Recently I had the pleasure of attending SQL Bits X in London. If you have never been to a SQL Bits conference and you have an interest in SQL Server or Business Intelligence then you are missing out on the best free resource in the country.
SQL Bits consists of three days:
- Thursday – A paid for day of in depth learning from an industry expert on an aspect of SQL Server (Paid for)
- Friday – A day of sessions on a wide variety of subjects to suit a wide range of skill and experience (Paid for)
- Saturday – Another day of sessions in the same vein as Friday (FREE)
To unwind after a day of learning, there are usually networking events on the Thursday and Friday nights. These are needed as the days are crammed full of information and I am inevitably left with a feeling that I must have lost some knowledge to make space for all of the new knowledge that I have absorbed.
This year’s SQL Bits was also an official launch event for SQL Server 2012 which meant that there was a global gathering of the great SQL minds from Microsoft and the SQL community(those names you see on books, articles and Twitter). It was a great opportunity to learn about new features from the few people in the world who have spent the last eighteen months testing, learning and teaching about SQL Server 2012.
At the same time as all of the shiny new toys, there were also a huge number of sessions on the existing versions of SQL Server.
If there is only one thing to gain from an event like SQL Bits, it is a renewed enthusiasm to investigate, learn and experiment. Inevitably, every attendee will also acquire a head full of information that they will want to use. And finally they may even win some fantastic prizes from the sponsors