The Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG), a global membership organization that provides resources to help Oracle data management users enhance the benefits they receive from Oracle technology, announced the full schedule of events for COLLABORATE 12- IOUG Forum. The conference, which combines Oracle education, Oracle training, networking opportunities and presentations from real-world users as well as Oracle subject matter experts, is being held April 22-26, 2012 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

This year’s keynote features Astronaut Mark Kelly, a U.S. Navy Captain and Commander of the space shuttle Endeavour’s final mission. He will talk about the importance of teamwork, leadership, and how to display courage under pressure.

Participants in the conference who register through IOUG receive two added bonuses. One is free, preferred access to IOUG’s Deep Dive sessions, a full day of focused education on hot Oracle topics, which normally cost $599 for attendees who do not register through IOUG. There are 10 Deep Dive sessions to choose from, including sessions on Real World Performance, Oracle WebCenter, Oracle Identity Management, Enterprise Manager 12c Cloud Control, and Daily Forecasting and Predictive Analysis.

The other is preferred access to hands-on labs, where participants can gain actual experience turning theory into practice in 2-hour sessions covering Oracle business intelligence topics. This $350 value is also free to those who register through IOUG. In addition, IOUG will also be offering its popular Boot Camp sessions, which consist of shorter education sessions that cover a specific hot topic with a variety of Oracle expert speakers, hand-selected by Oracle ACEs.

“COLLABORATE 12- IOUG Forum gives attendees direct access to cutting-edge, user-driven content from the Who's Who in any Oracle topic they can imagine,” said IOUG President Andy Flower. “Whether the objective is learning new skills, gaining a deeper understanding of specific Oracle technologies, connecting with old friends, making new contacts or simply keeping up with what’s new, COLLABORATE 12- IOUG Forum has it all.”

COLLABORATE 12 is a joint conference on Oracle technology presented by IOUG, OAUG (Oracle Applications User Group) and the Quest International User Group. For more information, a full conference schedule or to register through IOUG to receive free access to the additional sessions, click here. Early bird registration with additional discounts ends February 29, 2012. To follow live tweets throughout the week and be the first to hear about unique opportunities and contests, follow @IOUG and the hashtag #CL12LV on Twitter, or ‘like’ IOUG’s Facebook Fan Page at www.facebook.com/iougfan.

About the Independent Oracle Users Group

Founded in 1993, the Independent Oracle Users Group (IOUG) is a global membership organization that provides Oracle users the opportunity to enhance their productivity, maximize their investment and influence the quality, usability and support of Oracle technology. The IOUG represents the voice of Oracle technology and database professionals serving nearly 20,000 database administrators, developers, architects, technical managers and other Oracle professionals throughout North America and worldwide. The IOUG empowers its members to be more productive and successful in their businesses and careers by delivering education, sharing best practices and providing technology direction and networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.ioug.org or call (312) 245-1579.