Episode 126
| March 08, 2018
| 60 minutes
SQLSaturday Edition
Have you attended a SQLSaturday event? They are great events and in this episode we chat with a few organizers about what goes into putting on an event and what they think the future of these events looks like.
Episode Quotes
Having that core team is really, really crucial.
As a new organizer, if you can think of something in your area that’s unique, something that speakers would want to do on a Friday that you can kind of roll in, that will help you get some speakers without a lot of cost.
As long as someone coordinates a place we’re going to, and as long as at SQL Saturday there’s a speaker’s room where we can chat, then really I’m getting the main benefit of all of this.
Our attendees are much more focused on “is this a good topic, is this something that interests me, is this something that I can take back to my job?”
It is so worth it and I am very, very happy that I’ve gotten involved with PASS at this level. It has done wonders for me professionally and personally.
Listen to Learn
00:36 Intro
01:53 Compañero Shout-Outs
02:55 SQL Server in the News
03:57 Intro to the guests and topic
08:40 Do you have a succession plan?
13:21 What do you wish attendees knew about putting on a SQL Saturday?
17:13 Speakers who go to multiple events have suggestions of what is being done elsewhere
19:27 Do organizers feel like they’re in an “arms race” with other events?
22:03 Traveling to SQL Saturdays outside your town
24:07 What can you do to make your event stand out for speakers?
27:11 Is there competition for coordinators to get speakers?
31:57 Big names. Can you get them? Do you need to?
35:03 Scheduling and dealing with conflicting events and holidays
36:32 Finding sponsors for your SQL Saturday
42:46 Pre-cons – to do them or not to do them?
46:47 Don’t let any of this scare you off from doing your own SQL Saturday
51:07 Closing Thoughts
55:05 Bonus: Thoughts on ending events early
Credits
Music for SQL Server in the News by Mansardian, used under Creative Commons
Our Guests
Andy Levy
Andy is a database administrator, PowerShell fan, former developer, Open Source contributor, RVer, and connoisseur of dad jokes (not in that order). He’s worn a number of IT hats since 1999 before landing in database administration, including web server administration and development, systems integration, and database development. When he isn’t picking queries apart and wrangling unruly herds of databases, he can be found planning next summer's family camping trips or mentoring the TAN[X] FIRST Robotics Competition team.
Chris Hyde
Chris Hyde is an independent SQL Server BI and DBA consultant based in Albuquerque, NM, and is the leader of the Albuquerque PASS local user group. He is a part of the Friends of Redgate program and was recently named in the Idera ACE class of 2018. He loves loud music and cricket, but not usually at the same time.
Eugene Meidinger
Starting out as an accidental DBA and developer, Eugene Meidinger now focuses primarily on BI consulting. He has been working with SQL Server for 6 years now, and is certified in Querying and Administering SQL Server 2012. He is a Pluralsight author on Power BI and also co-leads the Pittsburgh Power BI user group.
Meet the Hosts
Carlos Chacon
With more than 10 years of working with SQL Server, Carlos helps businesses ensure their SQL Server environments meet their users’ expectations. He can provide insights on performance, migrations, and disaster recovery. He is also active in the SQL Server community and regularly speaks at user group meetings and conferences. He helps support the free database monitoring tool found at databasehealth.com and provides training through SQL Trail events.
Eugene Meidinger
Eugene works as an independent BI consultant and Pluralsight author, specializing in Power BI and the Azure Data Platform. He has been working with data for over 8 years and speaks regularly at user groups and conferences. He also helps run the GroupBy online conference.
Kevin Feasel
Kevin is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP and proprietor of Catallaxy Services, LLC, where he specializes in T-SQL development, machine learning, and pulling rabbits out of hats on demand. He is the lead contributor to Curated SQL, president of the Triangle Area SQL Server Users Group, and author of the books PolyBase Revealed (Apress, 2020) and Finding Ghosts in Your Data: Anomaly Detection Techniques with Examples in Python (Apress, 2022). A resident of Durham, North Carolina, he can be found cycling the trails along the triangle whenever the weather's nice enough.
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