SQL Saturday Birmingham 2017

By Samir Behara on March 20, 2017 • ( 0 )

SQL Saturday Birmingham 2017 was held on 18th March at Thomas Russell Hall, Samford University, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham.

If you have not attended a SQL Saturday event before or are not familiar with the concept – It is a free training event for Microsoft Data Platform professionals and those wanting to learn about SQL Server, Business Intelligence, Application Development, PowerShell and Analytics. It is a great opportunity to listen to some of the best speakers around, interact with the brightest minds and network with the awesome SQL Family.

The last time we had a SQL Saturday event in Birmingham was in 2014, so this time we wanted to make sure we host the event and spread the love of SQL Server among the community members. Myself and John Baldwin started working on the event planning 4 months in advance and that actually helped us to lay down all the different action items and execute them in a timely manner. This was my 1st SQL Saturday as an Organizer, but I must admit that even though there was lot of effort involved, it was a fun ride. I also presented on Productivity Tips and Tricks in SSMS.

I had a great time presenting and would like to thank everyone who came to my session. The presentation slide can be downloaded from the link below –

25 SSMS Tips and Tricks to boost your Productivity

Samir Behara – 25 SSMS Tips & Tricks to boost your Productivity

We got great help from Robert Cain, who kept the email communication rolling with the speakers and gave his valuable inputs throughout. Not to forget our hero Greg, who made sure that all the logistics are in place at the beautiful Samford University. Lot of our Steel City User Group members also helped on the event day to manage things and keep everything in control.

We had our best response ever during our Call for Speakers and this year we had a packed schedule with 6 tracks and 36 sessions. Not to forget the 3 awesome Lightning Talks during lunch. We also had a record number of registrations, where 245 IT Professionals expressed their interest to be part of this event, making this the biggest SQL Saturday in Birmingham, we have had over the past years!

The event went very smooth and I would like to thank all the attendees, speakers, sponsors, organizers and Samford facilities for making this edition of SQL Saturday Birmingham a runaway success.

I am posting few pictures from the event. Enjoy.

Speaker Dinner