Each year, VMware Explore has so many great sessions, it is hard to pick which ones to attend. This can be important, because there have been times in the past where there was an announcement about a new feature or function, and one of the sessions after the keynote was built on this announcement. This causes a mad rush to make it into the session, so if you have not already booked that session, you are waitlisted in a line outside the session and hope not everyone shows up. So, this makes the selection of post-keynote sessions the most important. As of this writing, there are over 250 sessions in the catalog and after reviewing them, here are my top session picks and why.
Plenary Session [PLE1837LV]
This has previously been called the keynote or general session. One of the reasons this is my top pick is due to the announcements. During this session, upcoming features and functionality are announced. As mentioned above, I have seen announcements at this session that had people dashing to try to get into sessions related to these announcements. So, once the schedule is released, look at the times and lock in those sessions that appear to be about features and functions that occur immediately afterwards.
10 Tips for Reusing Existing Hardware for VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Deployments [CLOB1216LV]
As everyone in our industry knows, hardware like CPU’s and memory costs are outrageous due to all of the AI data centers being built. Being able to reuse existing hardware rather than having to purchase new to be able to deploy VCF 9 is a great cost benefit. This session will discuss how Broadcom has broadened support for older hardware and enabled features like memory tiering with NVMe disks. One of the presenters is John Nicholson, who, if you are not aware, is one of the hosts of the Virtually Speaking podcast and one of the most knowledgeable on storage. Speaking with him at CTAB one year about a project, saved me a huge amount of time on a hardware refresh.
From Firefighting to Foresight: Mastering VMware Cloud Foundation Health and Diagnostics [CLOB1118LV]
Anyone who manages an enterprise environment knows that staying on top of issues is the best way to keep and maintain a stable and well running environment. This session will go into detail on the new health and diagnostic features in VMware Cloud Foundation. This session will show you how using these features will better enable you to avoid “firefighting” situations and how to stay ahead of issues and proactively address problems before they impact the overall performance of the platform and ultimately, both internal and external customers.
Living on the Edge: What’s New with VCF Edge [CLOB1260LV]
It is not always possible to have VMware Cloud Foundation only deployed in the data center. Many organizations are spread out, with multiple locations and have needs to run virtualization at remote locations. However, large footprints of server hardware are not necessary and overburdensome at these locations. In this session, learn how to run disconnected nodes that operate as a single platform for edge case deployments. These now even have zero-touch deployment options to make them even easier to put into production.
Platform Engineering Opportunity: Virtual Infrastructure Admins Are Well Positioned for Career Growth [CLOB1527LV]
It is no secret the industry is changing, which mean the jobs and tasks we have performed for years is also changing. There have been numerous Broadcom and VMUG sessions on Platform Engineering 2.0. While those of us who have been virtual infrastructure admins for decades are still critical, there is a strong need for those who understand and can work with this technology to be able to architect platforms for modern apps. So, check out this session to learn how to grow your skills and learn about designing Kubernetes and AI infrastructure.
What Is New in VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 Security and Compliance [CLOB1187LV]
As anyone who works in this industry knows, threat actors are constantly looking to compromise enterprise networks in order to extract payment of some sort, either through ransomware, data exfiltration, or both. To see what Broadcom has been doing in VMware Cloud Foundation to improve the overall security and compliance of the platform, be sure to attend this session. This session will go into what is new and different in 9.1 as well as what less secure features have been deprecated. Stay up to date and keep your environment as secure as possible.
Hardening and Securing VMware Cloud Foundation [CLOT1184LV]
Adding to the security sessions, this is a tutorial session on how to start at the bottom of the stack (hardware) and harden and secure the environment all the way up to the workloads. This is based on real attacks, seen in real environments. This session will help administrators learn how to deter, detect, and contain attacks before they can have an adverse effect on the enterprise environment.
Bonus Sessions
27Virtual: Over 50 VMware Cloud Foundation 9 Deployments – Key Insights and Lessons Learned [CLOQT1793LV]
Looking to make the move to VMware Cloud Foundation from either traditional vSphere or do a greenfield deployment and not know where to start? Check out this session. I have worked with them for the past four to five years, starting with deploying VMware Cloud Foundation 4.0 and converting a 3-tier Cisco Blade center to upgrading to 5.x and now starting to upgrade to 9.1. They have years of experience, numerous Broadcom Knights, and a great track record. So, if you are looking to make the move and need some great engineers and expertise, be sure to attend this session
Hands-On-Labs\Odyssey Challenge
One of my favorite things about the VMware Explore conference is the hand-on-labs and Odyssey Challenge. This is the opportunity to work with the products and get a feel for them. Maybe try out some feature you are looking to deploy or get a better understanding of the technology. The Odyssey Challenge is a great way to test your knowledge and skills against your peers on timed tasks. Be sure to go by the labs and sign up for a few. There is a great list of available labs in catalog. Sign up for the challenge as well and put your skills to the test.
VMware{code} Hackathon – Explore Las Vegas 2026 [ACT1861LV]
This is an evening session and a great place to socialize, meet up with peers, and either participate or observe some lightweight engineering. You can even join a team, learn some new skills, AI tools, come up with an idea, and let AI generate the code. If you have never participated in the past, this is the year to checkout what all of the excitement is around this afterhours event.
So, the Content Catalog is now available, this has been my list of top picks. Take a look at the catalog, start planning your sessions, mark your favorites, and prepare to learn. This year is shaping up to be a great conference. There are only a few weeks left to register and reserve your hotel before time runs out. I hope to see you at this year’s VMware Explore Conference, at the Venecian, August 31 – September 3!
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