Well it’s confirmed. I am off to the HP Technology @ Work 2008 event in Barcelona in just a few of weeks time

Last year was held in Berlin and was a valuable 3 days so fingers crossed, this year will be just as valuable and being an invitation only event I am very please to be invited.

But before I travel there is the preparation to do.

The logistics are sorted already with hotels and flights booked but it’s the flights that are making me think because again I am flying with British Airways and last time I flew with them (back from VMWorld in San Francisco last year), even though I was in business class, the flight was just not nice and on top of a really really long flight, they managed to lose the luggage of 30 people from that flight. BA had managed to get my luggage across the atlantic but once at Heathrow, they lost it!!! What I then saw was something that has put me off flying with BA ever again especially if it involves Heathrow and even more so if Terminal 1 is involved and guess what? My flight to Barcelona is from Heathrow T1!

So my plan is to travel light with hand luggage only so I am heading out in the morning to find a case that meets the size limits. Now to be fair, the BA limits are the biggest of the european airlines but because I may find myself in a similar situation with say Lufthansa (or even worse Easyjet) later this year who have stricter size limits I am going for the smallest size.

So I need a case that measures no more than 55x40x20cm. That’s pretty small and will have to fit in 3 days of clothes and a laptop but if it avoids having to trust BA with my belongings then so be it.

As for the event, I am keen to catch up with what HP are up to around virtualisation (especially with VMWare V3I), power, cooling & green issues and blades. Normally HP have some really top class speakers giving both keynotes and break out sessions.

And of couse there is the small matter of me staying for a couple of days in a city that sits on the edge of the sea. Having said that, there is not going to be much time for sight seeing as we arrive late Monday morning and fly out again on Wednesday evening. Having said that I am sure I will be able to catch some of the sights.

So of course a full report when I get there so watch this space.