I just wrapped up a high-octane day of SQL Server community education at SQL Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. This event, the third thus far in a series of training opportunities for SQL Server professionals, is loosely based on the Code Camp model and is billed as a community event. I enjoy these kind of events, having attended several Code Camps and other similar training opportunities. They are community-based, meaning that most of the trainers are peer professionals and not professional technical educators. Events are held on the weekends, and by the way, they're free to attendees.

I stepped in and did something I had never done before: I volunteered to be a presenter at this event. I've been working toward expanding my capabilities by writing and speaking more, and this was a great opportunity to do the latter (and hopefully will open some doors for the former). The session I presented addressed the SMO (SQL Server Management Objects) framework and how DBAs and developers can use these objects to automate the administration of SQL Server instances throughout an organization. As I shared with my attendees, SMO is the coolest technology that nobody is using. I've posted my notes from this session on my website, so if you're interested in learning more about SMO feel free to download the slide deck and samples and use them as you will (these will likely be posted on the SQLSaturday website as well).

I got to spend some time visiting with Andy Warren and Brian Knight about the framework of the SQL Saturday event, and I am convinced that something like this would be a big hit back home (the Dallas/Ft. Worth area). There is a large user base, and there are enough people who have demonstrated a willingness to volunteer their time to make such an event a success in north Texas. I plan to seriously pursue this so if you are interested in seeing a SQL Saturday event in the Dallas area, please let me know.

If you are a north Floridian or will be in that area next month, there is actually another SQL Saturday event coming up next month at the Orange County Convention Center. If you can make it, I encourage you to stop by.