It’s that time again where everyone writes their post PASS Summit Blog and tells of the great time they had with SQL Family and all the exciting new things they learned. While those are both very true for me as well, I want to talk about how it felt to go to Summit as a new leader in the community.
This year I became a Chapter Leader and spent Tuesday at Summit in the PASS Chapter Leader and SQL Saturday meetings. It was an honor for me to walk into those meetings and collaborate with such a phenomenal group of people. It was even more remarkable to be called out by name by more than a few. I even commented to a couple of people that I can’t believe I was there legitimately (yes, I have crashed a few speaker dinners in my day, while not being a speaker). Since it was only Tuesday, being involved in these meetings really helped to set a positive outlook for the remainder of my time at the Summit.
Now there were more than a few “old timers” there that had been running their chapter for years and wasn’t nearly as enthralled with some of the information being presented in the meeting. They had heard it all before, but for me it was all new and stimulating. As I sat back and listened to their input and looked at the slides, I was impressed to see how many active chapters PASS has and how many SQL Saturdays were delivered in 2015. The staggering amount of effort and time that people freely give to help build others and improve this community is astounding to me. I don’t think people realize how much time, effort and passion goes into running a chapter or putting on a SQL Saturday. I was inspired.
One of my favorite parts of the meetings were the question and answer sessions with vendor representatives. It really opened my eyes on how both parties need and support the other’s initiatives. It was a reminder that they are not just there to give us money, they also provide education, and give backing to community members willing to share their knowledge with others. Programs such as the Idera Ace Program and Friends of Red-gate do just that. In return for their funding chapters and community members give them exposure, contact lists, and help promote their products. It’s very much a give and take. The vendors also gave great advice for chapter leaders as when and how to get sponsorship; timing and planning ahead are essential. I took lots of notes.
For the remainder of Summit, I talked to other leaders and got ideas to take back to my chapter. I worked on making even more connections and getting speakers lined up for our upcoming 2016 calendar year. I engaged in discussions on how to get more involved and build future leaders.
It was kind of different take on Summit for me. Don’t get me wrong I attended my share of sessions including a great Pre Con by Argenis Fernandez, David Klee and Jimmy May on Virtualization. I went to all the PASS Sponsored night time events and attended more than my fair share of Vendor parties. It was a fantastic week with the #SQLFamily as always. There is nothing like spending a week with like-minded people discussing things you are passionate about.
Now that it’s wrapped up, I want to take that inspiration I gained and do something more with it. This year I have set a goal for myself to be an example of how to get involved and make a difference. I would love to help inspire future leaders by spreading my enthusiasm through speaking at SQL Saturdays, running my chapter and volunteering where ever needed. I challenge you to do the same.
See you guys at the next PASS Summit I will be there for sure!
