be bringing you stats from the show, perspectives from other blogs, and some follow-up stories on things you may have missed. Stay tuned; we're already planning for Oracle OpenWorld 2010!

New Program Kicks Off At Oracle OpenWorld

If you skipped any of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) events at Oracle OpenWorld, you may have missed the announcement about the new OPN Specialized program launched at the OPN Forum.

Designed to help our partners gain differentiation and competitive edge, it represents a major evolution in our support program, with new partner levels and increased specializations in different product sets. Visit the OPN Website to find more details on the OPN Specialized program and our upcoming virtual event in December. Get ready to become "specialized."

If you're not an Oracle partner yet—but want to be—visit the OPN portal and catch-up on all of the keynotes, executive messages, video blogs, and session highlights at the Partner Experience Online.