Another week down and there are now 3-weeks until this year’s PASS Summit.  Take a moment and register now if you haven’t.  It’s really easy to do, click on the banner below and enter your information and your manager’s credit card information.  She called me earlier today, go ahead and do it.  No, really…

This post wouldn’t be any good if I didn’t add a video of sorts…

Yup, I’m an idiot.

Now that we are to this point, it is time to start thinking about the night life and what you are going to do with your evenings while at PASS.  For starters, there are a few things to keep in mind while making your evening plans:

1. Hanging out in your hotel room is not an after hours event.
2. Going to a movie is the wrong kind of after hours event.
3. Show up.  Say hi.  Stay a while.

One of the first times that I went to PASS, I had no idea what to do after the sessions ended.  I didn’t really know anyone but my co-worker that was there and we weren’t the most social people.  I’m kind of an introvert.  So we went to a few events – left early and actually considered a movie one night, but instead went back to our smelly hotel room.  DON’T DO THIS.

The PASS Summit is only a week and you can’t push off the opportunity to hang out with the people there for a week.  So, what are you supposed to do at night?

Scheduled Events

First, let’s look at the events that are scheduled:

Monday, October 10

6:00pm Monday Night Networking Dinner – Meet people that want to meet other people.  It’ll probably be easier to meet new peers here than it is to add people to your newest Google+ circle.

Tuesday, October 11

5:30pm First Timers Orientation and Networking Session – If this is your first time at PASS, you should be here.  A little anxious?  Suck it up – so is everyone else.  That’s the dirty little networking secret – almost everyone else is as nervous as you may be at networking.
6:30pm PASS Summit 2011 Welcome Reception and Quiz Bowl – It’s fun.  It’s questions.  It’s a chance to see my Quiz Bowl team not win anything.
8:00pm Red Gate Party – Want to throw down a few cards and chips.  This is the place to be.  A room full of hopes dashed by the cards.  Hang out and share your luck with other SQL Server professionals.

Wednesday, October 12

6:00pm Exhibitor Reception – Vendors and free food.  Listen to some of them talk and maybe find out your new project is just a purchase away from completion.  Or not… “dude, it’s free food”.
8:00pm Chapter Leaders Get-Together – Location is still being worked out, but this is an event being organized for chapter leaders and volunteers to share in the joy in putting together local PASS meetings.
7:00pm Inappropriate Sessions Party – Get together for some raunchy lightning talks that could only be hosted by Jennifer & Sean McCown (Blog | @midnightdba)
9:30pm SQL Karaoke – This is probably my favorite evening event.  Jager and singing.  The event starts at 9:30 when the KJ arrives and goes until the bar shuts down.  Get here early, because it tends to get packed and it will be standing room only after a while.  I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find me onsite with a table by 9:00 so come down and visit before the real fun starts. As Denny Cherry (Blog | @MrDenny) mentions in his post, come down to sing or watch – but stay for the sofa in the bathroom.

Thursday, October 13

7:00pm Community Appreciation Party – Gameworks for some free food, drinks and games.  Find out if the speaker from your afternoon session can bust out the moves on Dance, Dance Revolution.  Or can the chapter leader that you met over lunch out throw you in basketball.

Unscheduled Events

Of course, how can I tell you about unscheduled events.  Honestly, I can’t because by their nature they haven’t been scheduled.  This is where you come in.  At anytime, there are probably 5 or more people from PASS at whatever venue that you visit.  Look around and see, you may find a peer just around the corner.  Get together, share a table, then pull together a few others and a couple more tables.  And it is on… like Donkey Kong.

To help get unscheduled events going there are a few places that you may want to gravitate towards…

• The Tap House
• Bush Garden
• The Sheraton lobby

If you see a group of people, ask to join in.  Most of us don’t bite.

Related posts:

1. PASS 2011 Countdown – 5 Weeks To Go
2. PASS 2011 Countdown – 4 Weeks To Go
3. 1-Week to PASS Summit 2010 – After Hours