The SQL Saturday Thread

  • Anyone is going to SQL Saturday 151 in Orlando?

    I would like to meet some of the people from SSC.

    Luis C.
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  • Luis Cazares (9/21/2012)


    Anyone is going to SQL Saturday 151 in Orlando?

    I would like to meet some of the people from SSC.

    i was just at 154 in St. Louis last weekend. im thinking about nashville in October as its not to far away (i can drive.) had lots of fun and cant wait till the next one. of course ill have to see about the fundages for October.


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  • Luis Cazares (9/21/2012)


    Anyone is going to SQL Saturday 151 in Orlando?

    I would like to meet some of the people from SSC.

    I usually do, but this year it hits at the same time as the Baltimore Book Festival, which I'm already committed to speaker-wise. @=(

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • #169 in Denver was great this past weekend. I might be done with SQL Sat for 2012. DC is tempting and I'll try to decide soon, but timing doesn't work for any of the other events.

  • OMG. Russia and the Ukraine are having SQL Saturdays?

    I WANT TO GO. Anyone want to pay for my travel? @=)

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • Brandie Tarvin (9/25/2012)


    OMG. Russia and the Ukraine are having SQL Saturdays?

    I WANT TO GO. Anyone want to pay for my travel? @=)

    Yeah, I wish I wasn't already traveling so much in November. I'd love to get shipped over there. I want to go see Lenin!

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

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  • Nepal in Dec. I'd like to go to that one, not sure it's doable, mostly because of time. Takes 2 days to get there.

  • Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/25/2012)


    Nepal in Dec. I'd like to go to that one, not sure it's doable, mostly because of time. Takes 2 days to get there.

    SET @GrannyVoice = ON;

    Back when I was a youngster, it took 2 days to get from my farmhouse in Omaha, NE to Lincoln, NE. Before we had those newfangled inventions called flying wings. Two days to get from the U.S. to Nepal?

    You youngsters are so lazy these days...

    Brandie Tarvin, MCITP Database AdministratorLiveJournal Blog: http://brandietarvin.livejournal.com/[/url]On LinkedIn!, Google+, and Twitter.Freelance Writer: ShadowrunLatchkeys: Nevermore, Latchkeys: The Bootleg War, and Latchkeys: Roscoes in the Night are now available on Nook and Kindle.

  • 15 years ago it took two days to get from south of india to Nepal (by train). Our school did an excursion - Nepal tourism promotes visits by foreigners/school kids by offering many discounts, but my parents still could not afford it. Two days air travel is very much within limits to get that far even in today's world!! and do dress warm and take plenty of warm clothes since there is no indoor heat and very cold.

    Am not sure how people travel to sql saturdays all over. It is very expensive. We have a group of us from my user group who car pool and go to events close to us - that is as far as we can afford.

  • Brandie Tarvin (9/26/2012)


    Steve Jones - SSC Editor (9/25/2012)


    Nepal in Dec. I'd like to go to that one, not sure it's doable, mostly because of time. Takes 2 days to get there.

    SET @GrannyVoice = ON;

    Back when I was a youngster, it took 2 days to get from my farmhouse in Omaha, NE to Lincoln, NE. Before we had those newfangled inventions called flying wings. Two days to get from the U.S. to Nepal?

    You youngsters are so lazy these days...

    Time is the most valuable thing I have. Two days in a plane (30+ hours) I can endure, and get some work done, but then I have a day at the event, want to spend at least another day or two there, and two days to get back. That's a lot of gone time from the family and rest of my life.

    If my boss will pay, I think I'll go, but it will be a long, tough trip.

  • dma-669038 (9/26/2012)


    15 years ago it took two days to get from south of india to Nepal (by train). Our school did an excursion - Nepal tourism promotes visits by foreigners/school kids by offering many discounts, but my parents still could not afford it. Two days air travel is very much within limits to get that far even in today's world!! and do dress warm and take plenty of warm clothes since there is no indoor heat and very cold.

    Am not sure how people travel to sql saturdays all over. It is very expensive. We have a group of us from my user group who car pool and go to events close to us - that is as far as we can afford.

    Thanks for the note. If I get to go, I'll be covered all over.

    Most people don't go to SQL Saturdays, even one. That's why we started the event, because the vast, vast majority of people we'd met at user groups, in town, etc. never get to attend an event. Even today, most people can't get to an event even in their own city because of timing. It's why I'd like to get multiple events in a small area in a year.

    People that attend an event usually only go to one in their city. A few travel 50-60 mi to a city near them.

    The only people that usually go out of town are those that are speaking, and this is an investment in their career. However most of them only go to 1-2 a year and it's because they have friends/family, or it's a vacation in the area.

    Those of us that go to multiple ones usually have a company paying for us to speak there.

  • "Multiple events in a small area in a year" Wow, Steve that would be a dream !! Small events are already in a struggle for funding for sql saturdays, and what with Microsoft UGSS changing their funding strategy too, it has only gotten harder, not easier. I'd be thrilled if our local sql saturday keeps going the way it is, without a fund struggle. One per year.

  • I think you might be surprised how cheap an event can be. I've seen 200 person events run for about $2k. I've seen 200 person events run for $8k. I prefer the former model and getting 2-3 events a year.

  • In theory yes you are 100% right. If we charge for lunch really there shouldn't be any overhead running an event. But expectations have been hiked esp around swag/giveaways/before/after parties and so on with other mega events that get too much funding. Most of our feedback has to do with lack of things like that. We try to ignore it for the most part but sometimes it does get to us, and i'd like to treat my speakers well - give them something in return for their trouble. That costs $ too. Yes i couldn't agree more on having more small town events. I'd personally feel more motivated on that count if we have more people supporting us (like you do:))

  • Giveaways should be small, and I think you'll find a few people make noise about them and most don't care. The idea is to train people, and most appreciate that.

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