VMworld 2017: A Spouse’s Perspective

If you know me as “Nigel’s Wife,” it means that we are acquainted on the IT side of life.  You also know then, that I am going to mention Spousetivities somewhere in our conversation. Spousetivities is the amazing service by provided by Crystal Lowe that allows the spouses of IT professionals to travel to conferences around the globe and be able to connect with other IT spouses in safe, well organized activities. I previously had attended my first Spousetivities event in San Fransisco (2015) for VMworld.  That trip I attended with a great friend, Amy Major.  We had a fabulous time and I was hooked.

Let’s Get Started

 

Why is Spousetivities Important to Me

1. It allows me to travel with my spouse for once.  This year, we have so much going on in our family.  A recently built house, job changes, a wedding to plan… the list goes on and on.  Being able to travel with Nigel to VMworld gives us the opportunity to relax and spend some time getting re-focused together.  While we have separate activities to attend throughout the day, we made plans each afternoon or evening to have dinner, or just relax together.  As a conference attendee, it is easy to get swept up into all day at the conference and then the long list of after parties and gatherings that are offered.  Nigel and I spend time prior to the conference putting together a loose calendar for the week so we can really focus on the times that we will be together, and make the most of those moments.
2. Spousetivities gives me the opportunity to start making connections of my own.  It helps me put names with faces.  Nigel talks about his connections all the time.  “I talked to Sean today and he sends his regards.”  In my mind, I am like “who the hell is Sean?”  Traveling to VMworld allows me to put a face to those people that my husband spends A LOT of time with.  I actually met someone who was excited to meet ME this year.  I had done a podcast about work/life balance with Nigel several years ago and while at an evening event of VMworld, someone approached me with “Oh, you are Nigel’s wife! You did that podcast that my wife and I listened to!  Let me tell you how that helped us.” And we were off an running into a conversation.  It was fabulous.  The VMware community is a large, but supportive one.  I love meeting all of the people who support my husbands career and learning about what they do and how they juggle life.
3. Spousetivities allows me to see a city in a way that I never have before.  Again, been to Vegas so many times, but this year I was able to see some of the less common things via the Strip Scavenger Hunt we had on the first day.  I never knew that outside of Vegas sat the small community of Summerlin that is a foodies mecca!
4. Spousetivities is the epitome of work/life balance.  Let’s face it… you know that having a spouse working in IT isn’t all about flowers and unicorns.  There are cancelled dinner plans because a server went down. There are conference calls that run long and your kids are chomping at the bit for dad to get off the phone and help with some project. There are unplanned trips to the airport because your spouse is suddenly needed onsite by a client.  Working in IT is chaotic itself. Add in a family, and things can get crazy pretty quick.  Spousetivities allows for a chance for work and life.  It made my heart so happy to see the spouses step away from conference activities for a moment and come out and drop a quick kiss on their wife who was sitting by the pool.  You could see couples taking a needed deep breath and relax for just a moment.

Make It a Success!

1. Really READ the event offerings and ask questions prior to purchasing.  If you aren’t willing or able to walk for long periods of time, really evaluate the events being offered.  If you are unsure of the amount of walking or terrain… reach out to Crystal. She will be able to tell you if it’s a good fit or not.
2. Sign up and purchase your Spousetivities activities as early as possible.  Just like the activities/events offered to your spouse at VMworld, spots fill up quickly!!
3. You HAVE TO CHECK YOUR EMAIL while at the conference.  Occasionally, Spousetivities events have to be changed slightly. Crystal is fabulous about sending out emails to let you know if a time or meeting location has changed.  If you don’t check your email… well, you are going to miss out.
4. If you have questions, ASK!! There is ZERO reason for you to be left wondering about anything. Crystal is a master communicator, but also has a team of volunteers assisting her that can answer your questions.  There is always reaching out to other Spousetivities participants via Twitter (which is hugely active during the conference).
5. Thank the sponsors.  If it wasn’t for event sponsors, some of us would never be able to afford all the things Spousetivities offers at a discounted rate.  In fact we NEED MORE sponsors.  The more we highlight these sponsors and thank them for including us as a valuable part of the community, they will continue to allow Crystal to plan these rock star gatherings for us!  If you want cheaper events, hit up your spouse’s company to sponsor Spousetivities.  The more dollars in Crystal’s hands, the more she can offer at better rates.  Also, get the word out about Spousetivities.  Every conference attendee I run into, I ask if they are aware of Spousetivities and if they brought their spouse to the conference.  The more people signing up equals bigger discounts for activities.
6. Thank Crystal Lowe. Seriously, that lady deserves a medal. Seven events, hundreds of people, sponsors, vendors and doing it simply because she loves it… yep, total rockstar.