Opnet Technologies, an international network and application management software and hardware company, hosted its 13th annual Opnetwork conference last week at the
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington. The technology conference attracted more than 1,800 customers from 34 countries for more than 550 hours of hands-on training, seminars, daily keynote addresses, and networking events.
The conference itself was free for Opnet customers; attendees were only responsible for travel and hotel costs, which in this economy can still be a strain on tightened travel budgets. These concerns were part of the planning process, which started nearly eight months ago. “Like we have every year, we introduced new sessions and retired others so that attendees could make the most of their time and their travel dollars,” said Opnet vice president of marketing Sue Cole. “In doing this, we were able to condense the schedule by a little less than one day, which for some attendees saved them the cost of a hotel night.” Another added benefit was that Opnet paid for all meals and nightly entertainment.
Much of the conference's focus is on the hundreds of hours of training seminars taught by leaders in industry, government, and academic communities. To facilitate these seminars Opnet outfitted conference rooms in the Ronald Reagan Building with 3,000 computer workstations from Rush Computer Rentals.
“The training seminars and networking sessions with peers are what our customers continually rate each and every year as one of the highlights of the conference. We spend most of the year planning and making sure that each one of the seminars offers the most current and relevant information, which can be a challenge when you are in an industry that is constantly changing,” Cole said. While the seminars help attendees in their day-to-day responsibilities, many of the sessions are also eligible for continuing education units, an essential part of their professional certifications.
