How 'Bout a Little Context?

Let me be direct with you.  I love SQL Saturday.  If it were a woman, I'd marry it.  (Avoiding all extraneous thoughts of what my real wife would say, etc etc).

Check out this fun Flickr Feed from the recent SQL Saturday in Chicago or these picks by Jorge Segara (blog | twitter) to see the sort of fun that's in store.  But who can argue with a day of free SQL Server training and a chance to network with great presenters and a wide swath of your peers?

Keynotes are more fun when the put-downs fly!

I've tried to support SQL Saturday as much as I can since Andy Warren (blog | twitter) launched the program a couple years back and have spoken at several.  You might say to yourself, "Self, Kevin works for a vendor. Don't they want him to speak at as many SQL Saturdays as is humanly possible?"  Well, Mr. Self, you'd be mistaken.  You see there's a keyword in the name that might reveal why my employer doesn't provide unlimited enthusiasm for me to speak ... it's the SATURDAY part of the whole thing.  Yes, of course, my employer wants me there.  But they also recognize that Saturdays are my own and that, if I spend a day or two there on the weekend (including the travel time), then that's a sacrifice of my own choice.  I would still need to be at work and on task bright and early on Monday morning.  Not that they'd make me, it's just that my job is the sort that work is never simply skipped, it is only ever deferred.  So if I took a comp day, which they'd gladly provide, I'd still have to finish the work somehow, someway.  All of this goes to say that I really, really love SQL Saturday, the community vibe that it creates, the volunteers who drive it, the folks who attend.  So I'm happy to give up a few days throughout the year to support it.

Come to Nashville in August!

Guitar, Cowboy Boots, Cowboy Hat, and Tight Denim NOT Required

My good friends Joe Webb (blog | twitter) and Louis Davidson (blog | twitter) have been angling to host a SQL Saturday here in Nashville for quite a while.  As co-leaders of the local PASS chapter in middle Tennessee, it made a lot of sense to host an event like this.  I wasn't at all resistant to the idea, I just didn't want to do the work myself.  However, they did a great job of getting the ball rolling and even took on the majority of work themselves.  Together with other volunteers in our local chapter - Shelton Dickson, Roberto Lopez, and Christina Leo - we've all set to work to host SQL Saturday #51.

The event will be hosted on Saturday, August 21st at the shiny new facility of Nashville State Community College located at 120 White Bridge Rd. Nashville, TN 37209:

• If you'd like to attend, check out all the details here.  Joe Webb and Christina Leo get all the credit for logistics.
  

• If you'd like to speak, read the details in our call for speakers here.  Louis Davidson is running the program selection process.
  

• If you'd like to sponsor, sign up on-line here.  This one is my responsibility.
  

• It's free to register, there is a $10 fee if you want us to provide lunch.  And remember, seats always fill up fast! 

• If you're going to attend and you have a twitter account, be sure to tweet using #sqlsat51! 

I hope to see you there in August!