Voice of the DBA

Tag: SQL Saturday

  • One Thousand SQL Saturdays (*ish)

    This weekend is SQL Saturday #1000, running virtually from Oregon. It’s a good schedule, with lots of neat sessions. I’ll be speaking in the am, and am happy to be a part of this event.

    When this appeared on the schedule early this year, I started making plans and leaving space in my schedule for this event. When the pandemic hit, I had hopes that we might be back to events by now, but sadly, that’s not the case.

    Still, it’s the 1000th SQL Saturday scheduled, and I’m thrilled that we’ve gotten here. From 2007 and SQL Saturday #1 in Orlando to #1000 in Oregon, it’s been an amazing ride.

    You can register and watch this weekend if you aren’t tired of online video.

  • A Broken Streak

    SQL Saturday #1 was in Orlando, as the first actual event that has gotten us to nearly 1000 in just over a decade. I didn’t go to the first one, but I did go to SQL Saturday #8 and many more since that time. I’ve been luck to get back to Orlando a few times, and I look forward to more in the future.

    Andy Warren announced that this year’s SQL Saturday in Orlando is cancelled. This breaks the longest streak so far, and I’m sad to see that. I wasn’t likely to go to Orlando this year, though this city is always on my list. I was hoping the event would take place in some form, but I understand the desire to step back and examine how to move forward.

    A virtual SQL Saturday isn’t quite the same for me. I’ve presented at one, and submitted to a couple more to support them, but I don’t love this format, and I think it becomes hard to make it a special event for your city. I know a few more are planned for 2020, and I hope someone runs a SQL Saturday with only local speakers for that area. That might make it feel like a local event.

    Since the pandemic hit, and since SQL Saturday #950 in Victoria, I’m not sure anyone has held a live event. I’m not sure when the next live SQL Saturday will be, but I’m hoping that it happens in 2021 sometime. I don’t think anyone can plan for this year, but I am hopeful we will find a way to get back to some live interaction next year.

    We have until 14 Mar, 2021 to avoid losing a whole year of SQL Saturdays and breaking a streak of having them every year since 2007. I’m confident that if it’s safe, someone will organize and run a SQL Saturday as soon as they can. I’m also sure it will be well attended as I’m guessing many of you are looking forward to a live event as much as I am. I just hope I get the chance to speak, because I will certainly be ready for a live audience.

    Steve Jones

    Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Stitcher or iTunes.

  • 1000 SQL Saturdays

    One thousand is just a number, but it’s also more than a number in this instance. One thousand is a milestone that I couldn’t have imagined a decade ago when thinking of SQL Saturdays. PASS has announced that SQL Saturday #1000 will be on October 24, 2020, in Portland, Oregon. Congrats to the team there, they’ve were one of the first to hold an event, have had many over the years, and I hope I have the opportunity to attend.

    I wrote a few thoughts for the PASS blog, as did my fellow SQLServerCentral founders, Andy Warren and Brian Knight. The three of us have spent a large portion of our careers trying to educate and help others become better data professionals, and we’re all proud of the way all the organizers have worked to plan and run SQL Saturday events. We’ve amazed that so many community members have stepped forward to share their knowledge and speak at the more than 100 SQL Saturdays that occur each year.

    Reza Rad produced a PowerBI report that shows we had 4 people speak at a 100 or more events. Kevin Boles (134), Kevin Feasel (115), Janis Griffin (107), and Rob Volk (100), all of whom deserve a virtual round of applause for all the time and resources they’ve donated to the community. Many others are on the list with dozens of events and hundreds more have spoken at a few events. If you scroll down the speaker section of the report, it’s an amazing and impressive number of people that have spoken at more than one event. An amazing way to support this community.

    We’re data people, and numbers often have an impact on us. While we’ve had 20 PASS Summits, we’re about to have 1000 SQL Saturdays in a fraction of the time it took for those 20. I hope that more of you get the chance to experience one in your area sometime in the next decade. I also hope more of you decide to step forward and help organize or speak at one of the next thousand.

    Steve Jones

    Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Stitcher or iTunes.

  • The Future of Database Development at SQL Saturday #870–Memphis

    I’m off to Memphis today for SQL Saturday #870. I’m excited as I’ve never been to Memphis and hope to wander around and see something while I’m there. I know Tennessee has a great #sqlfamily, so I’m looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones.

    If you’re in the area, register and come out for a free day of learning tomorrow. The event is at the FedEx Institute of Technology, and there are a lot of great sessions on the schedule.

    I’ll be delivering The Future of Database Development with Containers at 2:45. This is a fun session and I’ll be referencing some research we’ve done at Redgate that might change how we help you develop with databases in the future.

    Come join me and shake my hand tomorrow in Memphis.