Khan (2259)

I know, I’m sure he’s never heard that before…

For those of you coming to Cisco Live US in San Francisco this May, prepare to hear from Sal Khan in the guest keynote on Thursday morning, May 22.

Khan is the founder of Khan Academy, one of the earliest and best-known MOOC (massive open online course) environments… wait a sec. who put that picture over there?

Sal Khan, 21st Century

Click click click. That’s better.

Sal Khan wrote “One World Schoolhouse: Education Reimagined,” on the use of technology to improve education, based on his personal history and the development of Khan Academy.

His presence at Cisco Live should give us a different perspective on the real-world application of technology, and underscore the importance of bridging the technology gap around the world.

So where do we go from here?

Have you already registered for Cisco Live US in San Francisco? If so, this Thursday, February 27, you can now go into the session scheduler and start signing up for sessions and blocking out time for the keynotes (including Sal Khan, and probably John Chambers as well). Lots of people already in and reporting happiness over the March 1-2 weekend.

If you’re a Netvet, you got early access to scheduling functions, but if not, you have another two days of read-only access before they open it up to the masses. And you can become a Netvet after you’ve attended three Cisco Live conferences on full passes (IT Management or Full Conference track) in five years, so that’s something to look forward to.

If you’re not registered yet, hey, what are you waiting for? There are several options for registration, including the full passes ($2095 through FridayMarch 14, $2295 from then until onsite) which give you access to just about everything depending on whether you are more focused on IT Management or the general Full Conference path.

But if you don’t have the money, the learning credits, or the corporate backing to cover a full pass, there’s still hope. Cisco Live offers a $49 “Explorer” pass, which gives you access to the World of Solutions vendor expo and the daily keynotes, as well as the Social Media Lounge (confirmed!) and the Cisco Live onsite store which offers books, gadgets, and Cisco memorabilia. If you have $595 to spend, go for the Explorer+ pass, which gives you the Explorer benefits plus access to two technical sessions.

Update 2014/02/27: The “Social Event Pass” has been brought to my attention as a good option as well. For $195, you get the receptions and Customer Appreciation Event/party (unlike Explorer/Explorer+), as well as the benefits of the $49 Explorer pass. You don’t get the breakout sessions, but those end up online anyway.

Update 2014/03/03: @CiscoLive on Twitter has advised that the early registration period that originally ended February 28 has been extended until March 14.

The site will be updated soon, but you can get in and save $200 for the next almost-two-weeks!

Protip: Check with your manager or HR/benefits team to see if your company might sponsor your attendance. If not, consider checking with a tax adviser to see if professional development expenses might be tax-deductible in your circumstances. 

You can read about my path to Cisco Live US 2014 in an earlier blog post if you like. A few other Cisco Live attendees have blogged about this year’s event as well. And if you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments below.

And as a disclaimer, if you click on the Cisco Live links above, I get entered in a contest for a free lab or technical session at the event. Other than that, I get no compensation or consideration for this post beyond the warm fuzzies of supporting an event and team I like.