August 23, 2025 at 4:00 am
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Why Tech Events Matter for Data Pros (and why I’m grateful)
August 24, 2025 at 4:10 am
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August 24, 2025 at 3:19 pm
I love going to in-person events, like conferences. I used to be able to attend conferences at my previous employer. However, 10 years ago when I was laid off and had to take whatever I could get, I joined my current employer. They never send any developer, DBA, PM, etc. to anything, ever. They always claim that there's never enough money in the budget to include conferences. I've talked to people who've worked here for 30+ years, and it's always been that way. No one knows how this situation got started. Either developers/DBAs/etc. in the past didn't want to go anywhere, or management didn't want to send anyone, anywhere. I find it hard to believe that there's never been enough money to send anyone, anywhere in 30+ years. And I also find it hypocritical that management can go to conferences, but no one else can.
Kindest Regards, Rod Connect with me on LinkedIn.
August 25, 2025 at 12:07 pm
I've enjoyed the conferences (SQL Saturday when there were ones more local, a couple Redgate events in Chicago, and one shining, glorious trip to Summit in Seattle last year) I've attended. Usually my biggest blocker to going is by the time an event has a list of talks up, the wife and I have already made plans (and as mentioned, if the conference is a several hour drive to get to, it's tough to keep the time open.)
I'm hoping (but not expecting) to get my employer to send me to Seattle again this year for Summit, because going to that last year was crazy-informative and useful. Sure, I brought back ideas for ways to improve our processes that didn't pan out (sigh, Test Data Manager sounded like SUCH a good idea,) some things that have improved how we do things, and several sessions that just plain helped me improve myself. I started looking into paying out-of-pocket to go, but my finances right now can't support the costs (and if I pay my own way, I CAN NOT get reimbursed by my employer, even if they end up approving my request to go on their nickel.)
Rod, another possibility that comes to my cold, black, cynical mind for your situation is something similar to my previous employer. They also wouldn't send people to conferences, training, or the like, the employees had to pay their own way. The reason I heard (second-hand,) was they were of the belief that if the people got trained and improved their skills, they'd quit and go elsewhere. Which in a way is rather indicative of how things were done at this business. Oh, and the management, all of them? Yeah, despite it having zero bearing on the core business (or even anything the company did,) they went on a company paid-for trip to Las Vegas every year for the Consumer Electronics Show, including admission to the show.
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