I’m Going to VMware Explore 2026

I’m super excited that I can attend VMware Explore in Las Vegas this year. The last time I attended VMware Explore was in 2024, and I learned so much. I’m eager to learn even more this year and build on what I’ve learned since last time.

If you want to read about my experience at VMware Explore 2024, check out my blog post I Went to VMware Explore 2024.

If you aren’t familiar with VMware Explore, it used to be called VMworld. VMware Explore is a conference hosted by Broadcom about all things VMware. The main VMware Explore event takes place in Las Vegas, and there’s a smaller version called VMware Explore on Tour, which visits a few different cities. In 2026, VMware Explore on Tour will be at the following locations.

• Mumbai (September 29th to 30th)
• Singapore (October 1st to 2nd)
• Frankfurt (October 13th to 14th)
• Tokyo (October 20th to 21st)
• London (November 18th to 19th)
• Washington, D.C. (December 8th)

VMware Explore in Las Vegas will take place from August 31st to September 3rd.

At VMware Explore in Las Vegas, there are over 250 sessions. Thankfully, the sessions are recorded, as it’s impossible to attend all of them. Here are a few of the sessions I’m planning to attend.

• VMware {code} Hackathon [ACT1861LV]
  • This year I’m going to participate in the hackathon. I’ve heard lots of good things about the hackathons in the past. I’m looking forward to learning firsthand what the hackathon is all about this year. If you also want to participate in the hackathon, make sure you register for the hackathon here.
• Tips and Tricks for Running VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 in Lab/PoC [CLOB1613LV]
  • I’m interested in this session as I currently run VCF in my home lab, and I’m curious what tips they’ll have to share that I can use to improve my home lab.
• The Patching Dilemma: Do You Need Help with the Deluge of Vulnerabilities? [SECB1279LV]
  • This session looks very interesting because it’s about virtual patching with IDPS, which would let you block a vulnerability without patching the impacted application right away. I am very curious about how this all works.
• VMware Cloud Foundation Certification 2026: Tips, Tricks, and Guidance from the Global Community [CMTYQT1317LV]
  • This will be hosted by my friends Kristof Asaert and Dave Bradley, and it’s all about the tips and tricks people have used to pass the VCF exams. I’m also unofficially helping them out with it too.
• Hardening and Securing VMware Cloud Foundation [CLOT1184LV]
  • I’m interested in this session because I want to learn more about ways to secure and harden VCF, since there is always room to improve your security posture. The session is hosted by Bob Plankers, and his sessions are always great and informative.

• Demystifying vDefend Distributed Security within VMware Cloud Foundation [SECB1358LV]
  • I’m interested in this session because I’ve recently started looking into vDefend, and I want to learn more about it and how I can use it to protect VCF deployments.
• Importing Existing vSphere Environments to VCF 9.1 [CLOM1523LV]
  • With the end of support for vSphere 8 approaching, I’m curious to learn what others are doing to migrate from vSphere to VCF and what the major things to be aware of are.
• Models in Minutes: A Deep Dive into VMware Private AI Model Runtime [INVB1227LV]
  • This session is interesting because AI is as popular as ever, and running local AI is increasingly popular. I want to learn more about running local AI with VCF and how to make sure it’s secure.
• Avoiding the RAM-pocalypse: Unlock Total Cost of Ownership Savings with VMware Memory Tiering [CLOB1046LV]
  • I’m interested in learning more about memory tiering. As the cost of RAM keeps going up, I suspect more people will want to adopt memory tiering to help ride out the RAM pricing storm.
• What Is MCP and Why Does It Matter to VMware Cloud Foundation Administrators? [APPB1629LV]
  • This session is interesting because AI agents are growing in popularity, and so is MCP. I’m curious to learn more about using MCP with VCF.

After VMware Explore, I will be posting a follow-up blog post about my time attending VMware Explore Las Vegas in 2026, including what I learned and how it went.

If you want to learn more or register to attend VMware Explore, here is the official VMware Explore website.