Voice of the DBA

Tag: SQL Saturday

  • SQLSaturday Bequeathed to PASS

    I guess you could look at this one of two ways. Either PASS acquired SQL Saturday, or we (Andy, Brian, and I) bequeathed it to PASS. The truth is it’s a bit of both. We were looking to get some help in keeping the SQLSaturday events going, while also freeing up the time required to make them happen.

    This was mostly Andy’s baby, from start to finish, with support from Brian and I, so the credit really goes to Andy. He came up with the idea, did most of the work with various people around the country to get the events setup and running, and he attended more than anyone. I think most of the event organizers would agree that Andy’s mentoring was invaluable in getting the SQL Saturday franchises up and running.

    This was a non-profit venture, which really didn’t make any money for the SQL Share (formerly End to End Training and JumpstartTV) company. It was a nice marketing move, it was great for the community, and I think a fantastic idea for keeping the SQL Server community vibrant. It was also a little bit of a time sink. That wasn’t great for something that wasn’t generating any revenue in this economy.

    This is a perfect venture for PASS to be involved in. It fits their mission, and I’m looking forward to seeing even more events in the future under the PASS/SQL Saturday brand.

    I had the privilege of going to 3 or 4 events over the last few years, and I’m looking to try to get to a few more this year. I’ll still be supporting the events, and speaking when I can.

  • SQLSaturday #23 – Session Submitted

    I’m committed to SQLSaturday #23 in Louisville on October 24, 2009. I got a note the other day from the organizer and today I sent back my session. I’d been waiting to hear from Red Gate that it was OK to go and commit, and I did last week.

    I submitted The Modern Resume presentation again, since that one has proven to be popular and I could use another delivery before the SQL Connections conference. I’m also working on a Hierarchy ID presentation that I’ll bring along. The last couple of events I’ve attended have had a cancellation, so it’s good to have something to present in case it’s needed.

    I also found out my wife is traveling that week, so it will be a bit of a kid shuffle. I think my sister-in-law can help, but I might end up taking a kid with me to Louisville. Fortunately my other sister-in-law lives there, so I don’t have to bring a kid to the event.

  • Guidance for SQL Saturday Organizers

    There’s just over a week until the SQL Saturday site goes dark and potentially we lose access to some data. While I don’t know when we will run a live SQL Saturday event again, I do know that the marketing is important.

    With that in mind, I recommend the following for anyone that has run a SQL Saturday event.

    1. Ensure you have a local mailing list, either with your chapter or create one at MailChimp.
    2. Email the attendees from your last event (if you can) with the directions for signing up on your local list. Ask them to do this now.

    I would do this 3-4 times across the next week. Most emails go unnoticed, and sending one final note will likely miss people, potentially many of them.

    This might not matter, but the more preparation you can make for post 15 Jan, the better.