Monday at the 2009 PASS Community Summit, for the most part, was reserved for pre-conference sessions, Microsoft Customer Insider sessions, and lots of meetings for the many people who put the Summit together. Monday evening, on the other hand, was devoted to networking and relaxing, with the PASS Welcome Reception and Quiz Bowl, the insider party sponsored by SQLServerCentral.com, and many other informal parties and get-togethers.
Author Archives: Brad
2009 PASS Community Summit Registration Starts Out Strong
Registration for the 2009 PASS Community Summit started out strong with many attendees registering early the Sunday evening before the Summit’s commencement. What really surprised me was seeing so many familiar faces so soon. Lots of attendees were already catching up with each other and networking, even before the event officially starts. In fact, I had to turn down several dinner invitations because I couldn’t be at the same place at the same time. I have a feeling that this entire week will be more of the same: too much to do, and too little time. Below are a few snapshots of some of the attendees I saw when I registered.
Attendees are greeted with colorful signs as they enter the 4th floor of the Seattle Convention Center.
Blogging From the 2009 PASS Community Summit
Like a lot of other SQL Server bloggers, this week I will attempt to write regular blog entries each day, and hopefully include some photographs of the activities I attend. I am not an “official” PASS blogger, but I will try and offer my perspective of the event, with my own particular slant.
And next week, at SQL Server Connections in Las Vegas, I’ll try to do the same.
To prepare for this, I recently purchased a new netbook computer and digital camera, and hopefully I won’t be too loaded down with technology and wear myself out carrying it around. It will be an interesting experiment that I hope to learn from, and I hope you will find some of it interesting as well.
I flew from Hawaii Friday night, and arrived in Seattle Saturday at noon. The photo is the view of my hotel room at the Sheraton Hotel.
If you are attending PASS, be sure to track me down and say hello.
Amazon.com Author Central Page
If you are a book author, Amazon.com now allows authors to promote their books with a new author’s page. The new feature is called Author Central.
Mine is at:
http://www.amazon.com/Brad-M-McGehee/e/B002RWVEB8/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
The page allows you to add a photograph, a short bio, your blog RSS feed, and even a discussion forum. So if you are a SQL Server, or other author, be sure to take advantage of this new feature to help promote your books.
Four New Zealand Cities are Final Stops on 30 Day Speaking Tour
After making seven presentations in Australia, I headed to New Zealand where I made four presentations in four cities, on four successive days. Because my schedule was so packed, I only got a couple of days in Auckland (New Zealand’s most populace city) to visit the sites.
The photo is of the Auckland Sky Tower, the tallest free-standing building in the Southern Hemisphere, even taller than the Eiffel Tower. It was about a 10 minute walk from my hotel, and I had a chance to go up and see all of Auckland in one fell swoop. I also went sailing (Auckland is known as the “City of Sails”), and to go on a dolphin and whale watch, where we saw hundreds of dolphins, but only one whale. If you really want to see whales, visit the Big Island of Hawaii (where I live) between January and March, and you can see hundreds of Humpback whales, even from the shore (no boat required).
Download the Free eBook “The SQL Server Tacklebox”
Rodney Landrum, SQL Server MVP, is the author of the new book, The SQL Server Tacklebox: Essential Tools and Scripts for the Day-to-Day DBA. This 240 page book, and accompanying scripts, is chock full of advice for DBAs, from novice to experienced.
Brad M McGehee 