I’ve spoken at quite a few SQL Saturday events. I won’t hit 50 this year, like Kevin Boles, but by my count, I’ve been to 21, with 4 or 5 more coming this year.  I have no idea when I’ll get to 50, but I hope I do.

That’s in addition to other events, which will likely bring my 2013 total to close to 15 events, similar to what I’ve done the last few years. That doesn’t seem like a lot, maybe 1 every six weeks, but I end up doing multiple talks, on multiple subjects sometimes. There was a stretch late last year where I did 12 talks in 7 different areas in about 3 weeks. It was slightly confusing for me.

Yesterday I received an email from SQL Saturday #197 – Omaha, which had the schedule in it. I’d glanced at it before, and had seen I was giving my Encryption Primer talk, but this time as I scrolled down, I saw my name at the end.

Hmmm, that didn’t say “The Encryption Primer”. I’m glad I looked and double checked the schedule because I’m giving two talks. In addition to encryption, I’m talking FTS with Searching Binary Data in SQL Server.

I’ve given the talk before, and I’m not too worried about it, but I do want to refresh my memory of the flow, and practice the demos again. I have given the Encryption talk a few times this year already, but I was planning on double checking demos again before the event. Especially as I changed the talk around and added some material for a variation I’m giving next week at SQL Intersection.

I find it’s always good to rehearse my talks. I’m comfortable in front of people, and I know I can get through the talk, but I want things to flow and to make sense to attendees, The more practice I do, the better things go. The less “ums”, “errs” and other placeholders I use as well.

Plus this will be good practice for SQL Bits, where I’ll deliver this talk again in May.

Filed under: Blog Tagged: speaking, SQL Intersection, SQL Saturday, syndicated