Author: Heidi Gilmore

This year’s DevOps World | Jenkins World will take place Aug. 12-15 in San Francisco, at the Moscone Center.

Now, chances are you don’t need any real convincing to attend this event. DevOps World | Jenkins World is, after all, the premier annual conference for DevOps- and Jenkins-related content. You’ve experienced it yourself, or heard others talking about past years’ events—how the conference is packed, year after year, with sessions given by experts, multiple keynotes from industry leaders, hands-on training, plenty of time for networking, a themed after-party and all kinds of other cool things to take advantage of. This year, the event is going to be bigger than ever.

But, maybe you need a little help convincing your manager to authorize your trip. If so, we’re here to help. We’ve pulled together a list of selling points you can bring to your manager to show the incredible value a trip to DevOps World-Jenkins World can generate.

You Can Turn Yourself into a DevOps Leader

As we all know, DevOps is more than a technology, more than a process; it’s a culture that needs to be nurtured and fed. It needs DevOps leaders to advance that culture. Sending you to DevOps World-Jenkins World can turn you into a DevOps leader.

You can start by taking a DevOps Leader course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to successfully complete the DevOps Leader certification exam. But it goes beyond one specific course. There are other courses focused on DevSecOps, Continuous Delivery with Jenkins X and best practices connected with the use of CloudBees Core. There are sessions addressing topics ranging from DevOps culture to DevOps theory versus practice. Immersing yourself in all the DevOps content here will raise your knowledge level to new heights.

You’ll Sharpen Your Automation Skills

If your organization is using Jenkins, your manager knows how important is the role technology resources play in automating key aspects of the software delivery process. Management is constantly pushing teams to brush up on Jenkins and related DevOps tools—how they work, how to get the most out of them, how to fix problems, etc. Any resource that will help advance the collective knowledge of the group will be welcomed with open arms.

DevOps World | Jenkins World offers a treasure trove of educational sessions that will help you advance your CI/CD knowledge and Jenkins expertise. Training includes intro and intermediate sessions on Jenkins administration and Jenkins Pipeline. The courses build on each other and propel learners toward the expertise needed to pass the Certified Jenkins Engineer exam. You’ll be bringing back knowledge you can apply to your organization on day one.

There are also sessions on automated release orchestration and on a number of the DevOps tools and technologies widely used throughout the industry.

You’ll Hear From the Masters

It’s one thing to watch a video or read a book by one of the industry’s giants. It’s quite another to see the expert live and maybe even have a conversation with them during the show. DevOps World | Jenkins World offers this kind of access. Jenkins founder Kohsuke Kawaguchi (KK), CloudBees CEO Sacha Labourey and Redmonk analyst James Governor are some of the speakers who are sure to enlighten and entertain. Bring home stories of how KK challenged the crowd to think differently or what Redmonk’s Governor really thought of a commonly held DevOps practice.

You’ll Gain a New, Broader Perspective

With more than 100 sessions to choose from, it goes without saying that you can learn a lot of new things. Beyond the basic workshops and presentations, you can take in talks about everything ranging from DevOps in the public sector to machine learning in “continuous everything” environments. Want to hear the 10 attributes of the DevOps elite? How the auto industry is embracing continuous delivery? How Verizon followed a high-availability model using Jenkins? It’s all here. And you can bring the knowledge back to your organization, sharing it in one-on-one meetings, in presentations or in general thoughts about initiatives for next year.

You’ll Build Your Network

What happens when you put 2,000 or so DevOps enthusiasts in one place? They’re going to do the same thing sports fans and car fanatics do: talk loudly and animatedly about the topic they love. DevOps World | Jenkins World attendees will share stories about epic fails and debate a long list of best practices.

Know what else they’re going to do? Exchange Twitter handles or vCards. This can be hugely valuable, not just to you but to your organization. Imagine your manager, needing help, asking you if you know anybody who knows this technology, understands this issue or has access to some hard-to-find resource. You tell your manager you can help; you met someone at the show who knows all about this. You picked up dozens of Twitter followers now engaged with you or your company and would love to help.

You’ll Be Giving Back to Your Organization

Building on the last item: Your manager wants this trip to be valuable—for you, for her and for the organization. You want the same thing. It’s your job to highlight how you plan to use your time wisely at the show to directly benefit your company.

Get creative. Talk about frustrations, pain points, staffing needs, business opportunities—you name it, you can solve it. DevOps World | Jenkins World has the content and the structure to be a resource for your organization. Detail your expenses, and stress how this is a work trip designed to enhance the organization’s overall knowledge base.

When you have successfully made your case and received approval to attend, register with this code: DWJW20 and get a 20% discount off your registration.

— Heidi Gilmore