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PASS Summit 2011 - What you can expect at the Conference - Summary

RickHeiges — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:30:00 GMT

As I finish up preparing for the Sep 20 (@1pm ET) webcast, I thought a final blog post may be appropriate in order to quickly reference many of the areas that I have touched upon. Naturally, much of this information is geared towards First Timers, but Alumni are welcome to join in the webcast as well and are encouraged to help spread even more tips/tricks around to all who attend.

PASS Summit 2011 - What you can expect at the Conference - Part 7

RickHeiges — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 16:30:00 GMT

I really don't think that you can get the full flavor of the Summit unless you delve into Social Networking. There are multiple vehicles for social networking. Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, LinkedIn, and Yelp are all tools in the Social Networking Toolbox. At the Summit, the best one of these is Twitter. With twitter, yo can eavesdrop on conversations, get tips in real time, and find out where people are hanging out at.

Here is a YouTube video that is pretty good about Twitter. There are other ones out there as well.

I recommend that you use a twitter client like TweetDeck on your PC and also on your smart phone. The interface makes it easier to use than the plain vanilla web page. In your twitter client, you can create custom "feeds" to target a particular word or idea. You can have multiple comuns on your client with many of these "feeds" that you follow. These words that you target are often referred to as hashtags. Here are some common hashtags to follow:

#sqlpass
#sqlhelp
#firsttimers
#sqlkilt
#sqlkaraoke
#24hop
#sqlrally
#sqlsat

Once you start using twitter, you''ll understand more of what all this means. Brent Ozar has put together a great primer on twitter that may be found here. Closing thoughts on Twitter:

You don't have to create an account to get value out of it. You can just follow some of the hashtags listed above - especially #sqlpass
Get on twitter and try it out before you get to the summit
Follow #sqlhelp and learn a LOT about where you can find great resources for SQL Server.
make up your own hashtags like #JustSayin or #KilroyWashere or #whatever
When choosing a "handle", consider incorporating "SQL" as part of it. Members of the SQL Community are more apt to follow you and value your tweets if they know you are a SQL Server Professional.

Another application (targeted for mobile devices) that can be valuable is FourSquare. FourSquare also integrates with Twiiter and FaceBook. It works best with smart phones with GPS enabled. Essentially, you check-in to a location such as a restaurant , bar, Conference Center, etc. As part of the "check-in" process, you can add a "shout" to your check-in that may be tweeted and/or set to update your FaceBook status. This is optional, but it can help with networking. Check out FourSquare.

The third social networking property that holds value is LinkedIn. There are many discussion groups affiliated with PASS. It is a great way to connect with other SQL Professionals once you get home.

There is also a PASS YouTube Channel. Check out the videos from last year's summit! Of course, PASS is also on FaceBook. Another social networking tool that you may find useful is YELP. It is particualrly good at helping to find a good restaurant near by.

Flickr - Many folks who are shutterbugs or just want to share photos do so via Flickr and the #sqlpass or #PASS2011 hashtags. I look forward to seeing a lot of pictures from everyone this year.

Bottom Line: Get on Twitter Now! Follow #sqlpass and #sqlhelp. Get involved in the conversation.

PASS Summit 2011 - What you can expect at the Conference - Part 2

RickHeiges — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:11:00 GMT

One of the things that you should do is map out your "Learning Itinerary" before coming to the summit. It probably will change once you get onsite, but having a plan will save you time and perhaps some frustration. You can go to the Summit website and start to build your schedule.

When you arrive at registration to get your badge and other materials, you will also receive a Program Guide. This booklet has a lot of information about the entire event. It has a detailed description of each session, maps of the venue, and much more. We also have a Smart Phone App (iPhone, Android, Windows 7 Phone) that has much of this same information. The advantage of relying on the Smat Phone App is that it will have the latest information available (Session Changes, etc). More information on this later.

Each Session has a Session Code associated with it. Example: AD-104, BIA-303-S, DBA-302-M. There are 4 timeslots/day with up to 15 different choices; that's over 170 choices!

The first part identifies the Track the session is part of:

AD = Application Development
AZ = SQL Azure
BIA = BI Architecture / Development
BID = BI Deployment / Delivery
DBA = Enterprise Database Administration and Deployment
PD = Professional Development

The Second part indicates the Level that the session is aimed at. 100, 200, and so on.

The suffix is optional and may indicate several things to be aware of:

S = Spotlight Session (These sessions are 90 minutes instead of 75)
M= Microsoft (Presented by Microsoft)
C = CSS (Presented by a Member of the CSS team from Microsoft)
HD = Half-Day (3 hour session - NEW This Year!)

There are also a few sessions identified as "Lightning Talks" These sessions have a variety of speakers who give a brief 5 minute presentation. Lots of Fun and covers a multitude of subjects quickly. You won't be bored in here! I encourage you to attend at least one Lightning Talk during the summit. You never know what gems you can find in a 5 minute talk.

What happens if there is more than one session that you wish to attend? Can you be two places at once? No, but all sessions are being recorded and will be available usually a few weeks later via streaming. A DVD set may also be purchased by modifying your registration information or by ordering onsite.

Outside the session rooms, a sign will indicate what sessions are scheduled to be there and who is presenting. Some sessinos / speakers will have a special designation. Here are some terms that you may see and what it means:

MVP - Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Awardee (This is a non-Microsoft person who eagerly shares knowledge about SQL Server with the community)
MCM - Microsoft Certified Professional (Passed both a written and Lab Exam)
SQLCAT - SQL Server Customer Advisory Team member (often weearing a SQLCAT shirt typically of a hideous color)

In the hallways and lunch rooms, you will also see people with a Red Vest on. These people are playing the role of a PASS Ambassador. These people are Alumni Attendees who simply want to help you have a better experience at the summit. They can help you with Finding a Session room, Reading the Program Guide, Getting you in touch with the right resource, or just about anything else.

The Session Rooms are setup "Theater Style" - Rows of chairs beside one another (no tables). You will notice that each session room will have several reserved seats for Amabassadors. Ambassadors often come in late or leave a little early and need easy access to alleviate any disruption to the speaker.

Each Room also has a Room Monitor. These people work for the convention center. They are charged with:

Enforcing Capacity Restrictions / Fire Code
Enforcing Security for Entry to the Session Rooms by checking badges
Counting Attendees / Providing a 5 minute warning to the speaker
Collection Paper Evaluations

Room Monitors are helpful too - especially with questions about the facility. Amabassadors are a better resource for questions relating to PASS or the summit in general.