July 28, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item How Far Have You Traveled for a SQL Saturday?
July 29, 2016 at 1:24 am
I haven't been to one. Unfortunately. (All on me, I know.)
I don't think that I would travel much more than 30 miles (one way) given family commitments.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
July 29, 2016 at 1:24 am
We (3 of us) traveled 160 km twice. Two of our colleagues, from our remote site, traveled 300 km once. It is just too much, so we stopped attending.
5ilverFox
Consulting DBA / Developer
South Africa
July 29, 2016 at 2:03 am
I'm going to be an outlyer, but most of these were paired with a second event in the same region (eg MVP Summit, SQLBits, etc), and I was speaking at the SQL Saturday
Vancouver:16 500km (paired with MVP Summit)
Iceland: 11 000km (paired with InsideSQL)
Dublin: 9 500km (paired with SQLSkills training)
Vienna: 8 400km (paired with SQLBits)
Cape Town: 1300km
Durban: 600km
Johannesburg: 14km
If I was attending, not speaking, I doubt I'd go to any event other than Johannesburg.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 29, 2016 at 2:37 am
I travelled 88 miles for SQL Saturday #411 in Cambridge, just attending not speaking.
Also travelled 109 miles for SQLBits XIV in London, and 99 miles for SQLBits XV in Liverpool, again just attending not speaking. For the SQL Bits trips where they were further afield my partner came too and we stayed over one or two nights to make it a short city break. She goes shopping on the Saturday so we're both happy.
To get 8 or 9 hours training for free which would otherwise cost hundreds of pounds if run by a training company is brilliant and very much appreciated.
July 29, 2016 at 2:40 am
Disclaimer: When I go to a SQL Saturday event, it is usually as a speaker, not as an attendee. I am aware that speakers have a different view of the conference world, and different requirements and needs, then the actual target audience of the events (the attendees).
Starting with a generic comment: I do believe that it is good to have a rule that prevents multiple events close to each other on the same day. A month or two back there were two SQL Saturday events on the same day, one in Dublin and the other one in Iceland. I was accepted to speak at both so I had to cancel one of the two, which meant extra work for the organizers to find a replacement session. (I later had to cacnel the other as well but that's personal for reasons not related to this issue). I am pretty sure that there are more speakers who either chose just one to submit to or who submitted to both and then had to cancel one - in general having two sessions so close together and at the same time waters down the speaker pool for each. This means that speakers miss out on chances to connect to their audience, attendees will probably get an overall slightly lower level of content on both events, and the organizations have additional challenges. All this could have been avoided by not having these two events on the same date.
(I am not sure if 600 miles is the correct threshold value, just endorsing the idea of preventing two sessions at the same time in relatively close locations)
On the other hand, I do not like the additional provision of the one week time difference. Earlier this year I spoke in Vienna and in Tel Aviv. Normally Tel Aviv is outside the radius I am willing to travel for a SQL Saturday. But in this case the Vienna event was on Friday and the Tel Avvi event was on the Monday after that. This allowed me to justify going there because I already was halfway there and only needed to travel "a bit" further. This would not have been possible if the two events had not been almost back to back.
Also, in the past I remember the Australian community organizaing a series of "SQL Saturday" events that were spread out over the country and all just a few days apart. This enabled several speakers from other continents to justify flying over and speak at several events. For a single event, the cost would not have been justifiable,
What rests is my answers to the questions Steve asks.
1. How far have you traveled for each event?
I live in the Netherlands. My most remote SQL Saturday events have been in Portland OR, Olympia WA, Redmond WA, and Vancouver BC (others can do the math on distance). All of them aligned with either a PASS Summit or an MVP Summit and I could attend those by merely extending my stay a few days. I would not travel that far for a SQL Saturday event unless I can also deliver a precon to cover part of the cost (so far this has not yet happened).
Ignoring those "combination-opportunity" events, the farthest I have been to is Tel Aviv (which still is kind of a combination opportunity); nenxt in line would probably be Lisbon which is approximately 2000 kilometres. (1250 miles for the metric impaired).
2. Where were the events?
See above
3. Arer you a speaker?
Yea
July 29, 2016 at 3:13 am
I've gone 90 miles for a Saturday event (pretty much have to go to London for anything round these parts, and I'm happy to take the train), but those days are behind me. I'll go if it's a weekday and can be done on work time now.
July 29, 2016 at 3:20 am
I think some of it is relative to the country where the events are held. In the UK, 90 miles is considered a long way but in some countries that can be 'the next town over'. It also depends on the event, I'd think twice about travelling to Cambridge for an SQL Saturday but SQLBits in London would be worth the trip.
To answer the question, the furthest I've travelled is about 20 miles.
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July 29, 2016 at 3:21 am
Hugo Kornelis (7/29/2016)
Also, in the past I remember the Australian community organizaing a series of "SQL Saturday" events that were spread out over the country and all just a few days apart. This enabled several speakers from other continents to justify flying over and speak at several events.
We do that in South Africa as well, for the same reason. Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban SQLSaturdays are on consecutive weekends in September
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 29, 2016 at 4:07 am
Hugo Kornelis (7/29/2016)
...I am aware that speakers have a different view of the conference world...I do believe that it is good to have a rule that prevents multiple events close to each other on the same day. A month or two back there were two SQL Saturday events on the same day, one in Dublin and the other one in Iceland...
Different countries doesn't count as close for this rule IMHO.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
July 29, 2016 at 4:14 am
Gary Varga (7/29/2016)
Hugo Kornelis (7/29/2016)
...I am aware that speakers have a different view of the conference world...I do believe that it is good to have a rule that prevents multiple events close to each other on the same day. A month or two back there were two SQL Saturday events on the same day, one in Dublin and the other one in Iceland...Different countries doesn't count as close for this rule IMHO.
Although on continental Europe and probably elsewhere in the world, it might be close. Iceland to Ireland is stretching it a bit but somebody in the south Netherlands could have the choice of events in Germany, Belgium or France without travelling too far.
How to post a question to get the most help http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537
July 29, 2016 at 4:17 am
BWFC (7/29/2016)
...Although on continental Europe and probably elsewhere in the world, it might be close. Iceland to Ireland is stretching it a bit but somebody in the south Netherlands could have the choice of events in Germany, Belgium or France without travelling too far.
Fair point.
Gaz
-- Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen...they're everywhere!!!
July 29, 2016 at 4:27 am
950m - I live on Dalkeith Road Edinburgh and SQL Saturday Edinburgh was just up the road at Edinburgh University Student Halls which are also on Dalkeith Road.
Went a couple of times haven't been to others - I really enjoyed it - was just an attendee but offered my services as a helper they didn't need me on the day but they were interested in me doing a write up on where people could watch the world cup football. (2014)
cloudydatablog.net
July 29, 2016 at 4:35 am
As attendee 150 km or a 2 hour drive in Belgium
July 29, 2016 at 5:02 am
I did SQLSaturday in Washington DC a couple of times (didn't get there last year, though) which is just a bit over 60 miles, probably about the limit I would go for one of these. I've learned a heck of a lot at them whenever I go so I don't begrudge the time, but it would be nice to have one closer. I usually scoot out immediately after the last session. If it were closer I might be tempted to hang around for the drawings and after-parties.
____________
Just my $0.02 from over here in the cheap seats of the peanut gallery - please adjust for inflation and/or your local currency.
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