Stephen Few, renown educator and trainer in BI Visualisations and author, had been giving a BI Visualisation workshop earlier in the week. I was in attendance at the workshop and managed to persuade Stephen to attend our social event. He was only in Melbourne until Friday November 18th, hence the last minute change to the date.

It was a Movember themed event, but unfortunately not that many people took part. I was one of two Mo Bro’s of the evening. Angus Bell had quite the impressive Mo and walked away with a heap of Movember merchandise (which he later gave away at another Movember party), as well as bottle of wine. It was a great effort by Angus, check out his Mo below and donate to his cause here:

Next month’s event is in the works and will be held, once again, at The Sherlock Holmes Inn. Dates and times will be communicated soon. Stay tuned for more on SQL Server Social!

However, in order to have Stephen join us, it has meant that I have had to change the date of the event. So, SQL server Social will now be held THIS THURSDAY, 17th November 2011.

Stephen is an incredibly busy individual and travels all over the world enlightening people on data visualisation best practices, so I am privileged that he has agreed to join us.

I’ll be sending out updates to those of you who have already registered and will be apologising profusely. Don’t worry, if you can make it, your current registration will still stand. For those of you who can now make it, please head over to http://sqlserversocial.eventbrite.com to sign up. Don’t forget, this is a rare opportunity to come and meet, and chat to, one of the leading experts on data visualisation.

Event Details

If you are not sure what SQL Server Social is all about, you can either read about the first event here, or check out the following recap:

What is SQL Server Social

SQL Server Social is a monthly event that has been created to provide SQL Server Professionals with a chance to network with industry peers, discuss predefined topics, have a little fun, have a beer and make some new friends.

What is the aim of SQL Server Social

SQL Server Social aims to build local SQL Server communities through regular social meetings, where database professionals can share their experiences and learn from their peers through open discussion.

Movember Edition

This month’s edition is a special one. It’s Movember and that means Mos! Here’s what the campaign is all about:

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Australia and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

For all the guys planning on attending, let’s see who has the best Mo by the 24th of this month. There’ll still be 6 days remaining until the official end of the campaign, but it’ll be good to see how you are all faring by that stage. This will be my first year participating; you can follow my ‘progress’ on my Mo page – mobro.co/lukehayler. If you feel so inclined, I have also put together a team for SQL Server Social, so show your support for the cause and join in!

Facebook Page!

SQL Server Social now has it’s own Facebook page. This page will be used to keep all the fans in the loop with updates about future events, photos from past events, links to interesting SQL-related sites, and so-on and so-forth…So if you are on Facebook why not tag along and keep up-to-date. Check out the page here.

Twitter!

SQL Server Social is also all over twitter like a bad rash. Follow us for updates – @sqlserversocial

SQL Crosswords

One of the [optional] challenges for the event is to complete a SQL Server Crossword. The SQL Server Crosswords have been generously donated to our cause by John Sansom (blog | @JohnSansom). John is a DBA in the UK and is a frequent blogger at www.johnsansom.com. John has had several awards bestowed upon him including Microsoft’s Community Contributor 2011 and SQLServerPedia’s Professional Development 2010 Winner as well as being a Rock Star Blogger (in Tom La Rock’s rankings). John has a wealth of information on his blog, so do yourself a favour and go check it out.

See you there!

All was not lost though, as I had met Darren Gosbell (@darrengosbell) at the airport and we proceeded to have a drink and light lunch at one of the bars. We chatted about the PASS Summit quite a bit as well as the BI Maestro program/exams/certification. once we had boarded the plane, and we were underway the flight was reasonably enjoyable; as much as can be over the course of 14hrs.

My troubles started again in LAX (which is a dump btw). I progressed, slowly, through immigration, customs, picked up my bags and dropped them off at the baggage drop and then proceeded to check-in for my next flight to Seattle. Apparently I had no ticket for this flight. Huh. But it’s right there on my itinerary? 3 phone calls and over an hour later I was running to catch the Alaska Air flight. Thankfully I made it to the gate with 10 mins to spare. Which is all I cared about at that point.

The flight was only a couple of hours and I managed to dose off occasionally. When I was awake I was kept entertained by the interesting landscape of the West Coast. An I may have been dreaming when I saw this and thought “Sim City?”

The mountain below is, what I can only assume, Mount Rainier.

I also managed to snap this pic of Seattle right before we came in to land. I couldn’t quite believe it when it was a clear sunny day!

I’m in Seattle!

When you download Guidebook  and search for ‘PASS’: Bingo! There was the guide for the PASS Summit 2011. W00t! I downloaded the guide, and after having created my schedule for the week all on my phone, I figured you lot need to know about it too. The app and the guide, not my schedule; although if you really want that too then I guess I could share it with you. Just ask.

Here’s why you need Guidebook with the PASS Summit 2011 Guide:

• Session Schedule builder
• After hours activities
• About Seattle
• Maps (floor plans) of the Convention Centre
• Twitter (for the #sqlpass hash tag)
• Sponsor listings
• Speak listings
• Exhibitor listings
• My Schedule

I have no idea who created the guide for the PASS Summit, but it’s great. Thank you!

If you are still not convinced, here are a couple of screen shots:

See? It’s awesome. Go get it.

Pre Cons!

Choosing a pre conference session for Monday/Tuesday was rather difficult. Do you choose something completely new to learn, or do you learn something new about a subject area in which you are already fairly familiar? Not to be outdone by my own questions, I chose to do one completely new subject area and one deeper dive into something I am fairly good at (but know I could be even better). Here are my picks:

• Keeping it local with Rob Farley (Blog | @rob_farley)– “Fixing Queries with Advanced T-SQL constructs”
• Something new with Aaron Nelson (Blog | @SQLVariant) – “After 7 hours you won’t be able to shut up about PowerShell either”

It’s my belief that you can always improve the skills you already have and that’s why I’m going to Rob’s Pre-con. My T-SQL is pretty good, but I know there are areas that could do with some improvement. I hoping to get quite a bit out of this session. No pressure Rob!

I also believe that you should stretch yourself and try to learn something new every now and again. Especially when it comes to software or processes. Learning something new gives you a broader perspective and you’ll be better equipped to make the right decisions. This is why I’m taking Aaron’s Pre-con. I have only ever heard the great things about PowerShell can do. I’ll be looking to apply this new knowledge immediately for all the BI projects I work on.

A QR Code (Quick Response code) is a 2D matrix barcode designed to be read by smart phones. The information in the QR code can be text, a URL, vCard information, or other data. So I figure that at a conference like the PASS Summit, where there’ll be thousands of geeks, most with a smartphone of sorts, this could be a conversation starter. Especially if you’re rockin’’ a QR t-shirt.

If you need a get a QR Code reader, just do a search for “QR Reader” in you favourite app store.

I’m planning on creating a couple of things to help with networking at the PASS Summit…

Business Cards

I’ll have a whole stash of business cards to hand out each day (you should too by the way, so get ordering) and I plan to have two QR codes on the back of the cards. one will be for all my contact details. Have you tried to capture all the data from a business card with one of those *business Card reader* apps, that a) cost a fare whack, and b) don’t work all that well. Well, now think of this. You have a smartphone, you meet me, I give you a business card. You say, “hey, you’ve got a QR code back here!” out come the phone, snap with the QR Code reader and BAMO! you’ve got all my contact details neatly, and correctly I might add, ready to be saved to your phone. Try this sanitised code below:

There is some basic contact information in there, but you’ll get the idea.

The other QR Code, will be this one, which holds but a single URL (which, if you really don’t want to scan with your fancy phone, goes here –> http://kimtag.com/lukehayler)

T-shirts

Yup. I’m going to spend good money to design a [hopefully] decent t-shirt that will have QR codes galore that anyone in some kind of proximity to me will be able to scan and therefore find out a little more about me. the alternative is of course to come over and say hello, but that would just be a bit too ‘old school’ now wouldn’t it…

Here’s a picture from the internet:

See, you could be cool too.

I’m also led to believe that Microsoft does something similar called a Tag. I’ll be looking into these next and seeing how they compare.

This is Part 2 in a series I am writing about my journey to the SQL PASS Summit 2011. If you missed the previous entry, you can read about it here. Follow the journey on twitter with the #j2pass2011, and feel free to use the tag for your own journey!

I’ve been wanting to go to the PASS Summit for years, but I’ve not had the opportunity to do so before now. Time, money & distance have all played they’re part in preventing me from going. However, last year when I joined a fantastic BI Consulting company in Melbourne, I expressed my desire to attend the highlight of the SQL Server event calendar; we came to an arrangement and I got rather excited. That was back in September 2010, which is when I started planning.

Registration – the early bird gets the cheap stuff

As I’ve been following the goings on at Summit (online, obviously), I know that there are early bird specials to be had. So I made sure that my registration was booked before Dec 16th 2010. At an early bird cost of just $1,295 for a full 3-day conference INCLUDING 2 pre-cons, that’s not too shabby. Heck, you can’t can’t get a regular 3-day training course for that much money. Leaving the registration until the last minute would have cost $2,785. That’s quite a saving. So if you have the opportunity to do so, early bird registration is definitely the way to go. So start planning for next year already.

Travel – it’s like going back in time

Continuing with the theme of getting things done sooner rather than later, I booked my flights back in January. Now flying half way across the globe is never going to be cheap, but by booking the flights when I did I ensured that I got the dates/times that I wanted as well as choice of airlines; and therefore I could shop around for the best ticket prices. If I had left it until today to book, the cheapest (comparable) flights are DOUBLE what I paid back in Jan. Not to mention the extra layovers I would have had to endure; 23hrs flying time on the flight I booked vs. 29hrs on what is available today.

One thing I still find cool is that I’ll leave Melbourne at 11am on October 8th  and land in LA at 6:30am, October 8th; it’s like I’m a regular Time Lord…. On the flip side, coming back I loose 2 days, which sucks even more as it’s the weekend!

A note on travelling to the Summit from outside the US: If you happen to be lucky like me (I’m British, don’t hate me) then you won’t need a visa to enter the US. However, if you don’t qualify for a visa waiver then you will need to obtain a visa. In order to obtain a  visa you will need a Letter of Invitation, which you can request from PASS by filling out this form.

Getting to and from the airport (Seattle Tacoma International, aka SeaTac):

• Taxi – About $40 (check twitter to try and find other PASS Summit attendees who you might be able to split the fare with)
• Light rail – about $3
• Bus – about $3

Accommodation

I still need to book a room. Which I plan to do imminently by the way. PASS is touting these two hotels as discounted options:

• Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers ($179 pppn)
• The Westin Seattle ($184 pppn)

It’s likely that I’ll go with one of those as I am from out of town and don’t know the area well enough to make any informed decisions. Plus I want to be as close to the action as possible. If you have any tips on where to stay I’d love to hear about them!

Eating, drinking and being Mary merry

From what I’ve been led to believe, breakfast and lunch are provided at the conference. Dinner is a different story however. If you are one of the cool kids, or you rub a vendor up the right way, then you may get to attend one of the many parties that [apparently] happen most evenings. There is also a Microsoft Night on the Wednesday evening where one can indulge in not just food, but gaming too. Otherwise it’s up to you to find a suitable eatery, of which there are many in Seattle. Average meal prices are around the $12 – $15 mark, or so I’m told. Here’s some info about facilitated networking events that usually revolve around food.

SQL Karaoke. Need I say more? Oh, ok then… Go check out sqlkaraoke.com, put together by @Dancem0m. Something to be had for everyone I reckon. And if you are not a singer, then just spectate, I’m sure you’ll have a laugh or two.

Following the action – Twitter, Foursquare, GoogleBuzz Google+, etc, etc

Twitter: There is always plenty of information to be had from following the action online. There are numerous hash tags that people use on twitter when at the conference, here are a few to look out for:

• #sqlpass
• #sqlkaraoke (see above)
• #denali
• #crescent
• #j2pass2011 (that’s mine!)

Not sure what Twitter is? Really? Really Really? Go read The Simple Twitter Book and get you some edumacation. Sheesh.

Foursquare: if you need to find a venue loaded up with SQL people (or if you want to avoid them) have a look on Foursquare. It’s also a great resource for finding new places to eat; I find that the reviews on foursquare tend to be a little more ‘real’ than those on other review sites.

PASS also had a “PASS it on!” social contest last year, enabling other people (i.e. me), who weren’t able to make it, to live vicariously through the tweets/check-ins of those who participated. I’ll be trying to do my fair share of getting the word out this year.

Google+: while this ‘little’ social network is starting to gain some traction, I’m not certain of the impact it will have (for the conference) over twitter & foursquare; which is where most people are already. I can see the potential though for some shorter-than-blog-posts-but-longer-than-tweets type of posts, so we will just have to see what becomes of it.

Some Really good reading

Here is a list of some great blogs on previous summit experiences & travel tips (yes, I know these seem a little dated, but they still have valid points):

• Getting budget approval for conferences – Brent Ozar
• Get you manager to say ‘yes’ – Brent Ozar
• Paying your own way to the PASS Summit – David Steyn
• Conference ROI – Steve Jones
• Top 10 reason to attend the PASS Summit – Steve Jones
• Getting to PASS on the cheap – Jeremiah Peschka
• PASS Summit on a budget – John Sterrett
• Travel Tips – Kevin Kline
• Travel Tips for non-frequent flyers – Brent Ozar
• Top 10 PASS Summit (2010) tips – Brian Garraty
• Journey to the PASS Summit 2011 Part 1 – yours truly

This post has been a it of a link fest, but hey, all the good stuff is already out there; just go and read it!

See you in Seattle.

To recap what those goals were:

1. Blog more
2. Learn more
3. Attend more SQL Server Events
4. Interact more with the SQL Server Community
5. Sleep Less

So how did I do?

Blog more

I failed miserably at this one (Only 5 posts in for the 2nd quarter), but am ok with this as I had a lot of other, higher priority, items to keep me busy. I have been beavering away at Goal #2 “Learn more”, as well as doing a lot of Goal #5 by being there for my family – they are the most important part of my life after all.

Learn more

A great big 10/10 here! Just as a new version of SQL Server is about to be released, I finally got round to doing my MCITP – Business Intelligence 2008, and I learnt a lot more than I thought I would in the process. I failed the 70-448 first time round, which I was none too pleased about I can assure you. But I persisted and at the 2nd attempt I had it in the bag (if only just). I aced 70-452 at the first attempt and actually laughed out loud when I saw the result (916/1000). Couldn’t quite believe it. The whole exercise has been hugely beneficial. I have been able to apply what I’ve learnt to the projects at hand and have even corrected a few misconceptions that a colleague had (but I won’t be naming names…). Happy days!

I’ve also been involved in a number of projects that are focused on SQL Server Analysis Services. This is a massive win for me as this is one area of the Microsoft Business Intelligence stack that I was yet to really get to grips with. It has been a steep learning curve, but it seems that that is what I thrive on. It has also been loads of fun and the opportunity to work with and learn from different colleagues has been amazing.

Other things that have been picked up and refined along the way this year are data modelling, solution architecture & design, creation of development standards and generally improving my SQL Server related skills (T-SQL, SSRS, SSIS, SSAS) thanks to all you SQL Server bloggers out there.

Attend more SQL Server Events

It turns out that most of the SQL Server events are just not at the right time for me right now. My family duties take precedence and until the bedtime routine (5:30pm – 7:15pm) becomes easier, evening events are just not possible. However, Jim McLeod and I have managed to create and host a very successful SQL Server Social event in May. While it has been quiet since then, we are planning on follow up events in the very near future.

The PASS Summit 2011 is the big one for me this year. I am giddy with excitement at having the opportunity to attend. I’ll be spending more of my time preparing for it and making sure that I am able to make the most out of any and all opportunities that present themselves. My flights are booked, my registration is booked. It’s time to make a packing list!

Interact more with the SQL Server Community

Words with Friends anyone? I have been playing WWF with Rob Farley (blog | twitter ) ever since he mentioned the game in a comment on this blog post. More recently I have been playing the game with a few others in the SQL Server community, and even though there is not a lot of banter, there is a sense of familiarity. Which I am hoping will help when I get to the PASS Summit later this year. If you are keen for a game look me up –>“lukehayler”.

Yes, I know this is not the same as being active on forums, blogs, twitter, Facebook, and now Google+. But with the tiny amount of time that I do have to myself, this is all I can manage right now. I know that this will change over the next few months, and am taking steps to do so.

Sleep less

10/10. Easy when you have a 5 month old & an almost 3yr old in the house :)

Please give a warm welcome to SQL Server Social!

How SQL Server Social came about

For a while now I have been thinking of setting up an event where [SQL Server] database professionals can get together on a regular basis to network, exchange ideas, have a few drinks and make a few new friends. The mixers at the start of each User Group meeting are good, but they are just not long enough, and with the lecture style format of these meetings, it is can be quite difficult to get to know more people.

I was finally gearing up to doing something about this idea, when I got a call from my good friend Jim McLeod (blog | @Jim_McLeod). He had had the same idea and his aims for the meeting and the format it would take were so similar to mine that it just made sense to team up and organise it together.

What is SQL Server Social

SQL Server Social is a monthly event that has been created to provide SQL Server Professionals with a chance to network with industry peers, discuss predefined topics, have a little fun, have a beer and make some new friends.

What is the aim of SQL Server Social

SQL Server Social aims to build local SQL Server communities through regular social meetings, where database professionals can share their experiences and learn from their peers through open discussion.

What is the format of the event

1. Meetings are to be held monthly on the last Thursday of the month.
2. Meetings are to be informal events with a focus on networking and open discussions, rather than lecture-style sessions.
3. Several themes/topics will be suggested for each meeting. These will form the initial topics of discussion and provide the icebreaker conversations for attendees.
4. Each attendee should have something specific to discuss, whether this is a existing problem they need an answer to or a solution that they want to share.
5. For now, events are not sponsored, so each attendee will be expected to pay their own way. We are hoping that this will change in the very near future. If you would like to sponsor this event please contact me or Jim using the details contained at the end of this post.
6. Like local User Groups, these events are free to attend and are open to anyone who currently works with or is looking to start working with SQL Server.

The first SQL Server Social — Melbourne, Australia!

The first of these events is next week (Thursday, 26th May 2011). It is going to be held at Number Five (next to Freshwater Place) on Southbank, 6 Queens Bridge Road, Melbourne, Australia. Starting at around 5:15pm the agenda is as follows:

1. 5:15pm (~45 mins) Meet and greet
2. 6:00pm (+ 1 hour) Open discussion focussed on topics-of-the-month
3. 7:00pm (15 – 30 mins) SQL Server Crosswords!

Click here to register –> http://sqlserversocial.eventbrite.com

Please bring your contact/business cards with you – one of the main aims of the event is to network after all. If you don’t have a business/contact card go check out moo.com, they make premium business cards in different formats. They are highly recommended.

The SQL Server Crosswords have been generously donated to our cause by John Sansom (blog | @JohnSansom). John is a DBA in the UK and is a frequent blogger at www.johnsansom.com. John has had several awards bestowed upon him including Microsoft’s Community Contributor 2011 and SQLServerPedia’s Professional Development 2010 Winner as well as being a Rock Star Blogger (in Tom La Rock’s rankings). John has a wealth of information on his blog, so do yourself a favour and go check it out.

This promises to be a fun event. We already have a number of people attending, so let’s see if we can grow those numbers and make this inaugural event a success. Due to the fact that this is the first of the series, we are unsure as to how many people will be interested in attending. To manage this we are limiting the number of attendees, so please be quick if you want to come along!!

Contact Us

If you have any questions about the event please feel free to get hold of either myself or Jim McLeod:

• @lukehayler / luke (at) hayler.com
• @Jim_McLeod / jim (at) jimmcleod.net