24 Hours of PASS v3.2

Just about one year ago PASS launched a brand new concept in training: 24 consecutive one hour presentations done live by remote presenters around the globe. I still remember the PASS board meeting when Rick Heiges (blog | twitter) suggested the format. Some were skeptical but overall we mostly said “Do you think that can work?”

Yes he did. I wish I could say I shared his vision, but at the time I didn’t. I came to understand it soon enough and before I knew it I decided to help promote the event by attending all 24 sessions. By the time the event was over and I had the opportunity to closely interact (virtually) with the Community for 24 straight hours I also had a better understanding of the type of training that resonates with our Community the best: fundamentals.

Some will tell you that PASS has had a reputation for being a leader in providing technical content, and we still are. I’d put our members up against anyone else, any day of the week and twice on Sunday when it comes to delivering presentations chock full of technical content. So why is it that Buck Woody can fill the house with SQL MVPs at PASS when he talks about SSMS? It’s not just that he is a great speaker, but it is also that we just *know* that he is going to show us something we haven’t seen before, something basic, something fundamental, and something that we can put into our toolbox right away. We can all take deep dives into the technical details, but what good are those details if you don’t have solid enough fundamentals to apply the techniques that you learn?

And that’s what I used as a main guiding point for this lineup that I helped put together. I wanted to find a schedule that had great speakers that were willing to share their knowledge in ways that you can apply immediately. I also was lucky enough to have three sessions in the Professional Development track, one for how to manage a team, one for helping land your next job, and another to help you develop better presentations. As much as I enjoy the technical advantages to being a PASS member, I truly believe that as a professional association we need to do more to help our members be better professionals. Having technical acumen is only part of what you need to be successful in your role as a database professional.

But of course we have technical presentations as well. Check out the sessions for our BI track, as well as our DBA and our development tracks. Take a look at the names and tell me where else can you get training from such a group for free? (Nowhere, that’s where.)

Here it goes again!

You can register for the event by going here. See you there!