PASS Summit 2014....here it comes!

Once again, the PASS community will come together in Seattle for the annual Summit. If you haven't registered yet, there is still time (the countdown is on)!

For those who have not attended previously, there are some things you should know about visiting Seattle and making it through Summit with the best possible experience. To that end, PASS is putting together a series of 'Get to Know Your Community' sessions throughout the event. Hear from these great SQL Community voices on how to get the most of out Summit and your PASS membership! Full details can be found on the PASS Summit Schedule page.

Kevin Kline  |  Mark Broadbent & Buck Woody  |  Jose Rivera  |  Wendy Pastrick

Jes Borland & Kendal VanDyke  |  Ryan Adams  |  PASS Program Committee 

 I also have some tips and thoughts to share. Before you leave home, a little prep work will make your trip better. There are a few things I like to do before Summit:

1. Get a flu shot. It's a long week of shaking hands and making new friends, so I'm scheduling my flu shot for 2 weeks before Summit arrival.
2. ELECTION TIME! In the USA, it's time to vote, so make sure you do your civic duty and get that Absentee ballot in. You will be in Seattle on election day.

Packing Tips

1. Shoes - you will be walking. Bring comfortable shoes. Bring a spare pair of shoes. The Convention Center is massive and just about everything in the evenings is a short walk.
2. Don't bother with an umbrella. Many of the buildings downtown have awnings for the misty, drippy substance that falls down most of the time. It is rare to have a full downpour, although it HAS happened and if you need to go more than a few blocks, just catch a cab. Best idea - bring a coat with a hood!
3. Ladies - consider a small purse you can wear under your jacket, or opt for pockets only when going out for the evening. 

Seattle is a really awesome city. My father lived there for several years and I got to know the area well over that time. This year will make 11 (12?) years I've been attending Summit. There are some tips and info I'd like to share to make your stay more enjoyable.

• Take the train! When you arrive at SEATAC airport, you could hop in a cab and it will be about $40-60 to your hotel and will take about 30 minutes. Another great option is the Central Link Light Rail which will run you $2.75. The ride is about 40-45 minutes and if you come in on Sunday, you might get to witness all the Seahawks fans going to watch the game.
• Pike's Place Market is a Must See. After your full day of brain stuffing, walk down the short 6-7 blocks from the Convention Center toward the Sound, and you can't miss Pike's Place area. Tons of food options (watch out for flying fish!) and catacombs of shopping to explore here! This is the perfect spot to pick up those souvenirs to take home. 
• A host of other museums and fun spots abound (Space Needle, Science Museum, etc). Check them out here and learn how to access them via the Monorail!
• Eat Seafood! You are in Seattle, and many awesome restaurants are along the piers - just down, down, down the stairs from Pike's Market. Grab a group of your new SQL friends and have a nice dinner out.
• Go off the beaten path and hit up some clubs in the Pioneer Square area, or check out some local breweries, or - you do know that Seattle has awesome bands, right? A host of spots can be found on Seattle Nightlife.

Nightlife around Summit is the best time to meet people in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. There are a few places you are bound to see many Summit attendees.

• Tap House Grill, not even a block from the Sheraton, is open late and anyone still out after midnight often will congregate here.
• Bush Garden is the #sqlkaraoke spot. This one is a good walk for those so inclined, but many take a cab. Singing not required. Just go and have a good time!
• Speaking of #sqlkaraoke, Mr. Denny Cherry and SIOS host another party on Tuesday night.
• Many vendor parties spring up as the dates draw nearer. If you don't hear about them beforehand, don't worry - many give out wristbands or tickets at the Exhibitor Reception or just by stopping in at the booth before the evening festivities.
• A whole list of After Hours Events are posted on the Summit site, too! This is updated frequently, and some require RSVP, so check back now and then.

Get out, meet people, enjoy the evenings; this is what makes Summit the best conference for SQL professionals! 

Final note - as with any major city, keep your wits about you as you are getting around. Don't walk around with your nose and eyes in your smartphone. There are a lot, and I mean a LOT of homeless people in the downtown area. They will constantly hit you up for a dollar, or whatever. Mostly they don't cause any trouble, but it's always best to walk with purpose, keep your head up and be aware of your surroundings.

I'm looking forward to meeting you in Seattle. Just stop by the Community Zone and say "Hi!"

PASS Summit Memories

Another #memeMonday

Yeah, I know...It's Friday. Deal.
**Authors note: I scheduled this to post last Friday, apparently that did NOT happen.

All week, people have been posting some of their favorite memories from the PASS Annual Summit. I am fortunate that for me, there are many to choose from. Some, people have heard me tell a few times, others I'm under strict NDA, so you'll just have to hang out and catch those as they happen!

My first, and still my fondest Summit memory is from my very first Summit, back in Orlando in the Year of the Hurricane. The Summit was actually delayed a day, but I had no trouble arriving on schedule, so I did what any Midwesterner would do when in Florida in November...I went to Epcot!  That evening, it was time for the Welcome Reception at the resort, so I spruced up, pushed the elevator button and waited to descend 30-some-odd floors to the party.

It was on that fateful elevator ride I met my first other attendee at the Summit*. A nice-looking guy with glasses and a mischievous smile was wearing a badge and reading it, I happened to notice he was from Kansas City. Having grown up in St. Louis, and having spent a few years just outside of KC and visiting family there often (my home-away-from-home, truly), I felt an immediate kinship with this fellow Missourian, so I introduced myself. Being horrible with names, I was happy that his was easy to remember: Bill. Whew, nothing like trying to meet new people and forgetting their names...Bill would be easy enough to commit to memory. So we chatted for a minute or two about KC and the Summit and he learned this was my first time attending. I was really excited when he mentioned he would like to introduce me to some other people he knew attending, as I wasn't much looking forward to standing around at a big party with no one to talk to.

As we enter the party, my new friend looks around for his other 'people' and spots them several feet away.

"Hey DENISE! I have another one for you!" I hear him call. Now that made me giggle :) This wasn't my first technical conference, so I get it that women are few and far between at these things**. Plus, I could tell this guy was being genuine and he really was excited to help the ladies network. I spent the rest of the evening, and the Summit that year hanging out with my new found friends.

And, that, dear reader, is how I met Bill Graziano and Denise McInerny at my very first Summit!


*Okay, that's stretching it a tad, I did meet some other folks on the bus to Epcot.
**It's impressive how the percentage of female attendes has grown at Summit over the years.

What's your PASSion?

It's a little late for a SQL PASS Summit 2010 recap, but I still wanted to share some of my experience from the event.

Each year, an award is given to a single recipient for displaying a passion in working with PASS and the SQL Server Community: The PASSion Award. This year, I was honored and humbled to be that person. Looking back at this past year, I'm dumbfounded to see all the things in which I became involved. It started with a letter sent to my current General Manager trying to justify my attendance at the Summit. What did I do? Started a new User Group in the Chicago suburbs, tried my hand at blogging, brought together Team SQL Saturday for the Chicago event, worked as co-chair for the Women In Technology Virtual Chapter, worked on the WIT Luncheon for the Summit, spoke at a few UG meetings and SQL Saturdays, and became a Regional Mentor for the Midwest. You know what, even looking at that list, I still feel that I didn't do all I wanted. Most of these things were (and still are) hard work, and yes, the ball gets dropped now and then. Looks like Michelangelo's theory is true:

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.”

I started thinking 'What drives passion'? What motivates any one person to get out there and spend their spare time working on things that may or may not come to fruition? Taking a look inward, I have to say that I never intended to do any of these things with any tangible goals in mind other than "bring people together". As to the question of Why? - honestly it was more the fact that I had a an opportunity to work with really fun people who wanted to do the same things I did - so, I took it. Maybe I just got lucky that those opportunities happened somewhat simultaneously. However, looking at it more realistically, each one grew out of another.

Thank you to all the wonderful people I've met, worked with and studied from over this past year. You make it fun and worth doing!

So, go now, find your PASSion and have fun, plus meet like-minded people along the way! You really can get back out of it, sometimes even greater than, what you put into it.

Consider yourself tagged :)

The Summit is Coming! The Summit is Coming!

Looks like the trend this year is to write a blog post about where you believe you will be at certain times at the SQL PASS Annual Summit. Seems a good idea to me, so along with a few additional items for your packing list, I'll share my week outlook here, too!

Packing
A few items that we normally do not find on a packing list:

• SQL Saturday shirts - Tuesday is unofficially the Official Wear Your SQL Saturday Shirt(s) Day. If you have one, wear it!
• Kilt - Wednesday is the official #sqlkilt (twitter tag) day at the Summit. Wear one or be ridiculed. Proper footwear not requried. Neither are bagpipes.
• MOO Cards - or at least something with information about yourself so people can dig you up later. Or ask you to speak their event. Or invite you to dinner. Or...or...or...
• Smartphone of some kind or Netbook - anything that allows you stay connected while at the conference. Twitter is Everywhere at the Summit and if you want to stay In-The-Know, you better come prepared.
• Umbrella - let's face it, if we all bring umbrellas, it won't rain in Seattle.
• Comfortable shoes - maybe more than one pair. You will be walking. And walking. And walking. And loving it! The company is always worth the walk :)

Schedule
Okay, here's my tentative schedule as I know it. Feel free to drop me a tweet or email if you want to meet up!

Sunday

• Arrive noon-ish. Should be at Westin around 1pm
• 6pm Registration Opens! I'm planning to buzz over to say Hi to some people and get a free drink from Board member Bill Graziano (thanks, Bill!)
• Meeting up with people for an Underground Tour (previously booked)
• Afters, anyone?

Monday

• Photowalk? It Depends...
• 10am SQL Saturday Roundtable
• Volunteer Meeting & Networking session with Don Gabor
• 5:45 Meetup with Orientation Committee group in the lobby of the Convention Center.We will proceed up the escalators to head in to a Pre-Welcome session
• 6:30 Welcome Reception and Quiz Bowl. Come by to cheer me on as I partner with Allen White!
• Karaoke anyone?

Tuesday

• Opening Keynote - I'll be wearing a Red Vest at breakfast and then sitting at the Bloggers table
• 3:30 Regional Mentor meeting
• Afters: another pre-arranged party, but surely meeting up at Tap House or somewhere after

Wednesday

• 9:30 Virtual Chapter meeting
• 10:15 Chapter Meeting
• 11:00 WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY LUNCHEON - If you don't come I will find you and tweak your nose. We will be on the interwebz = LiveStream!
• 4-5pm Meet the Bloggers table in the Exhibit Hall
• Sushi Dinner!
• Gameworks Microsoft appreciation party
• Karaoke at Bush Gardens after

Thursday

• 11:30 Chapters Lunch - I'll be the representative Regional Mentor for the Midwest Region. There will also be a Women In Tech table, so check it out!
• Late night: The Salsa Shoes are coming out of the bag and it's Dancing time at the Century Ballroom. All are welcome - 9pm Lesson included with $7 admission.

Friday

• Hoping to catch one of the Post-Conference Sessions
• Heading back home on a 6pm flight

Sessions, sleep and everything else fall in there at some point, too. You're always welcome to stop me if you see me in the hall or come on over and sit with me in a session or lunch! I'm a social creature, and while I have been known to hang out with the Scary DBA, don't let that scare you away!

Karaoke - SQL Geek Style

Earlier this year there was a lot of smack talk around the (now) annual SQL Karaoke outing at the PASS Summit. Like a good data professional, I compiled those which came across my screen. Here they are - enjoy!

These should all be available if you search the #sqlkaraoke twitter tag:
GarethSwan - CCR Have you ever seen the rain

Lori Edwards - Looking Glass Brandi you're a Fine Girl; Foreigner Juke Box Hero
Colin - Air Supply Making Love out of Nothing At All; Lionel Richie Hello

Billy Squire The Stroke (*The Cros Josh Crosby)
Bell Biv Devoe - Poison (*Brent Ozar)
Prince - Kiss (*Colin)
Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back In Town (Pat Wright)
Neal Mccoy - Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On (*Allen Kinsel)
Biz Markie - Just a Friend (*Brent Ozar)
* Someone wants you to sing this or heard you would be willing to sing it

Personally, I'm never sure what I'll get onstage with, but I have a few ideas!