One of the reasons that I think the PASS Summit fits well in Seattle is the support that they get from Microsoft. The proximity of the conference to Redmond means that many, many more Microsoft employees, particularly SQL Server developers, come over for a day or more during the Summit. I think that's a great point that outweighs the poor Seattle weather in November, and the need to travel so far for many people.
Yesterday PASS released the lineup of Microsoft people that will be coming to speak at the Summit. They include keynotes from Bob Muglia, Ted Kummert, Tom Casey, and David DeWitt, who will talk about the future of the platform. It's not often that they release any huge information, but there are usually some fun demos from the product managers.
There are also some great pre and post conference sessions on Monday and Friday. Some are supposed to be from Microsoft employees, and you can see the full list here, but it has not been updated to show any new sessions.
The general sessions have been updated to show some new Microsoft items, including a number of best practices sessions from the SQL CAT team and a few deep dives. The SQL CAT team usually has some good information, and they are worth talking to if you get the chance.
If you can get to the PASS Summit, I'd recommend going. SQLServerCentral has a great opening night party that you can attend as well. If you use the "SSC3D" registration code, you'll get a ticket for free in addition to $100 off the registration price. If you've already registered or have another code, you can paypal $30 to sjones@sqlservercentral.com for a ticket.
