Well it seems that once the tap has been opened, information starts to flow!
Recently Tom (@networkingnerd) and I posted some information around Journey being the band at the Customer Appreciation Event, that is again being held at Universal Studios.  Well, we have just gotten some more news around the keynotes and schedules and I wanted to make sure I shared what I have with you as soon as I could.

So, here is what we know…

Your host with the most…

It would not be Cisco Live without our wonderful host, Carlos Dominguez!  I believe that this year will mark his 5^th  year for hosting this event.  And to be honest, I cannot remember who hosted it before, he just does it so well and naturally!  Glad to have you back, Carlos!

Keynotes…

Solutions Keynote

The Solutions Keynotes will be on Monday, June 24 from 3:30 to 4:30 PM.  These are where you can get your week of education off to a fast start by attending a Solution Keynote address on Monday afternoon, prior to the formal opening of  Cisco Live. Senior engineering executives will be discussing the future strategy and vision for Cisco solutions, focusing on topics such as Collaboration and Video, Data Center/Cloud, and Core Network Architecture and the technologies behind  hem. These sessions will introduce you to Cisco’s direction and set the stage for what you will learn about throughout the week.

Opening Keynote

The Opening Keynote will be on Tuesday, June 25, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM and this year it will be both John Chambers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cisco (picture above) as well as Padmasree Warrior, Chief Technology & Strategy Officer (picture below).  This is a keynote not to miss! John Chambers is very engaging with the audience, walking around and interacting with them.  The information shared here helps you to see where things are going at Cisco as well as the industry in whole.  You will learn about their strategies as well as the history behind it.  Another great thing that is presented here are the demonstrations traditionally given by Cisco’s Chief Demonstration Officer, Jim Grubb (@jimgrubb)  Last year’s demonstration brought us LISP! LISP! LISP!  An amazing technology that has huge potential!

Technology Keynote

On Wednesday, June 26, we will have the Technology Keynote from 10:00 to 11:30 AM and this is being presented by Rob Lloyd, President, Development and Sales.  This keynote has traditionally been done by Padmasree Warrior, so it looks like Rob Lloyd has some big shoes to fill with this one! Rob champions Cisco’s efforts to forge tighter connections between customer requirements and Cisco innovations, along with ensuring greater speed-to-market for Cisco solutions. 

 

 

Closing Keynote

Now for the one that everybody wants to know about, the Celebrity Closing Keynote that is on Thursday, June 27 from 2:30 to 3:30.  Who is it?  Well, here is his photo:

It is none other then Sir Richard Branson!!!  If you are unfamiliar with Sir Richard Branson, here is an impressive bio on him:

 

Sir Richard Branson

 In 1970 at age 20, Sir Richard Branson founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer and then as a record shop, recording studio and music label. Since then, Virgin has become one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, expanding into air and rail travel, leisure and hospitality, entertainment, radio, telecommunications, health and wellness, space tourism and clean energy through more than 400 branded companies in 30 countries with global branded revenues of $21B.

In December 1999, Sir Richard was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Millennium New Year’s honours list for “services to entrepreneurship.”

 Sir Richard has been involved in numerous world record-breaking attempts. In 1986 his boat, Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the fastest ever recorded time. This was followed a year later by a hot air balloon crossing of the same ocean in Virgin Atlantic Flyer. In 1991, Sir Richard crossed the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Arctic Canada. In June 2004, he set the record for the fastest crossing of the English Channel by an amphibious vehicle. And in August of this year, he set the record as oldest person to kitesurf the English Channel.

In 2004, Sir Richard launched Virgin Unite to pull together the resources of Virgin Group and, most importantly, Virgin’s best asset—its people—to tackle tough challenges facing the world. In 2007, he joined Nelson Mandela, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu to form The Elders, a group of independent leaders that seeks sustainable solutions to global humanitarian issues. In 2010, he launched the Carbon War Room to mobilize capital, innovation, expertise and entrepreneurs to advance climate change efforts. He has established Branson Centers of Entrepreneurship in South Africa and Jamaica.

Sir Richard is the author of Losing My Virginity: How I’ve Survived, Had Fun and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way (Crown Business, 1998), Screw Business as Usual (Penguin/Portfolio, 2011), and his most recent title, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School (Penguin/Portfolio, 2012). In 2012, @richardbranson was named Britain’s most influential person on Twitter

Well, that covers what I know for now –  still waiting on the bag information  

Well, see you at Cisco Live!!!  If you have not registered, there is still time!!!  Just CLICK HERE to register!!!

Orlando Convention Center from Cisco Live 2008