I'm done with SQLSaturday #14, actually stuck in Pensacola for an extra night, but that's another story.
It was a great event, and I have to say I was very surprised at the number and variety of speakers that came to contribute to the event. Karla Remail and Rodney Landrum put together a fantastic event that exceeded my expectations and it was a good time. If my daughter and Karla have anything to say about it, I'll be back next year.
The people I saw here, many of them contributing heavily to SQLServerCentral:
- Andy Warren
- Brian and Devin Knight
- Jessica Moss
- Plamen Ratchev
- Ken Simmons
- Tim Mitchell
- Brad McGehee
- Jack Corbett
- Tony Davis
And of course, me. It was quite a line-up, with quite a few other experienced speakers in addition to a few new, local speakers. A little over 180 people registered, and 170 attended! That seems like a record to me as I expect only about 2/3 of the registrations to attend. People came from Florida, Georgia, and nearby Alabama. I heard one guy drove 6 hours for the event!
I think that really shows the power of a free training event, even on a Saturday. It shows there are a lot of people committed to their careers, and employers ought to take note. I don't mention it, but I think putting this on your blog or as a part of your CV, is a good idea. Taking time out of your life to work on your career and learn things should be noted as someone that is willing to invest in themselves. Probably someone worth investing for an employer as well.
I came late, and left early, but made it to the speaker party and after-event party. My daughter put up with me pretty well during that, as you can see. This was a combination work/birthday trip for her, which limited my time. I did get to meet a few people and see how the event runs.
This was the third event I've seen held at a community college, and I think that's an outstanding venue. It allows for a lot of parking for free as well as a number of rooms. In this case it was the science/planetarium building at Pensacola Junior College, with a breezeway separating the two sides of the building where the sessions were held. I didn't see many people wandering around in between the sessions, which was good. At a few events I've seen lots of people not attending and hanging out, but here the hallways were deserted.
I spoke on the Modern Resume, and had about 25-30 people in attendance. Afterwards I got some feedback from people and even a couple emails, which was nice. My daughter flipped slides again, and that helped since I'd forgotten my hand clicker at home. I should have know with that even that the trip was destined to be trouble.
Looking over the session schedule, there were 5 happening simultaneously, and it was quite a bit of SSIS/BI stuff being presented. A great chance for people in the area to learn some new skills. If I were a DBA trying to maintain or improve my career, this event is every bit worth a day of my time and as valuable as any day at PASS, TechEd, or another conference. A few other notes from Brad McGeHee, Devin Knight, and Tim Mitchell as well on their takes.
If you're interested in putting on a SQLSaturday in your area, check out the SQLSaturday site. We have a couple national sponsors that will help you fund the event, and while it's a lot of work, it's also a great event that I'm sure you'll be proud of.
