And just like that, Citrix Synergy 2016 has come and gone. What a whirlwind of Citrix and CUGC activities and information. It was terrific week for CUGC and Citrix professionals ready to learn from the experts. Here are my highlights and some of our plans for 2017:
The first things first: Thank you to all of our members. CUGC wouldn’t be what it is today without you. A special thank you goes out to all of our leaders who volunteered at the Pregame, the Drop In and the Local Leader Panel and by sharing their stories on myCUGC.org and on Twitter.
Want to relive each day of Synergy from a personal perspective? Read our “Day in the Life” blog entries:
- Day 1: Esther Barthel, CTP and CUGC moderator
- Day 2: Eduardo Molina, Cincinnati CUGC local leader
- Day 3: Tobias Kreidl, CTP and CUGC Steering Committee Member
If you didn’t have the time to join one of the lunch table tech chats, two of our members provide an overview of the conversations at their tables:
- Theresa Miller (Financial Services and Insurance): Financial Industry – Lunch Table Tech Chats at Citrix Synergy
- Scott Osborne (Desktop and App Delivery): A View from hosting the Lunch Table Tech Chats – My First Time!
Find out what it’s like to be a brand new CTP at Synergy from Sacha Thomet on CTP Insights. More than a CTP, Sacha sits on our Steering Committee and leads the Swiss CUGC.
CUGC kicked off Synergy with our Pregame party on Monday night. It was CUGC’s first party …ever. Sure, it was in a windowless room in the belly of the Venetian, but that did not stop CUGC. Even before the party started and the bars opened the room was full. About 300 members attended to meet with each other, local leaders and HQ for the first time. Great turnout and great energy in the room.
CUGC keeps growing. At the Pregame we announced that membership has topped 11,000!
Holding the Pregame before Synergy meant members could get a limited edition 2016 CUGC t-shirt early. We loved seeing all of the CUGC shirts, new and old, throughout the halls each day.
More than a dozen members volunteered at Synergy. They helped at the Pregame and Drop In, handed out more than a thousand shirts, and welcomed new members.
CUGC members and leaders, especially CTPs, led technical presentations throughout Synergy, morning to night. You can still catch some of them on SynergyTV.
Synergy also provided a chance for local groups and SIGs to grab some drinks and get together, like the Swiss CUGC below:
On the final day, we held the Local Leader Panel. Four of our local leaders took the stage to share success stories, best practices and ideas.
We wrapped things up with the final night party on Fremont Street.
Looking ahead to Synergy 2017: Synergy 2016 was a success in so many ways. We also heard your feedback regarding the disconnected community experience and agree. We are bringing the community booth back to the Synergy Expo Hall floor so all of our members and the CTPs and the new CTAs can easily connect.
Many, many thanks to all of our volunteers and especially our local leader panelists. Last but not least, thank you to our Synergy 2016 sponsors Nutanix and Liquidware Labs.