Quick notes on the event this year:
- Speaker party was well attended, but an especially noisy venue (sports bar). Good to have time to talk, but the noise level was tiring
- Main event was on June 3rd. A nice start start to summer!
- Event was held at Nova Southeastern University as usual, but there was a last minute (week) change to the building, with the new destination being directly next door in the library, adding maybe 2-3 minutes walk from the garage. Didn’t seem like this had a negative impact on the attendees finding it.
- The event was the same day as graduation so traffic was much, much heavier than usual. Parking seemed to work out, but took more time than on a normal weekend. Adding to it, all the graduates and families were walking by the library to get the auditorium. It’s easy to miss these sort of collisions (when SQLOrlando was meeting downtown we had to be very mindful of events at the arena that would saturate parking).
- The library as the venue worked out ok, could have been better implemented. A big part of that was of course the last minute change. Anytime you host an event at some place new it’s a real effort to figure out how the traffic will flow and how to make it work with the rooms available to you. Check-in was on the second floor along with coffee and the sponsor tables, most sessions were on the first floor, and couple were on the third floor.
- I delivered my session as the first of the day, no AV issues for me, and lots of good questions. I think I saw Richie Rump in the back of the room!
- Lunch was a fairly plain boxed lunch. It was free for as a speaker, was edible, but was not exciting. My guess is they used the catering on campus, but not sure.
- 32 sessions this year, starting at 9 am and running through 4pm followed by the raffle. Not a huge schedule, but good variety and I like it when the day ends a little early
- I’m not sure of the attendance, definitely felt lower than in previous years. I’m sure part of that was the COVID hiatus and part was the event team was stretched to get it all done while balancing personal and work commitments. That’s ok, all around. A bunch of people got a nice day of training and I appreciate – always – the effort it takes to make an event happen and it was a happy thing to see South Florida resume!
- I spent a couple hours after lunch in the open study area on the second floor just talking with people as they had time to stop with a range of topics from technical to work to event logistics to sponsors to buying new vehicles. That was for me the best part of the day, the chance for a calm and quiet conversation.
Overall a good event and now I have a few months until SQLSaturday in Orlando in October.