I heard during last week that the 2009 PASS Community Summit will be back in Seattle, on Nov 3-6 next year. I think that's great and if you have plans to go, or are planning to go, or get get budget approved now and register at a discount, be sure to use our SSC6 code. You'll save $100, and get to come to our great party. A big writeup on that coming soon.

I think the Summit should be in Seattle every year. As much as I think Seattle in November is a miserable place, the Summit fits there. With Microsoft just across the water, there are literally hundreds of developers that come over to the Summit to interact with you, the customers, and find out what you think. They are always walking around and willing to answer questions.

Just don't ask them why SQL Server isn't available on floppy disks. Andy tried that one out on a few of them and got one guy backing away like he might be a little crazy and potentially dangerous, which is what I'd expect. Another guy tried to give him the solution of using WinZip or WinRAR to split the SQL Server DVD across floppies, apparently thinking Andy was serious.

In any case, outside of TechEd, this is the largest concentration of SQL Server people and that alone means it's worth having the Summit in Seattle. I'd prefer the Microsofties don't speak, just answer questions in the exhibit hall and outside sessions. That way we get less marketing stuff. 🙂

I went to Seattle most years for a conference and I think it was 4 or 5 years before I ever saw the sun outside, so Seattle isn't on my list of places to be in the winter. Still it's a nice city, and I had a good time over the weekend with my son touring various museums and things around Seattle.

There is some talk that if PASS continues to grow then the Washington State Convention Center won't be large enough to host the conference and it would have to be held elsewhere. If that's the case, then I have a solution for you:

Cap the Seattle conference at 2000 people, or some number that makes PASS money, but ensures it will sell out. Keep it in Seattle in November and have Microsoft really support it.

Then have a second, smaller conference in Orlando in the spring. Plenty of people on the East Coast would prefer that, they'll go, you can still make money there as well, and I'm sure Microsoft will give you some support. With hundreds of people submitting sessions for this Summit that didn't get to speak, I'm sure that you will have plenty of speakers and it would be the chance to have two successful events a year.

If you are a member of PASS, be sure to give them some feedback. I'm not sure how they decide where to hold the Summit (it's been in Chicago,. Orlando, Denver, and Dallas), but I think Seattle is the best location.