Voice of the DBA

Tag: speaking

  • SQL Saturday #131 Recap

    This past weekend I attended a SQL Saturday in the desert. SQL Saturday #131 was held in Phoenix, AZ

    Photo Apr 28, 9 28 01 AM

    It’s April, but it was definitely hot. However the campus at Chandler Gilbert Community College was geared to the desert with lots of shade and open spaces. I was surprised how comfortable some of the places were on a 90+F day.

    Friday night was the speaker / volunteer dinner, at a nice Mexican restaurant in Chandler. Kudos to the SQL Saturday team for the venue. Quite a few people attended, enjoying a few drinks and good food.

    Photo Apr 27, 8 03 30 PM

    Amy Lewis (@Amy_LewisAZ) was the organizer, and she had everyone play a little networking game. We all had to stand up and say where we were from, what we were talking about, and then tell three facts about ourselves, one of which was a lie. There were some interesting lies, and some neat facts about different people. All in all, a fun time. You can see Amy egging us on below.

    Photo Apr 27, 8 26 08 PM

    The venue was easy to find, and it consisted of the science building at the college and one of the student centers. The student center had all the vendors, good, and a very open space, surrounded by windows.

    Photo Apr 28, 9 19 15 AM

    The speaking rooms were well equipped college rooms, with projectors and desks. A few of them were a little small, but things worked out well with 7 tracks for the 250-300 people that attended.

    Photo Apr 28, 9 37 05 AM

    I presented two sessions: Encryption in SQL Server and Branding Yourself for a Dream Job. Both went well, with no issues. Hopefully people enjoyed them. I got some good feedback, but few evaluation slips.

    I went to see a few people speak. I saw Robert Miller (@RobertMiller) talk about Change Tracking, which is a neat feature that you might want to check out if you need to audit things or manage ETL processes. I also snuck into part of Will Sisney’s (@HanSQL | blog) 9 Secrets to a Stellar Performance Review talk, which was great. I’d recommend that one for sure.

    Photo Apr 28, 10 32 15 AM

    I had a short break in the open space above, which wasn’t that hot if you weren’t in direct sunlight. I was tempted to do my Branding talk out here, but it really needs a little AV. Afterwards I wandered into Bill Pearson’s SSAS Best Practices talk. This was the first time I had the chance to see Bill speak, and he does a great job. Bill is very smart, and I enjoy listening to his Southern accent and country analogies, but a word of warning. Bill moves fast, he covers a lot of ground, and you should have some idea of the topic if you want to keep up.

    Photo Apr 28, 10 38 13 AM

    I got a patch, which was cool. I assume these come from the national SQL Saturday people, though I’d like to get these, or pins, instead of shirts for the speakers. I’ve spoken at probably close to 20 SQL Saturdays, and that’s enough shirts for a solid month of business work. I’ve gotten some nice shirts, but at this point, I’d like to see something else.

    And a nice special treat in the speaker room. Cookies!

    Photo Apr 28, 1 41 43 PM

    A fun event, that ran smoothly, and one I enjoyed. I hope to go back there sometime in the future.

  • SQL Saturday #131 – Phoenix Schedule Posted

    I got an email today from the SQL Saturday #131 crew with the schedule posted, showing me listed for two sessions. I’m delivering these items:

    These are sessions I’ve done elsewhere and they’ve been popular, so I’m hoping they go over well.

    The event is Apr 28, just a few weeks away, in Phoenix, AZ at Chandler-Gilbert Community College Pecos Campus. I like Phoenix, and it will be nice to go back. I’ve been there multiple times for vacation and for baseball. Unfortunately, this will be a short trip, with lots of other stuff scheduled.

    If you will be in the area on Apr 28, and want to learn a little SQL, think about registering and coming by the event.

  • Off to Vegas for DevConnections

    A few last minute prep items for DevConnections and I leave in a few hours for Las Vegas. My first trip since last November, and it’s been a welcome break from being on the road. I suspect that won’t last and I’ll be traveling to more spots in the future, but for now I only have a few things planned.

    SQL Server Connections is a great conference, in a fun city, and I look forward to attending. Not as much social activity as the PASS Summit, but a more intimate feel, and a diverse audience, with the chance to see talks on Windows, Exchange, development topics, Sharepoint, and more.

    I’m doing three talks this time:

    Unstructured Data in SQL Server – a look at Filestream and Filetable

    Contained Databases in SQL Server 2012 – as the name says, a look at partial containment.

    An Encryption Primer – a basic look at encryption options and techniques in SQL Server.

    If you’re at the show, please stop by and say hi, either around one of my sessions, or anytime you see me walking around in the cowboy hat.

    If you’re a runner, we’ll likely be running each morning (Tue, Wed, and Thur) around the MGM at 6:45 or so. We should be in the lobby, and if you’re interested in joining us, feel free.

  • Back to Vegas

    Back to Vegas for SQL Server Connections in 2012

    I enjoy Las Vegas and am glad to be heading back to present at the Spring SQL Server Connections conference in March. If you wear a number of hats at your job, and deal with a variety of platforms in the Microsoft technology stack, this is a great event to attend. There are nine conferences taking place at the same time, in the same place, and you get the chance to see sessions from Mark Minasi on Windows, Scott Hillier on Sharepoint, Miguel Castro on Visual Studio, and more along with your SQL Server sessions.

    I know you can’t attend every session, and you can’t see all the content that week, but the sessions are recorded and attendees can get DVDs of the content. I love that, and it means I can pop in and out of sessions, checking out the content and topics, and mark those in a program that I want to watch later. It also means that I can focus on the important parts of the conference: meeting people.

    When I’m looking to learn, I try to make time to talk to the people that can teach me something or answer a question I have. I can always email someone later, but the chance to have a meaningful conversation is worth the time spent at events.

    I like going to Las Vegas, but not for the reasons that many people go. I don’t gamble, having bet exactly $0 on my last two trips. I don’t stay out too late, or attend the shows. I go because the weather is great, it’s close to home, and I get the chance to network and bond with people in this amazing SQL Server community.

    Ask your boss for some training money, and come join me this March in Las Vegas.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts