Eric Stewart: Running Off At The Mouth

So my source at Cisco Live (who I think we all dearly love but also still are quite scared of) has sent me some more information about Cisco Live 2018 in Orlando.  It’s a veritable cornucopia of information, including tidbits about the the Customer Appreciation Event (CAE) bands (yes, plural), Cisco Store, Social Media Hub (including important times to be around), and even more about the Social Responsibility Opportunities.  So, in order of importance to me (interspersed with what people have actually been asking me about), here’s the new info!

First thing of importance to me at least was the scheduling for the photos.  It’s always nice to know when to be where I need to be.  So, as part of the usual Social Media Hub (SMH – which actually has two locations – I’ll go into that in a bit) events:

• The “Arrival Tweetup” is set for Sunday 5:45pm – 7:15pm.  Classes are scheduled that day until 6:00pm (this is a departure from the previous years, which usually ended at 5pm), so that’s why things are when they are.
  • The arrival photo will happen around 6:10pm.  I’ll have to run to make it, but I’ll be there!
• The “Farewell Tweetup” is scheduled for 4:30pm – 5:30pm, but this has more to do with whenever the Closing Guest Keynote ends.
  • Departure photo at the Cisco Live sign: 4:40pm.

Two locations of note for the SMH:

• The main location is in Hall C, Level 2, M-Th, during the World of Solutions (WoS) hours.  But since we’re a group not usually constrained by WoS hours …
• Satellite location is Hall C, 3rd floor Atrium.
• There is a note that the Tweetups will be in the 2nd level Atrium.  So we’re all over the place!

THE BANDS

Next, and the real reason most of you are probably here: The CAE bands.

• Sam Hunt
• Cake
• Leon Bridges
• Refugee
• Slippery When Wet

So there will be a lot of music at the CAE this year along with the fact that we get Universal Studios to ourselves.  But you knew that already, because you’ve already read my previous scoop, right?  As far as the music is concerned, it certainly looks like there’s something for everyone in that mix of artists, so good on you Cisco Live!

Social Media Hub

The main one in WoS … well, I’ve seen concept art (too lazy to extract it and post it here), but it promises to be huge!  Giant LEGO blocks, selfie walls (more on this later), giant games, and stationary bikes that you can charge your phone with!

Wait.  I’m naturally lazy.  That last one doesn’t sound so exciting.

Anyway, moving on.

The Backpack!

I have a particular interest in this item, since for the past couple of years I’ve always attempted to use the backpack I got for the full year.  This hasn’t always worked out – the 2013 backpack didn’t make it a day at Live.  But most of the others since have been usable.  This looks spacey, durable, and while I do kind of wonder about the convertability to a duffle bag, given the right number of pockets, this looks workable.

Social Responsibility: Clean The World

When I covered the Pi-Tops in my previous scoop, I secretly wondered about the number – I figured it was kind of low and that we’d have them all built fairly quickly.  Turns out I may not have been the only one.  While there wasn’t a great amount of detail, there will be a “Clean The World” option for later in the week (assuming all of the Pi-Tops are built, I guess) where attendees will put together hygiene kits, presumably for impoverished folks.  Who/where we’re putting them together for wasn’t exactly covered, but I’m sure it will be for someone in desperate need.  EDIT 20180503: I found out later that they will be given to the Orlando, Florida community, with a portion of them dedicated to women and children effected by recent natural disasters in the area.

Being A Part Of Something Bigger

I usually don’t have reason to wonder about how things relate when my secret source at Cisco slides me this info – it’s well put together and explained enough.  I’m not sure if this was misfiled, though, since it was in with the Social Responsibility stuff.  There will be the opportunity create a mosaic photo by snapping a shot at a photo booth, sharing it with a hashtag (#CLUS at least, but there might be a special one just for this) to get color filtered and printed with a numbered sticker.  You then add your photo to the proper location on a large mosaic wall, and get to see it take shape as others do the same!

Merchandise: The Cisco Store

There will be, of course, the Cisco Store.  This year includes a neat selection of shirts (some photos of a few I got wind of below) as well as a new LEGO minifig!

I Guess That Covers It So Far …

I’m getting quite excited – there’s a lot of Cisco friends I usually only see once a year, and I’m ready to hang out in the evenings while learning things during the day.  Hope you get to attend, and hope to see you there!