PASS Summit 2010 in Seattle
November is my favorite time of year. Thanksgiving is coming later in the month, which leads to the start of the Christmas season and then New Year’s. But before all that, comes my favorite conference – The PASS Summit. This year it is in Seattle again. Let’s take a look what is going on…. I always sign up for a pre-conference full day session on the Monday before the conference. This year, I have enrolled in “Database Best Practices for the Involuntary DBA” with Paul Randal and Kimberly Tripp. Paul and Kimberly always make their sessions entertaining and informative in equal doses. I am looking forward to learning some tips and tricks, not only on the technical side but also how to make a dry subject actually fun. I’ll also make a trip to the Microsoft Labs area, as I am always interested in new labs that have been developed with SQL Server 2008 R2. They usually have the latest classroom hardware with a paper-less approach to lab instructions as part of the conference going “green”. Monday evening there is a “Welcome Reception & Quiz Bowl” which is always a fun way to meet old friends and network with new ones followed by a game of SQL Jeopardy. I used to always finish my classes with a similar game. Maybe I should re-introduce that as a way to verify learning with a smile. This year, for the first time, the keynote speeches will be streamed live over the internet. This is something I had recommended a couple years ago so I am glad this is starting to be available. Maybe one day we will be able to watch all sessions live over the web for a price. However, maybe the worry over diminishing the live attendee number prevents doing that now. It certainly is worth attending in person but that is not always possible. The Women in Technology Panel Discussion will also be available via live stream. This luncheon session is open to both men and women who care about increasing the role of women in the technology work place. Unfortunately, there is no free lunch over the web. You can’t have everything! In my next Blog posts I’ll be outlining other sessions I’ll be attending. For more information see http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/na2010/ Cheers Brian
