In the technology and database world there’s one timeless response, provided time and again to nearly any form of the question, “should I…?”.
“It depends.” (insert obligatory chuckle from the audience…)
- Should I use a CROSS APPLY or LATERAL JOIN to solve my query problem? It depends.
- Should I partition this table to improve parallel queries and ingest? It depends.
- Should I move to managed instances in cloud X to solve my scaling problem? It depends.
What about your career? With conferences coming back in full force, should you take the step to attend a premier conference, make connections, learn from the best, get an edge heading into the coming year?
Well, it depends – on your career goals, job responsibilities, interest in cutting edge content, and desire to learn best practices from the creators of the features and tools you use every day. It might depend on how energized you get by connecting IRL with the larger data community after a three-year hiatus.
For me, these tangible conference experiences make a tremendous difference to my focus, skills, and relationships. Let me give you an example.
PGConf.EU 2022
I just returned from my first European trip in a long time. PGConf EU was held in Berlin from October 25-28, 2022. Like the PASS Data Community Summit, and nearly every other conference on planet Earth, this was the first time the wider PostgreSQL community in Europe was together, in person, since 2019.
🎉 It sold out a month ahead of time. 🎉
I don’t think this was an anomaly.
Over three days I got to shake hands and engage in meaningful conversation with more than 20 virtual friendships that started during the pandemic! ❤️ I got to attend sessions lead by the core PostgreSQL team as they explained foundational concepts and new feature improvements. 🎓 And, I learned more by hearing the questions others asked in real time. 👂
I came away encouraged, thankful for the opportunity, and energized to continue investing in the community and the project. 🐘
The PASS Data Community Summit provides that same opportunity at a larger scale!
400+ Sessions and 3-month Recording Access
For deep-dive sessions, there are 18 different full day pre-conference sessions. I think the introduction to PostgreSQL for SQL Server Developers and DBAs is going to be pretty 🔥, but the other 17 are equally 🥇!
The main three-day conference runs in-person and virtually from Wednesday-Friday, November 16-18. I can’t wait to be in Seattle with thousands of data professionals, listening to compelling keynotes, having access to hundreds of live sessions, attending social events, and spending time in the “hallway” track seeing old friends and making new ones. Plus, you’ll get access to all pre-recorded, virtual sessions that are live right now!
If you haven’t signed up yet and still think you could get to Seattle two weeks from now, I know it will be worth the investment!
A Ground Breaking Virtual Experience Also!
If you can’t be there in-person, a virtual pass will give you all the same access to teaching and content from the comfort of your own home. Unlike the virtual sessions of the last two years, however, there is one major difference with PASS Summit. As you’re watching the session, streamed live from the conference, you’ll see the presenter and a live audience talking and interacting with one another… and you can join in too! 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Finally, a virtual conference that lets you feel like part of the conversation and crowd!
I think it’s fantastic and I’m excited to see how speakers and attendees alike respond to this mix!
Will You Join Us For PASS Summit This Year?
There’s really no reason to miss the excitement and world-class content. I think it depends (😉) only on whether you’ll be able to make it in-person or online.
