VMware Explore will taken place in Las Vegas from 21th to 24th of August 2023. VMware Explore EMEA in Barcelona is from 6th of November to 9th of November 2023. I provide recommendations within this blog post about some technical sessions related to Network & Security topics for the Explore event in US. I have excluded certifications and Hands-on-Labs sessions from my list. I have focused on none 100 level sessions, only in case of new topics I have done some exceptions.

Pricing

A full event pass for VMware Explore costs $2,295 for the US event. The full event pass has following advantages:

Full Event passes provide the following benefits:

• Four days of sessions including the general session, solution keynotes, breakout sessions, roundtables and more, with content tailored to both the business and technical audience

• Destinations, lounges and activities such as The Expo and VMware Hands-on Labs 

• Focused programming for SpringOne, Partner* and TAM* audiences (These programs will have restricted access.)

• Admittance to official VMware Explore evening events: Welcome Reception, Hall Crawl and The Party

• Exclusive VMware Explore swag

• Attendee meals (Tuesday through Thursday)

Your full event pass purchase also allows you to add on VMware Certified Professional (VCP) and VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP) certification exam vouchers during registration at a 50 percent discount (exams must be taken onsite during VMware Explore Las Vegas).

VMware Explore Session Recommendations

Now I come to my session recommendations which are based on my experience and some very good known speakers from the last years and about topics which I am interested from Network and Security point of view. But first I have to say that every VMware Explore session is worth to join and customers, partners and VMware employees have taken much efforts to prepare some very good content. For me the VMware Explore sessions are the most important source to get technical updates, innovation and training. All sessions can be also watched after VMware Explore. Some hints to the session ID`s, the letter in bracket like NSCB2088LV stands for NSC = Network & Security and B = Breakout Session. LV indicated that it is in Las Vegas session. Sometimes you see also an letter D behind LV, this means that it is not a in person session, D stands for distributed.

Network & Security Solution Key Note

• Solution Keynote: Accelerate Innovation and Increase Resiliency across Mulit-cloud [CEIK2755LV]

• Technology Innovation Showcase [K2906LV]

• 7 Networking and Security Principles to Deploy Apps at Cloud Speed [NSCB2382]

• NSX Innovations to Accelerate the Multi-Cloud Journey [NSCB2088LV]

Network & Security Multi Cloud Sessions

• Under the Hood: NSX+ Policy and Intelligence [NSCB1913LV]

• Get Started with HCX+: Transforming Workload Migration and Mobility [NSCB2170LV]

• Unlocking NSX+, Multi-Tenancy, Security and Disaster Recovery for VMware Cloud on AWS [NSCB1388LV]

• Azure VMware Solution Lessons Learned: Designing, Migrating, and Operating [CEIB3043LVS]

• NSX+ Policy Manager - Deep Dive/How To [NSCB2907LVD]

• NSX+ Intelligence - Technical Deep Dive [NSCB2908LVD]

NSX Sessions - Container related

• Cloud Native Networking and Security with Antrea and NSX [NSCB1758LV]

• A Step-by-Step Demo to Set Up a Test Environment for Modern Apps in 30 Minutes [NSCB2152LV]

Security Sessions

• Bulletproof Your Network: 4 Steps and Best Practices to Ransomware Defense [NSCB2730LV]

• Detect Advanced Threats with VMware NSX ATP [NSCB1266LV]

• Elavate your visibility in the SOC with VMware Network Detection and Response [NSCB2909LVD]

• Best Practices for Hardening Your VMware Infrastructure [CSXB2105LV]

• How to Protect Your ESXi and vCenter from Getting Ransomware [NSCB1121LV]

• Securing Your VDI Deployment with NSX Security [NSCB1912LV]

• Speed Up Micro-Segmentation with Data-Driven Insights from NSX Intelligence [NSCB1264]

NSX Sessions - Infrastructure related

• Getting Started with NSX on VMware Cloud Foundation [NSCB2240LV]

• Get Started with NSX Automation: Networking & Security Examples and Demos [NSCB1770LV]

• End-to-End Network Security Design with VMware NSX [NSCB1393LV]

• Technical Introduction to the Benefits of Network Virtualization with NSX [NSCB2094LV]

NSX Sessions - Operation and Monitoring related

• Mastering NSX Operations for Improved Business Continuity and Resilience [NSCB1524LV]

• Optimizing NSX Performance Based on Workload and ROI [NSCB1421LV]

NSX Sessions - Advanced Load Balancer (AVI) related

• Deploy NSX Advanced Load Balancer to Enhance Your VMware Stacks Now [NSCB2148LV]

• *LIVE* App Security in the Real World: See the Bad Guys and Keep Them Out [NSCB2151LV]

• Migrate F5/Citrix to NSX Advanced Load Balancer - Stories from the Customer [NSCB2150LV]

SD-WAN and SASE

• VMware SD-WAN and VMware SASE: What`s New and Next? [CEIB2573LV]

• Foritfy Your Branches with Enhanced Firewall Service for VMware SD-WAN [CEIB2578]

• Convergence of Network, Security and Compute at the Edge [CEIB1276LV]

• The State of the Art for Securing Internet and SaaS Applications [CEIB2569]

DPU (SMARTNICS)

• SmartNIC - Advances in NSX and SmartNIC [NSCB2904LVD]

NSX Customer Stories

• Simplify and Secure your Multi-cloud Environment with NSX - Featuring City of Las Vegas [NSCB2092LV]

• Resilient Healthcare Network Security with Micro-Segmentation and Threat Detection [NSCB1235LV]

Summary

There are a lot interesting VMware Explore sessions, also for many other topics like AI, Multicloud, Edge, Container, End User Computing, vSphere, etc.

Feel free to add comments below if you see other mandatory sessions within the Network & Security area. I wish you a lot of Fun at VMware Explore 2023!