10 Oct 2025
The speaker returns to Cisco Live in 2025, a global networking conference attended by 22,000 professionals, seeking to rekindle their passion for the field amid discussions on AI's impact. Historically known as Networkers, the event has evolved over decades from a technical bootcamp to a trade show and community hub, fostering knowledge sharing, skill development, and professional connections.
The speaker attends Cisco Live in 2025 with their entire team, noting an atmosphere of anticipation and a "heaviness" surrounding the discussions about Artificial Intelligence's influence on networking and IT. This year's event draws 22,000 attendees to the San Diego Convention Center, marking a significant gathering for the industry.
The speaker recounts their initial excitement for Cisco Live in 2017 as a senior network engineer, which led to attending in 2018 and 2019. After a six-year hiatus, they return in 2025 specifically to rediscover their spark and love for networking, which had previously been overshadowed by other technological interests.
Attending Cisco Live costs approximately $3,000 for a ticket, in addition to travel and accommodation expenses, making employer sponsorship crucial for many. Cisco actively provides an email template to help attendees convince their bosses to fund their attendance, a method successfully utilized by numerous participants.
The conference originated in 1989 as 'Networkers' in Palo Alto, California, gathering 200 attendees in a hotel conference room. It functioned as a large, collaborative whiteboard session where networking pioneers discussed complex problems, such as integrating various competing protocols like AppleTalk, Novell IPX, DECnet, and Banyan VINES, which Cisco's multi-protocol router aimed to solve.
The foundational purpose of 'Networkers' was to share knowledge, enabling customers to directly interface with developers and creators of products. This direct interaction allowed attendees to provide feature requests, some of which later appeared in iOS versions, thereby fostering a robust tech community built on the principle that "knowledge is power."
By the mid-1990s, attendance surged into the thousands, with multiple events expanding globally beyond the U.S. The conference continued to grow year after year, peaking in 2019 with 28,000 attendees and establishing itself as an indispensable event in the networking space.
Cisco Live became renowned for its elaborate customer appreciation events, featuring major musical acts such as Imagine Dragons, Weezer, Journey, and The Killers. These events sometimes included celebrity appearances, like actor Brian Cranston, and even featured unique experiences such as renting out Harry Potter World, offering a distinctive 'escape for nerds.'
The conference has historically served as a critical platform for significant industry announcements and the debut of certifications. Notable introductions include the CCIE certification in 1993, which was the first expert-level networking certification, and the CCNA and CCMP certifications in 1998, with the CCNA remaining a leading IT certification globally.
Between 2006 and 2007, the event transformed from a pure training bootcamp into a broader trade show, officially rebranding as 'Cisco Live.' This shift introduced the 'World of Solutions,' a vendor expo showcasing new technologies, which in 2025 prominently featured AI-related innovations, contributing to the event's overall atmosphere.
In 2015, the DevNet zone was introduced to create a dedicated space for developers, reflecting the growing importance of programmability in networking. This trend continued with the emergence of intent-based networking (IBN), Cisco DNA Center, and SD-WAN in 2017-2018, leading to a refresh of certifications in 2019 to include the DevNet track.
The 2020 conference was held virtually due to the pandemic, achieving large attendance numbers but lacking the cherished in-person experience. Cisco Live returned to an in-person format in 2022, though attendance had not fully recovered to pre-COVID levels by 2025, settling around 22,000 attendees.
Cisco Live offers immense value through both technical sessions and community engagement, with attendees often reporting they learn more in one week than in the rest of the year. This intensive environment allows professionals to enhance their skills, exchange ideas with peers, and gain a broader perspective on the industry.
While learning is a significant benefit, the primary reason many attendees return repeatedly is the strong sense of community, providing opportunities to reconnect with old friends and forge new professional relationships that video calls cannot replicate. These in-person connections are highly valued for their ability to foster meaningful interactions.
The 2025 event successfully rekindled the speaker's passion for networking, emphasizing its foundational importance, particularly in the era of AI, where switches and routing are essential. The contagious excitement and collective intelligence of the attendees inspire a renewed commitment to creating networking content and attending future events.
Twin Gate sponsors the video and the speaker's presence at Cisco Live, providing secure remote access to their studio assets. Twin Gate offers an easy-to-deploy, non-VPN solution for connecting to resources, praised for its simplicity, reliability, and as a trusted vendor that keeps teams connected.
Cisco Live stands as a vital confluence for networking professionals, fostering unparalleled learning, community building, and a renewed passion for the industry's evolving landscape.
| Year/Era | Event/Development | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | First 'Networkers' conference (Cisco Live predecessor) | Gathered 200 pioneers to address complex protocol integration, fostering the early networking community and knowledge sharing. |
| Mid-1990s | Growth in attendance and global expansion | Attendance grew into thousands, and the event expanded globally, establishing itself as a significant industry gathering. |
| 1993 | Debut of CCIE certification | Introduced the industry's first expert-level networking certification, setting a benchmark for professional expertise. |
| 1998 | Announcement of CCNA and CCMP certifications | Established widely recognized IT certifications, with CCNA remaining a global standard for networking professionals. |
| 2006-2007 | Renamed to 'Cisco Live,' shift to trade show format | Transformed from a pure training bootcamp into a broader trade show, introducing the 'World of Solutions' for vendor showcases. |
| 2015 | Introduction of DevNet zone | Created a dedicated space for developers, signaling the increasing importance of network programmability and automation. |
| 2019 | Peak attendance (28,000), refreshed certifications, DevNet track announced | Marked the highest attendance point and diversified certification paths to include development-focused roles. |
| 2020 | Virtual-only conference (due to COVID-19) | Demonstrated adaptability during the pandemic but underscored the irreplaceable value of the in-person community experience. |
| 2025 | Current event, focus on AI's impact, 22,000 attendees | Reflects the ongoing evolution of the industry and the conference's role in addressing new technological challenges like AI. |
| Ongoing | In-person learning, community building, and professional networking | Consistently provides unparalleled skill development, fosters strong industry connections, and reignites passion for networking. |
