COLLABORATE 12 was a HUGE success! Stay tuned for a recap and an announcement to download presentations.
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COLLABORATE 11 has ended. Want to learn more about COLLABORATE and why you should attend in the future? Review the complete recap below provided by the OPSIG Board.
All Primavera content will be available for viewing beginning May 1st.
COLLABORATE 11: Technology and Applications Forum for the Oracle Community
Collaborate 2011 was a groundbreaking event for the Primavera community. The Oracle Primavera SIG (OPSIG) sponsored over 40 presentations, from introductory “how-to” sessions to tantalizing product road maps. The speakers included long-time Primavera users and consultants, as well as familiar Oracle Primavera staff.
Sunday set the stage. Many other Special Interest Groups (SIGs) had their meetings on this day. Among those groups meeting on Sunday were the Engineering and Construction SIG and the Projects SIG. Both of these SIGs strongly overlap with Oracle Primavera in terms of industry interest and practices, and provided material to Primavera attendees. After hours, Quest and OAUG hosted welcome parties at the Peabody hotel, with drinks, music, and hors d’oeuvres. Both receptions provided an entertaining venue for meeting and mingling with attendees, getting to meet new faces, and greeting old friends.
Monday through Wednesday was a mad rush of seminars from morning to evening. There were typically 3-4 presentations in each time slot, from 8 am to 5 pm. With so much material, choosing which one to go to was not always easy!
One thing that became clear early on was that at COLLABORATE, the line between Primavera and “other” sessions is quite blurred. Many Primavera attendees attended other sessions on topics such as WebLogic, BI Publisher, and Autovue, to name just a few. And at the Primavera talks, there were many people who did not have experience with Primavera, but were curious. Such people included users of JD Edwards users, PeopleSoft, and Oracle E-Business Suite who came to learn about the new integrations offered by Oracle.
Monday through Wednesday also included one-on-one clinics with Oracle Primavera where users met with support staff to address their individual questions and concers. The clinic also included hands-on demonstrations and explanations of the Primavera products.
The Oracle Primavera SIG(OPSIG) hosted a kiosk in the Exhibitors’ Showcase, in an area dedicated to Primavera vendors. OPSIG board members staffed the booth affording attendees the opportunity to visit the OPSIG website and join the group right then and there. There were many exhibitors and many opportunities to win prizes such as iPads and Kindles. Attendees could also match wits with IBM’s Watson, the famous Jeopardy-winning computer.
On Monday Krista Lambert and Kate McGettigan of Oracle presented the road map session for Contract Management. The exciting news there was the announcement of support for BI Publisher in the upcoming version 14.
On Tuesday Kristy Tan Neckowicz and Yasser Mahmud presented the road map session for P6. Among the exciting things there was the introduction of Extended Views, which make it easier to report on data right from the P6 database and the use of Work Flow and Web Services as integration tool to other applications.
Dick Faris was the featured keynote speaker on Tuesday morning, welcoming everyone to COLLABORATE, voicing support for the new Primavera SIG, and giving his list of “Dick’s Technology Picks for 2011”. He also announced that Oracle is working on an iPhone app for P6.
Also on Tuesday night was a special Primavera reception where the infamous “Prima-tini” was brought back to life. At that event attendees were able to enjoy good conversation with each other and with Oracle Primavera staff including the new General Manager of the Primavera Global Business Unit, Mike Sicilia.
Wednesday was the final day of Primavera presentations and featured an Executive Q&A session where attendees could ask questions of Oracle Primavera executives Dick Faris, Kristy Neckowiz, and Jennifer Chen Woodford. There were a number of questions from the audience, mainly on P6. It was an informative and lively session for all attendees.
The OPSIG Membership meeting was also on Wednesday. Chairman Daniel Williams welcomed everyone and provided an overview of OPSIG and how it fits into the larger framework of user groups within Quest and OAUG. He then introduced fellow board members: Co-Chair David Long, Programs and Education Coordinator Dana Bartolf, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Sury Balasubramanian, and User Groups Coordinator Peter VanSickler. He then introduced the Primavera Contract Management Domain lead, Steve Kelly, and asked for volunteers to fill the other Domain Lead roles.
Peter then gave a presentation on all of the other groups that overlap in membership with OPSIG. He explained how we will be working with other groups such as AACE and PMI to offer a broad set of services to the Primavera community.
Later that evening, attendees had an exciting evening at Universal Studios Island of Adventure closing party. The venue and weather combined to create the perfect wind down to the busy week! It was fun to stroll around and see classics such as Jurassic Park, and the new Harry Potter attraction.
Thursday there were no Primavera sessions, but it was still a packed day. The bookstore was open until noon for providing time for a leisurely review of the selections. There were more educational sessions as well, such as one that delved deep into the “anatomy” of templates in BI Publisher.
In conclusion, COLLABORATE was an excellent venue for learning and networking. It was user-focused, and provided many opportunities to learn practical techniques for using Primavera products, and best practices to apply. The cross-fertilization with other SIGs and educational tracks was also a great bonus for learning and networking. And this was the first year that there was a dedicated Primavera track. Next year at COLLABORATE 12 we hope to have twice as many attendees and a greater number of high-quality sessions. This is clearly the best venue for the Primavera community to come together, learn, share ideas and - COLLABORATE!
Why Should You Attend COLLABORATE – Read What COLLABORATE 11 Attendees Have To Say:
“COLLABORATE 11 – The beginning of the return of the Oracle/Primavera User Group to where the group once was and expanding on to greater things…
The COLLABORATE 11 was an excellent conference with great opportunities to reconnect and learn from our Primavera and Oracle Peers along with being exposed to the upcoming releases of the various Primavera software programs from the Oracle Primavera staff. It was also the first time that an open question/answer session with the Oracle Primavera executive board on anything that the users had questions on the Primavera software products. Overall a great conference with excitement towards future conferences.”
Peter VanSickler, PMP – OPSIG Board, User Group Coordinator
COLLABORATE 11 Attendees reported:
"COLLABORATE 11 has proven to be the successor to the Primavera Annual Conferences of years past."
"I wish I could have attended multiple talks at the same time - there was just so much good Primavera content and I wanted to see it all!"
"We in the Primavera community felt very welcome at COLLABORATE 11."
"A wide range of user-driven presentations, a dedicated exhibit area, a special party for Primavera, and a chance to speak with Oracle Primavera staff, both old and new, made COLLABORATE 11 into the premiere annual event for the Primavera community."
"I was amazed at how many user-groups were represented at COLLABORATE 11, and how each group, whether organized around a specific industry, business or technology, all had something value to teach me as a Primavera user."
"This is it- the conference we have been looking for."
"Quest and the OAUG went above and beyond the call to ensure that there was a strong Primavera presence at COLLABORATE 11. They made sure that the Primavera community was welcomed and well-represented."
"What makes COLLABORATE special is that it is created by and for the community of users, yet also with the full support of Oracle. This combination makes it the perfect forum for networking and learning for everyone in the Primavera community."