What will I be doing at PASS?
I felt horrible last year when I missed the MVP Deep Dives book signing at PASS. I took part instead in a focus group that ran a little late, and still regret it. So this year I wanted to get a jump on where I'll be, and this will help me stick with it. So if you'll be at PASS and want to track me down to meet me, catch up, or punch me in the throat, I'll outline where I'll be – at least to the best of my knowledge at this time:
Monday, November 8th
[EDIT] Apparently there are some MVP meetings on Monday, too. Who knew? Can't wait to see a schedule.
Monday night is the Welcome Reception and QuizBowl, and then there's the SQL Server Central party.
Tuesday, November 9th
I will be at the bloggers' table during Ted Kummert's opening keynote, from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM. Then you can find me in the Meet the Bloggers lounge from 10:45 AM – Noon. During lunch, you may spot me stalking tables and heckling during the Birds of a Feather luncheon, organized by Mike Walsh (blog | twitter). I may also find a window to pop into the Ask the Experts lounge, operating from 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM on Tuesday. Then in the evening is SQL Sentry's annual party – I think I'm invited again this year, especially now that I work there. 🙂
Wednesday, November 10th
Again, I will start the day at the bloggers' table for Quentin Clark's keynote, from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM, and I expect to hit the Meet the Bloggers lounge between 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM. I won't be at the Women in Technology Panel Discussion, but it's not because I'm a man. You don't have to be female to attend, and it's just a coincidence that it falls on kilt day, really. And I may stop by the Ask the Experts lounge on Wednesday too; it operates from 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Thursday, November 11th
You may sense a common theme here – I will, once again, be at the bloggers' table during the keynote, from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM. This is David DeWitt's keynote, and the 2 hour block of time during PASS that I am most looking forward to (see more on that below). There is a focus group on SQL Server & SCOM at 6:00 PM, then I will be attending RedGate's annual MVP dinner.
Friday, November 12th
If you're an MVP and are around on Friday, we'll probably be in the same room, or at least the same hallway – if previous events are any indication, we'll have some heavy sessions on campus. Then there is the annual MVP dinner taking place on Friday as well (this year it's being sponsored by Quest). If you're not an MVP (or a softie), chances are I won't see you on Friday, unless we share a flight back to the fairer coast.
Throughout
I will be present in the SQL Sentry booth when possible. Come visit us in the Expo Hall! We'd love to hear your feedback on our new free tool, Plan Explorer, or the suite of SQL Sentry products in general. If you aren't already using SQL Sentry's tools, come by and see a demo or chat with the team. We also have very cool swag this year – while it's not a lava lamp, it serves multiple very complementary purposes.
If there's any time remaining, I'm hoping to attend some great sessions. I'll talk about which ones as the Summit gets closer. But don't be too surprised if I hit you up for some conversation in the hallway, the lunchroom, or the exhibition hall. And don't be afraid to stop me if you see me around – especially if you read this blog and we've never met!
What's that? You won't be at PASS?
Well, I'm truly sorry that you won't be able to be there, as it really is the premier event for SQL Server professionals at all levels. But just because you won't be freezing your butt off with us in Seattle, doesn't mean you can't feel involved! Several of us will blogging live from the keynotes, and I'm sure you can catch a lot of the conversation if you follow the twitter hash tag #sqlpass and, if you're interested in following the Women in Technology conversations, follow #passwit. There will be live streams displayed on monitors at the event, so please use judgment and self-control when posting anything to those hash tags. We saw some interesting conversations develop last year; you know who you are. 🙂 And if you watch the photo streams and such on Wednesday, you should see plenty of kilt action. You know, if you're into to that kind of thing.
In addition to all of the live blogging and the real-time twitter stream from your favorite bloggers and online personalities, you will still be able to enjoy several of the festivities from the comfort of your bedroom, boardroom or office. How is this possible? Because PASS will be streaming several events live, and the streaming events will be free for everyone (you just need to register). You can take advantage of this even if you're at PASS, and can't make the keynote in person because you're wallowing in your hotel room, recovering from the night before (this might only be an issue the morning after karaoke, but who knows). Here are the events that will be covered:
Opening keynote, Ted Kummert:
Tuesday, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AMDay 2 keynote, Quentin Clark:
Wednesday, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AMWomen in Technology Panel Discussion:
Wednesday, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PMClosing keynote, David DeWitt:
Thursday, 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Not to take away from anything else, but if you were at PASS last year, you'll know that David DeWitt is not a speaker to miss. So put November 11th on your calendar now, and be prepared to learn about the future of query optimization and execution plans from one of the best speakers you'll ever experience. Just don't forget to register.
If you WILL be at PASS, well, I'll see you there!
