Closing out the 30th Cisco Live US

Though it is sad that Cisco Live San Diego 2019 is over, the 30th anniversary of this event did not disappoint! Arriving in the picturesque city of San Diego, the IT Roaming Reporters sprang into action to capture footage of our new surroundings. The people— effervescent, the city— charged up. There was always something going on, making the only difficult part figuring out, “How were we supposed to be in so many places at once?!”

By the time evening rolled around on the Saturday before Cisco Live, we were lulled into a state of calm by the sun drifting past the shimmering horizon, the breeze rustling the palm fronds, and adults and children alike quietly whistling past on motorized scooters— a close to a beautiful evening that in no way was an indicator of the excitement to come. San Diego held its breath for one last evening before it happened. Before Cisco… Took… OVER!

The next four days went by in a flash:

“Chug coffee, snatch up our cameras, microphones, spare batteries, headphones, receivers, tripods, and loose leaf sheets with scribbled-on interview questions—careful not to drop that!—, tear out of the editing room to meet the excited and inspired attendees—oh, you don’t want to be interviewed, that’s fine, enjoy your day!—, engage in dialogue—the attendees this year are awesome—, chug some more coffee, download and share our collective footage, put away our equipment—we need it charged and ready for tomorrow—, begin tinkering with the timeline of our film, one more cup of coffee won’t hurt—or, hey, Red Bull actually tastes pretty good—, color correct and manage audio levels to perfection, submit, done—phew—, pass out. Repeat.”

Just writing this out now makes me need to sit back in my chair and take a deep breath.

In between all the running around, we were still able to appreciate the gravitas of the IT Management (ITM) Program. It covered important topics in leadership, inspiring innovation and employee satisfaction, and growth in new technological areas. You left each break-out session and workshop with new ideas and a sense of empowerment. Also, as our attendee numbers and level of diversity continue to grow in ITM, you don’t just gain knowledge but a newfound community. Behind the scenes too, everyone involved in ITM  was filled with pride after another successful event, no back was left un-patted, and no glass un-clinked. With that, we said farewell to sunny San Diego. And in case you were wondering, yes, we made sure to keep it classy!

As a final thank you, we would like to share a taste of Cisco Live 2019 with you all in our closing video below. We hope to see you next year in Las Vegas where the festivities and smiles can continue!