I have seen, first-hand, the eruption of a volcano. I watched on television as Americans were freed from captivity and as Berliners took down their wall. I have viewed images from the outer reaches of space in awe and wonder. And today, I witnessed two grown men roll themselves around on a stage covered with one hundred live, snapping mouse traps. And that was pretty cool too.

The opening of the IBM Impact 2008 Smart SOA Conference in Las Vegas on April 7 was well-suited to its host city. First, the UNLV marching band – full uniforms, flags held high – entered the MGM arena space playing “Tusk.” (Which is, by the way, the only GCG-approved Fleetwood Mac tune.) Next up, the CIO of Harley-Davidson rode in on a – what else? – Harley. And really, no kickoff could be complete without Cirque De Soleil acrobats dangling and spinning from what appeared to be floor-to-ceiling fabric swags, accompanied by the music of a live string quartet. Damn, but those folks could climb some drapes!

But wait! Enter… Drew Carey! Looking around at the lights, jumbo screens, and arena full of guests, his first comment was, “Welcome to IBM… where we put every dime back into the product.” He went on to poke fun at the extravaganza by noting that if he worked at IBM, he’s probably go ahead and steal that stapler… and when are the elephants on trikes coming out? Drew’s improv crew joined him for a Jeopardy sketch and song session that were very well-received.

This was all interspersed, of course, with company executives laying down the theme – Smart SOA is the best approach for maximizing both business and IT value. (Drew’s summary: “IBM has Smart SOA… as opposed to the Stupid SOA the other guys have.”)

The Finale: Mousetraps. Drew and Robert LeBlanc, GM, Global Consulting Services and SOA, Global Business Services, were sent back and forth among the springing mousetraps, blindfolded, barefooted, and doubled over with laughter… until, at Drew’s insistence, they gave up and just rolled. Why?? A metaphor, perhaps, for competitors leading customers blindly into SOA initiatives fraught with disaster? Naw, just for fun. Like I said – pretty cool.