June 16, 2008 at 10:29 am
We're trying to nail this down.
Donations don't work since we have set gifts (book, shirt) that we give away to everyone, not to mentioned prizes that we purchase. We need to budget as well.
Spouses make sense, though the management of who gets a book and shirt and prizes, makes it hard to differentiate. I think we'll have a set cost per ticket.
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June 17, 2008 at 6:13 am
Maybe launch a non-sql topic, to get a more accurate inventore of which SSC members are attending.
I am going to attend SQLPASS2008, but I had to use another code.
I hope I'm still welcome the the SSC-evening:Whistling:
Johan
Learn to play, play to learn !
Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:
- How to post Performance Problems
- How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]
- How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt
press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀
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Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me
June 17, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Additional ammo for those still deciding if they can/will go is the early-bird discount for the following year: Once you attend a summit, you can register for the next one at a steep discount: this year that rate was $995, not counting pre-con sessions. The pre-con sessions are MAJOR reasons to go, so be sure to figure the ~$400/day + hotel cost of attending those into your plans.
Another money-saving tip if there's management concern about cost: Although staying at one of the con hotels is handy (Seattle = rain), there's several cheaper options within walking distance on the convention center. I booked a room at a place about 6 blocks away (Executive Pacific) at only $125/night, complete with a sushi bar. I stayed there during the 2006 Summit and was quite happy with it. Fire up your favorite search engine and search around the convention center (Washington State Convention & Trade Center, 800 Convention Pl, Seattle, WA 98101) for hotels.
I hope there's a way for us non-SSC6-code-users to get into the party as well. I used the early-bird discount, which cuts me out of the option to use the code. I had fun at the party last year and got some networking in at the tables (while losing at blackjack:) ), and would love to make it back while still supporting SSC.
Steve: Another option for the SSC fans who registered without the code is to eliminate the door givaways for those of us buy tickets. We still help defray the cost of the event and help pay for all the prizes, but cut down on the fixed per-person expenses. As the evening progresses, if you printed/purchased more items than you need, you could offer extras up for sale.
(unrelated footnote: Seattle is in Washington)
Eddie Wuerch
MCM: SQL
June 17, 2008 at 3:14 pm
We've debated eliminating the prizes, but the way we've given them away, if we try to determine who's eligible and who's not it becomes an administrative issue. One that we don't want to tackle for the 2-3 hour party.
I think tickets is the best way, but I'm talking with the boss tomorrow on this.
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August 6, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Do we have a link which I can go for the detail information of pass 2008 meeting ? I can send to my boss to see if he can give me a chance to join it.
Chen
August 7, 2008 at 3:35 am
http://summit2008.sqlpass.org/
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
August 7, 2008 at 10:46 am
There are a few writeups over the years here on the site as well. Search for "PASS Summit" and you'll get some idea of what happens at the conference.
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August 13, 2008 at 8:58 am
Where's the ROI?
I can think of a lot better ways to spend $5000 than on a week of partying and networking in Seattle -- oh, and drinking great coffee.
August 13, 2008 at 12:44 pm
If you look at it as one big party, then yes you are right there is no ROI. But the way I look at it is its a great opportunity to get training, information, and discuss different ways to do business and solve problems. So I always come back with a number of task and goals to take on for the next year that provide real value to my company. So I actually can measure ROI by the new initiatives that PASS spurs each year.
Gregory A. Larsen, MVP
August 13, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Larry Johnson (8/13/2008)
Where's the ROI?I can think of a lot better ways to spend $5000 than on a week of partying and networking in Seattle -- oh, and drinking great coffee.
All you have to do is compare the knowledge you will gain from attending the Summit versus an equivalent price amount on MOC coursework. No contest, really. A lot of deep dives. A lot of undocumented stuff. A lot of contacts that continue past the Summit who you can reach out to later on.
K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley
August 13, 2008 at 2:33 pm
K. Brian Kelley (8/13/2008)
Larry Johnson (8/13/2008)
Where's the ROI?I can think of a lot better ways to spend $5000 than on a week of partying and networking in Seattle -- oh, and drinking great coffee.
All you have to do is compare the knowledge you will gain from attending the Summit versus an equivalent price amount on MOC coursework. No contest, really. A lot of deep dives. A lot of undocumented stuff. A lot of contacts that continue past the Summit who you can reach out to later on.
Totally agree !
IMHO it is THE way to get very practical - as in use immediately - info, use cases, ...
and get in contact with people who've been there and are willing to share their thoughts, even after the conference !
And every year you'll take something back home with a solution for :
-"that's why my system doesn't perfrom well in that case"
-why didn't I think of that scenario sooner,...
- that might come in handy for that case in my company
- Yes, I did the right thing for solving that problem
- and a bunch of other practical cases
I will be a tough week, but worth every $
Johan
Learn to play, play to learn !
Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:
- How to post Performance Problems
- How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]
- How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt
press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀
Need a bit of Powershell? How about this
Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me
August 14, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Thanks for your feedback!
I get a little frustrated when someone asks for money to attend a conference, and all the bloggers can talk about are silly things. I have sent people to these before, and sometimes all they can remember are the toys, t-shirts and coffee mugs, but for some reason can't remember what they spent $100, $200, or -- in one case -- $500 on one night, and they expect me to reimburse them for it. (One guy was a little less discreet. He actually listed "Escort: $200" on his expense report.)
I'm not sure I would say it is a fair comparison to full-blown coursework, though. I know there is a ton of great information in the seminars, but I think there is more detail in a 20-hour course than a 2-hour seminar. "Apples & Oranges."
Maybe I'll rethink the request sitting on my desk. Probably depends more on the maturity of the requestor than anything else.
August 14, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Larry Johnson (8/14/2008)
Thanks for your feedback!I get a little frustrated when someone asks for money to attend a conference, and all the bloggers can talk about are silly things. I have sent people to these before, and sometimes all they can remember are the toys, t-shirts and coffee mugs, but for some reason can't remember what they spent $100, $200, or -- in one case -- $500 on one night, and they expect me to reimburse them for it. (One guy was a little less discreet. He actually listed "Escort: $200" on his expense report.)
I'm not sure I would say it is a fair comparison to full-blown coursework, though. I know there is a ton of great information in the seminars, but I think there is more detail in a 20-hour course than a 2-hour seminar. "Apples & Oranges."
Maybe I'll rethink the request sitting on my desk. Probably depends more on the maturity of the requestor than anything else.
I know at the one I went to, I learned a ton. For instance, the late Ken Henderson gave a seminar on how SQL Server used memory. Stuff you can't get out of a typical training course. When I went to TechEd a few years ago, I took back these things:
- How best to DR Exchange 2003 with a warm/hot site.
- Processes to put into place for Group Policy review and implementation.
- Confirmation on how to DR Active Directory - Advanced topics type of stuff.
- Microsoft security practices for managing multiple domains.
This kind of stuff isn't offered in classes. 🙂
K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley
August 14, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Larry Johnson (8/14/2008)
Thanks for your feedback!I get a little frustrated when someone asks for money to attend a conference, and all the bloggers can talk about are silly things.
I blogged a bit about the happenings while I was there last year. There isn't a lot of details, quite frankly I didn't have the energy at the end of the day to write pages and pages, but there's a little bit on the technical stuff.
http://sqlinthewild.co.za/index.php/category/conferences/pass-2007/
Maybe I'll rethink the request sitting on my desk. Probably depends more on the maturity of the requestor than anything else.
Absolutely. If the guy wants it to be a party, then that's what it will be to him. I had a former colleague who went to the local TechEd a few years ago and got so drunk on the first night that he made one session the next day and slept through it. He repeated that performance the following two days.
What my former manager did when he approved requests like that was to make it very clear that he expected a presentation to himself and other managers after the conference on what happened and what was learnt. If the person objected, they didn't go. If they couldn't explain afterwards what they had learnt, they never went again.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
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