It’s that time of the year again, SC14 has finally arrived. I was out on the show floor this morning watching some of the finishing touches being put on our booth. Before a trade show of this size, the show floor can be a very hectic place, as many different companies race to get their booths all in order before the opening session this evening.
For those who will later attend the show, the amount of planning and work that goes into the design and building of booths may not be immediately obvious. Unless you are directly involved with the process, you probably just show up for the event and participate without a second thought to what the show floor looked like just a couple of days ago.
It was completely empty.
Now it’s a vibrant environment, with everyone showing their newest wares and sharing their brightest ideas. Banners of every shape, size and color hang from the high ceilings. Temporary structures obscure one’s line of sight in every direction. We’re all here on our yearly pilgrimage to see what’s new and to see each other.
And, behind it all, there is the technology.
Consider the following: every booth, small and large, requires electricity. Power drops are run throughout the show floor to power everything from small LED lamps to full racks of computing equipment. A massive temporary wired and wireless network needs to be established. Not only the 360 exhibitors need to be supported, but also the thousands upon thousands of attendees.
This infrastructure will only exist for a matter of days before it is torn down. During that time, we expect it to work flawlessly, and we certainly put a large demand on it with all of our devices. I know I have at least three devices in my bag that will want an IP address at some point during the week.
So, a big shout out and thanks to SCinet for what they do for the show.
A big shout out and thanks to all the exhibitors who have filled the floor.
And, a big shout out and thanks to all of the attendees.
We’re all here for one reason, #HPCmatters. It matters to us individually. It matters to us as a community. And, it matters to the rest of the world.
I’m excited.
If you are at the show, come by and say, “Hi.” You’ll likely find me hanging out in Booth #1539 sharing why #MoabMatters.
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