Following on from last weeks post on SAP SAPPHIRE Europe, it seemed a little daft not to do a SAP TechEd 2011 look ahead, seeing as the city of Madrid is hosting both this year, between November 8th and 10th.
While the premier SAPPHIRE NOW event will focus its efforts on mobility and business analytics, if you're looking for more in-depth technical training then the SAP TechEd event could be for you.
Some features and presentations do overlap, however the SAP TechEd has been designed specifically to help you to develop, implement, optimise or upgrade SAP systems, through a series of practical hands-on sessions.
If you're a SAP professional with IT know-how you could benefit from technical training for a range of different software solutions, such as the SAP NetWeaver technology platform and SAP BusinessObjects solutions, as well as how to adapt to mobile working practices.
SAP assures attendees that the Madrid event will cater for all levels of expertise, with the overall aim simply being to improve your SAP knowledge and give you a greater insight into what solutions can achieve and how to implement them.
The first day begins with Educational Breakout Sessions. These include hands-on workshops where you can join expert-led exercises and training classes, as well as demo-enhanced lectures where technical gurus share best practices, tips and code samples.
Other sessions include customer-driven lectures, meet-the-speaker pods and expert networking opportunities.
That evening there is also a reception event and the much-anticipated Demo Jam.
The Demo Jam is a competitive event where SAP customers, partners and employees have won the opportunity to demonstrate their new technologies or applications. Significant numbers of entrants submitted proposals during the summer and finalists are given time to shine in front of an audience of thousands.
You can then vote for your favourite demonstration out of the six, who will be crowned the prestigious 2011 Demo Jam winner.
After the high octane evening, Wednesday morning you're thrown back into the action with a SAP executive keynote general session and the SAP Partner Exhibition officially opens for you to explore at your leisure for the next two days.
The final day brings more exhibitions from esteemed SAP partners, as well as another SAP executive keynote speech. That evening you can rejoin your colleagues at the SAP SAPPHIRE NOW event for the celebratory final night that allows you to relax among your new business contacts and fellow SAP professionals.
If you're keen to head to Madrid for SAP TechEd you may also be interested in attending the SAP INNOJAM, a pre-conference event held on November 6th and 7th. This will give you key insider knowledge of SAPs sustainable business initiatives and how you can adapt the technology for increase the efficiency of your organisation.
When trying to sum up the experience it makes sense to use a quote from someone who has visited before. 2010 attendee Raphael Ensinger, head of European SAP practice at Fujitsu Technologies Solutions, claims: "SAP TechEd is THE event to update yourself in SAP solutions, technology, state-of-the-art deployment and to position yourself regarding innovation adoption, efficiency and quality."
Enjoy if you are going to Madrid, and if you're not, make sure you're following @redcommercesap and @sapteched for all the latest news and goings on.
