The PASS Summit 2018 schedule has been published, and I’m on it twice! On Monday, November 5, I am giving a full-day pre-con with Melissa Coates on Designing Modern Data and Analytics Solutions in Azure.  We’ll have presentations, hand-on labs, and open discussions about architecture options in Azure when building an analytics solution. If you’ve been wondering how your architecture should change when moving from on-premises solutions to PaaS solutions, when to use SSIS versus ADF V2, options for data virtualization, or what kind of data storage technology to use, we would love to have you attend our pre-con.

I also have a general session at PASS Summit: Do Your Data Visualizations Need A Makeover?. I’ll share the signs that your data visualizations aren’t providing a good experience for your users, explain the most common reasons why, and give you tips on how to fix it. Data visualization is a skill that must be learned and that we all should continue to sharpen.  We’ll have some fun discussing common mistakes and looking at examples. This session is scheduled for Wednesday, November 7 at 4:45pm.

If you are on the fence about attending PASS Summit, I highly recommend it, especially if you have never been. There are so many benefits for data professionals:

The content:

• There are opportunities to learn from some of the top Microsoft Data Platform experts in the world.
• Microsoft product and customer advisory teams have a large presence at the conference, so you can ask them questions and get advice.
• The wide array of content allows you to go deeper on topics with which you are already familiar or to get an intro to a topic that is adjacent to your current knowledge that just wasn’t clicking for you by reading blog posts or books.

The networking:

• You get to meet data professionals from all over the world. You can make new professional contacts and friends with whom you can keep in touch afterwards.
• If you are looking for a new job, it’s a great place to make connections.
• You can talk to the speakers whose blogs you read and conference sessions you attend! If you spot your favorite speaker at PASS Summit, it is a great place to introduce yourself or ask a question.

The fun:

• There are lots of community events, including happy hours, game nights, and more.
• There is always something to do for dinner, between receptions, sponsor parties, and friendly groups to tag along with.
• SQL Karaoke is happening somewhere pretty much every night.

These benefits are most definitely real, not just over-hyped advertising. I have friends and colleagues of many years that I first met at PASS Summit. I first met Melissa Coates at PASS Summit, and now I work with her and present with her. And I got to help edit the Power BI whitepaper she wrote with Chris Webb (whom I also first met at PASS Summit – I fan-girled a little and asked for his autograph on his Power Query book the year it came out).  I got job interviews after letting colleagues at PASS Summit know that I was looking one year. I had a blast singing karaoke with a live band at an evening event last year. I could continue this list for quite a while, but I think you get the picture.

If you will be attending PASS Summit for the first time, check out the attendee orientation from Denny Cherry on October 2nd as well as the buddy program and speed networking event at the conference.

If you haven’t registered for PASS Summit yet but are planning on it, check with your local SQL/Power BI user group or a PASS virtual chapter for discount codes.

I hope to see you there.