What You’ve Been Missing at Kentico Training Events

One of Kentico’s greatest assets is its development community and the accessibility of information. From a dedicated developer portal (DevNet), to blogs from developers and MVP’s (Most Valuable Professional) like Brian, Jeroen, and myself, there’s never shortage of information to get the answers you need fast. Also in the mix, are a number of events Kentico hosts for the community, including the Ask The Experts series, webinars, and most recently, the Kentico Azure conference. Here’s a brief recap of these events and what you missed.
 

As a developer, getting answers to complex problems is often a daunting task. Documentation and examples are great, but sometimes you just need to ask a human about a specific scenario and what to do. Kentico created the Ask The Experts webinar series just for that purpose. Modelled after the “Ask The Experts” session of the Kentico Connection, this webinar is a live interactive panel of Kentico experts answering real questions. Typically, all 3 MVPs are on the call, along with a Kentico developer, so nearly every topic can be covered. Attendees can pre-submit questions, or use Twitter to ask them live and the panel will get through as many as they can, often breaking down a particular scenario with their personal experiences.

Thom Robbins, Kentico’s Chief Evangelist, records every session and makes them available for anyone who didn’t attend. Additionally, Brian, Jeroen, and I have written blogs highlighting specific topics and questions we found the most interesting. Here’s a list of videos and recaps from the first 2 sessions:

Ask The Experts #1

Thom’s Ask The Experts #1 recap and video 

My Ask The Experts #1 Recap 

Ask The Experts #2

Thom’s Ask The Experts #2 recap and video

Kentico Ask The Experts #3 is right around the corner!
Get all the info about it here. 

Along with the Ask The Experts series, Kentico is continually hosting several webinars and lots of events that partners and developers can attend. Webinar topics can range from very technical to business-focused, covering all aspects of Kentico and digital marketing. These webinars are usually conducted by an expert on the topic and take you deep within the code and functionality to really show you how to leverage the feature within your projects. Here are some recent webinars they have done.

“Build It” Workshop – Kentico EMS 7 

Usability Testing for the Greatest User Experience

Exploring jQuery Mobile

Thom has tons more information on past and upcoming webinars on his blog, so be sure to check there often for new topics in works.
 

The most recent event was the Kentico Azure Virtual Conference and it was fantastic! A day-long event with 6 hours of sessions provided invaluable information to attendees. Focusing on hosting Kentico in Windows Azure, the topics took participants from a Windows Azure overview, to getting started with Azure development, to getting Kentico running in the cloud, and beyond! Deployment types, best practices, and even advanced topics, were all covered by the great line-up of panelists. This is definitely a series of videos you will want to go and watch to get tons of great info on hosting your Kentico sites in the cloud!

Are you ready? Introduction to Cloud Computing and Windows Azure

Get set.. Introduction to Windows Azure Development

Go…Running Kentico CMS on Windows Azure

Deployment options for Kentico CMS on Windows Azure

Best Practices for Kentico CMS and Windows Azure

Advanced development with Windows Azure

Common questions for Windows Azure and Kentico CMS

Few things are more informative than in-person events and the Kentico Connection certainly fits that mold. The 2 day-long conference covers nearly every aspect of the platform with in-depth sessions and speakers. Kentico developers break down the functionality and architecture in technical sessions on the Developer Track. On the Partner track, learn from fellow Kentico Partners as they discuss their complex projects and solutions and see real-world examples of the platform in action. Even marketers will benefits from the Marketing track specifically design for boosting website traffic and performance and increasing your business and ROI. And then there are my favorite parts: The social events and Ask the Experts session! In these nightly (sometimes LATE Nightly) sessions, connect with fellow developers and Kentico experts and get the answers to all of life’s questions.

With conferences held on 3 continents, everyone should make it to this great event. I’ve been to every one for the past 3 years and never have I been disappointed. Here are a few blogs recapping previous years’ events and sessions:

My 2011 Kentico Connection Denver Recap 

Eva Palbuchtova’s 2010 Prague Recap

Thom’s “secret” videos from 2012 Kentico Connection Conferences
Secret Videos
More Secret Videos

As you can see, the Kentico community has been quite busy with getting information out to developers. Leveraging these webinars and events is a great way to hone your skills and get exposure to new features of the platform. Being able to ask your questions to a panel of seasoned developers is a great way to answer a tough question, or just to get some knowledgeable opinions and advice on the topic. I hope to see you at our next session and in person at the Boston and London Connections!