2019 Sources of PeopleSoft Info and Networking
It might surprise you that organizations are still selecting PeopleSoft as a brand-new solution for their financials, supply chain, and human resources system. These “net new customers” choose PeopleSoft over other options to replace their current ERP systems. Personally, I am aware of two in the last thirty days.
The PeopleSoft community continues to be vibrant and interactive. While the Quest Oracle Community leads the charge, there are several conferences in 2019 which provide insight, support, networking opportunities, and a view into the future of PeopleSoft. Below is my personal take on some of the best 2019 conference opportunities (in calendar order).
Alliance: Orlando, FL – March 3-6, 2019
This is the premier user-driven conference for higher education & public sector customers who use Oracle applications. This conference is run by the Higher Education User Group (HEUG) and the Public Sector Users Group (PSUG) and has over 3,500 attendees, 100 vendors, and 350 educational tracks. During this conference, you can hear about PeopleSoft from the higher ed and/or public sector perspective.
COLLABORATE 19: San Antonio, TX – April 7-11, 2019
This is the largest user-led Oracle technology and applications forum boasting over 3,200 attendees and more than 1,000 sessions. In addition to PeopleSoft sessions, you can attend those covering Oracle Cloud, eBusiness, JD Edwards, and Oracle technology. You can think of this as an “Oracle Open World Lite” as it contains a little of everything without highlighting a single technology.
PeopleSoft Executive Forum @ COLLABORATE 19: San Antonio, TX – April 8-9, 2019
During a Monday evening reception, organizational executives (using PeopleSoft) connect with each other and with Oracle PeopleSoft product management team leadership. This is followed the next day with a forum of insightful topics presented by customers and Oracle PeopleSoft leadership. The forum is beneficial for executives attending COLLABORATE. For those who just want a quick PeopleSoft update and view into the future, this conference is also worthwhile.
OHUG 2019 Global Conference: Fort Worth, TX – June 10-12, 2019
The Oracle HCM Users Group (OHUG) is an organization devoted to providing users with HCM-related insights into Oracle E-Business Suite, PeopleSoft, and Oracle HCM Cloud (including Taleo Business, Taleo Enterprise, and Taleo Learn) applications. This conference includes hundreds of attendees and more than 150 HCM-related sessions across Oracle’s suite of HCM solutions. It is more of an HCM than PeopleSoft-centric conference.
Interact 2019 (HIUG): Orlando, FL – June 16-19, 2019
The Healthcare Industry Users Group, with Oracle’s support, hosts a conference with 600+ attendees. It has more than 175 sessions focused on Oracle’s applications, specifically for healthcare organizations. Historically, this has been a PeopleSoft heavy conference with many healthcare customers using PeopleSoft. Recently, however, Oracle’s influence has added significant Oracle Cloud content. The size and healthcare focus make this a great networking opportunity for PeopleSoft healthcare customers.
PeopleSoft Reconnect: Chicago, IL – July 16-18, 2019
Reconnect is a PeopleSoft specific conference with 400+ attendees and more than 200 deep-dive sessions. Quest Oracle Community created this conference as a reincarnation of PeopleSoft’s annual Connect Users Conference. Dedicated to PeopleSoft and providing exceptional opportunities to network, Reconnect has 400 participants versus the thousands that appear at other conferences. This is one of our favorite conferences for PeopleSoft customers.
Oracle OpenWorld*: San Francisco, CA – September 15-19, 2019
*The current 2019 website is not yet available at the time of this blog.
This massive Oracle event occurs in the Fall and highlights all of Oracle’s hundreds of solutions. During this conference, approximately 60,000 people invade San Francisco for a week. Since Oracle has focused more on highlighting its Cloud solutions, their on-premise solutions like PeopleSoft, JD Edwards, and eBusiness have taken a back seat. This event also includes PeopleSoft sessions, but not as many as in other conferences. However, if you are an Oracle shop with several of their products, this is a good conference. With a bit of effort or some help from us, you can coordinate your schedule to focus on PeopleSoft related content.
In general, our customers say that Collaborate, Reconnect, and either Interact or Alliance (depending on the industry) have provided them the most benefit and value for their time and dollars spent on attending conferences.
We are looking forward to another great year for the PeopleSoft user community!
