PASS Summit 2015: Recommendations and Invitations (#sqlpass #Summit15)

The last week of October, we’ll be at the PASS Summit in Seattle, WA.  As some of you already know – and as I said last year – “this is the highlight of most SQL Server speakers’ years…a sort of educational, Christmassy nerdfest, with a feel of a class reunion mixed in.”  It’s gonna be a blast, again, and so here’s some of the stuff you should know about.

Beforehand

You really ought to register, you know, and while you’re at it you might want to sign up for an all day pre-conference session (a “precon”). We’re giving one this year titled “The Enterprise Scripting Workshop“!

Get on Twitter to connect with other attendees. #Summit15 is the official hashtag, but most of us tend to use the more general #sqlpass.

Denny Cherry hosts an annual PASS Summit First Timer’s webcast, which he records and posts. Check out his site for the recording.

24 Hours of PASS – 24 hours of live, free webcasts – was September 17 and 18. Recordings are here; definitely catch Sean’s precon preview.

Taking part, if you can’t attend

The keynotes and luncheons are usually live broadcast, and you can order session recordings to cuddle up with at home. I suppose you can put on a kilt, go hit a karaoke bar with friends, drink too much, and contract the nerd flu, if it’ll make you feel more like you were at Summit. That’s what I’d do.

Some of the best stuff, if you’re there

Right before the Summit starts:

• Consider going on a long run Sunday morning (October 25), or a 5k walk or run on Wednesday morning! See #SQLLongRun and #SQLRun, respectively.
• And introducing #SQLYoga! Related blog.
• Monday, October 25, hit up SQL in the City: Redgate’s free one day conference. We’ll be attending this year!
• Monday, October 25  (6-8pm), have a meetup with the MidnightDBAs at Top Pot Doughnuts on 5th Ave. Yes, it’s donuts for dinner, and we’re fine with that. Or consider it a sweet, sweet appetizer. Register now!

During the Summit:

• There’s a first timer orientation on Tuesday night, right before the welcome reception.
• Come see us in the vendor area! MinionWare.net is an official PASS Summit 2015 sponsor, and we’re really excited about it.
• Hit a luncheon or two:  Women in Technology, and/or the Birds of a Feather (if they’re having it this year…I haven’t heard yet).
• Drop by the evening events. The Welcome Reception is usually worthwhile, and the Community Appreciation Party was at the quite awesome EMP Museum last year! (No idea yet where it is this year…)
• There are always more events, so keep an eye on Twitter and on the Summit website for photowalks, karaoke, Kilt Day, and more.

Our Sessions

• On Tuesday October 27, Sean and I present “The Enterprise Scripting Workshop” precon.
• I am on a panel with Karen Lopez and Allan Hirt: “Panel: Will the DBA Job of the Future Still Involve DBAs?”
• And Sean is presenting his outstanding “Monster Text Manipulation: Regular Expressions for the DBA”.

Happy days,
Jen McCown
http://www.MidnightDBA.com/Jen

P.S. For those who missed something in particular from this announcement, email DM or email me with your questions: Jen at MidnightDBA com. Apologies to the rest of you for the cryptic postscript.