Is there really going to be a ConnectED 2015?

by Volker Weber

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It's seven weeks until ConnectED is supposed to launch in Orlando. And PR is maintaining absolute radio silence about the event. In previous years we would have booked weeks ago. Maybe IBM does not yet know about the scope of the event?

I am hearing a few (good) rumors. IBM is no longer going to pretend there are 6000 people at the event by filling up the seats with students or IBMers. They may be shooting for an attendance number that starts with a 1. That also means scaling down the size of the venue. I hear it's going to run in the Swan conference center only. All rumors of course ...

BTW, the name ConnectED still gives me chuckles. You know why. ;-)

Update: [Thanks, Karl-Henry Martinsson]

No rumors - target is 1500 attendees, Swan only, no Business Partner Development day, no theme park, Opening Session on Monday, Closing Session on Wednesday, all breaks in the showcase area. Lots of weasel words around an overdue downsizing.

Comments

Maybe the next rename can be "IBM dis-ConnectED".

Darren Duke, 2014-12-08

Ironically the list of proposed names that I was given to vote on did not include ConnectED. No idea who named it, but I owe them a beer :-)
Hope we will see you...

Ed Brill, 2014-12-08

I hope so too. But I have no indication ...

Volker Weber, 2014-12-08

There have been community webcasts from IBM where they (officially) stated that ConnectED will take place at Swan only, and that it will be limited to around 1500 participants (plus a few hundred IBMers as speakers, manning the labs, etc).
I posted about this back in September: http://blog.texasswede.com/more-on-ibm-connected-2015/

Karl-Henry Martinsson, 2014-12-08

More info here:
https://www.socialbizug.org/blogs/074c311f-1478-4a20-8774-bb7cf9d1abf4/entry/connected_2015_what_s_changing_and_what_s_staying_the_same

Karl-Henry Martinsson, 2014-12-08

I think you're missing the underlying message Karl. Volker hasn't received details about his free ticket yet is the way I read it.

Carl Tyler, 2014-12-08

Thanks, Karl-Henry. Sounds like a good plan.

Volker Weber, 2014-12-08

1.500 participants? For a world-wide event that is representing the whole IBM ICS portfolio. This does not make much sense to me anymore.
The fact that IBM is more honest about the numbers does not solve the problem that ConnectED should address and attract existing and potential customers world-wide.

Henning Heinz, 2014-12-09

It does.

Volker Weber, 2014-12-09

What, no theme park? I'm so not going. Oh wait... ;)

Thomas Gumz, 2014-12-10

Smarter Conferencing.

Torsten Hoffmann, 2014-12-10

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