Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Announcing the Full Day BI Workshop for SQL Saturday 85

http://www.flickr.com/photos/von_martin/543037887/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Hello Dear Reader, a couple of weeks ago we had a call for Pre-Conference Speakers for SQL Saturday 85.  That call closed on the same day as our call for speakers back on July 24th.  The Program Team has been hard at work reviewing submissions as they arrived, and we got some Great Ones!  We were finally able to narrow down the selection process, and select a great event.

I Just wanted to say a quick Thank You to everyone who submitted.  Every Single Presentation we reviewed was top notch, and I would be excited and thrilled to attend any one of them.  To everyone who submitted we really appreciate the time and effort that it took to submit.  Thank You!

This was a very tough decision but in the end there was one Session that we felt would be OUTSTANDING and at the same time offer the variety in subject matter that we felt would best serve our conference attendees.

“So Balls”, you say, “Who DID you pick?”

Ahh Dear Reader we didn’t pick one, no we didn’t pick two or three, but FOUR speakers.  So without further ado I give the Full Day BI Workshop!

Business Intelligence Workshop
Jorge Segarra, Bradley Schacht, Kyle Walkter, &  Mike Davis
Abstract:
In this full-day workshop, you'll learn from the author team of Jorge Segarra, Mike Davis, Brad Schacht, and Kyle Walker how to build a data warehouse for your company and support it with the Microsoft business intelligence platform. We'll start with how to design and data model a data warehouse including the system preparation. Then, we'll jump into loading a data warehouse with SSIS. After SSIS, you're ready to roll the data up and provide the slice and dice reporting with SSAS. The team will walk through cube development and data enrichment with things like key performance indicators, which are essential for your future dashboards. Lastly, we will cover how to report against the data warehouse with SSRS including a primer in how to write MDX queries against the SSAS cube.
Take Home Skills:
  1. Practical knowledge of building a Dimensional Model
  2. Designing a simple ETL process using SSIS
  3. Designing a Cube
  4. Designing simple SSRS Reports
  5. Building an integrated process that fully leverages the entire MS BI stack to load a Data Warehouse
OUR SPEAKERS
Speaker Bio(s)

Jorge Segarra  (@SQLChicken|Blog)
Jorge is a BI Consultant for Pragmatic Works and a SQL Server MVP. In addition to being a member of the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group (JSSUG) he is also a PASS Regional Mentor for the U.S. Greater Southeast region. He has also co-authored the book from Apress “SQL 2008 Pro Policy-Based Management“. Redgate Exceptional DBA of the Year 2010 Finalist.

Bradley Schacht  (@bradleyschacht|Blog)
Bradley is a consultant at Pragmatic Works in Jacksonville, FL. He was an author on the book SharePoint 2010 Business Intelligence 24-Hour Trainer. Bradley has experience on many part of the Microsoft BI platform. He has spoken at events like SQL Saturday, Code Camp, SQL Lunch and SQL Server User Groups. He is a contributor on sites such as BIDN.com and SQL Server Central as well as an active member of the Jacksonville SQL Server User Group (JSSUG).

Kyle Walker  (Blog)
Kyle is a Business Intelligence consultant for Pragmatic Works. His current and past work experience includes Integration Services, data warehousing concepts, Reporting Services, and Crystal Reports. He is active in the local and online community as a speaker for SQL Lunch, Jacksonville SQL Server Users Group, and past SQLSaturday events, as well as a blogger on BIDN.com.

Mike Davis (@MikeDavisSQL|Blog)  
Mike Davis, MCTS, MCITP, is a Senior BI consultant at Pragmatic Works. He is an author of a few Business intelligence books. Mike is an experienced speaker and has presented at many events such as several SQL Server User Groups, Code Camps, SQL Server Launches, SQL Rally, and SQL Saturday events. Mike is an active member at his local user group (JSSUG) in Jacksonville, FL.


KICK’N IT SASS STYLE


To Sign up for this event, Click HERE.  This full day of training is for only $99 dollars, which includes all day coffee & tea and lunch.   You may notice that every one of our speakers works for Pragmatic Works.  I’ve had a chance to see the great people at Pragmatic Works performing Half Day Training and Hourly Session, Webinars, Full Day Training, at SQL Saturday’s, at SQL Rally, and at even the Microsoft Offices in Tampa helping to explain and discuss new and upcoming technology.

They are one of the GO TO companies when it comes to BI.   They are the people writing the books, and they are the resource experts that people flock to.  If you are interested in BI, this is a day that you cannot miss!

If you are an old hat at BI, or a newbie this is the session for you.  I attended this same Pre-Con at SQL Rally.  We covered SSIS, Change Data Capture, SSAS, and SSRS.  You will truly get a look at how the full Microsoft BI suite can be utilized for your business.  A sample business was used and we walked through all the different ways to manage the data.  For the full write up look at SQL Rally: Pre Con Business Intelligence Workshop BI END to END.   This was a great day of training, and I’m really excited that we can offer it to you!



A Big Congratulations for newly minted MVP Jorge Segarra (Who will also have a Community Spotlight Session at this year’s PASS Summit), Bradley Schacht, Kyle Walker, and to Mike Davis on getting selected.  Gentlemen I look forward to seeing you in Orlando in September, and Dear Reader I hope you can make it too!

Thanks,

Brad





Tuesday, July 26, 2011

SQL Saturday 85 Schedule Released!


Hello Dear Reader, the moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived the Schedule for SQL Saturday 85 is now available online!  Click Here to see our AMAZING lineup!   I have a graphic of the schedule below but trust me the one on the website is much easier to read.

Tim Ford (@sqlagentman | blog) recently did a really awesome advertisement for SQL Saturday #84 in Kalamazoo Michigan, the week before ours and with a very talented lineup as well!  As a matter of fact if you are in the Michigan area you should plan on attending!  I think of what Tim did as SQL By The Numbers.  And they were some pretty impressive numbers.  And it made me curious, as to what our numbers are as well.


There was a lot of work that went into the schedule, on the part of the Speakers.   Your career is a culmination of what you have accomplished so far.  And so far our Speakers have done some pretty darn impressive things.


“So Balls,” you say, “Stop talking and show us these numbers”


Without further ado I give you SQL Saturday 85 by the numbers.



SQL SATURDAY 85 BY THE NUMBERS
42 Sessions
21 Current & former PASS Speakers
21 Sessions presented by PASS Summit Speakers
13 Tracks at this year’s Summit
13 Tracks Presented by MVP's
9 2011 PASS Summit Speakers
9 Microsoft SQL Server MVP's
7 Tracks
2 Sessions by a Microsoft Certified Master
1 SSAS Maestros Instructor
1 Microsoft Certified Master

Wow can you believe that lineup!  I'm so excited for this event I can hardly contain it.  All we need is one more very important number.

The most important number not listed Dear Reader is you!  We’ve got a wonderful line up, a FREE day of training, that would normally go for HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of dollars.  What are you waiting for Sign Up Today by Registering HERE. 

Over the next couple weeks we’ll be breaking this out even more.  Each of those numbers represents a significant amount of time, learning, and expertise on the part of our Speakers, and help to make SQL Saturday 85 in Orlando a Top Notch Event.  Over the next couple weeks we will be breaking down these numbers a little more.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to see you in Orlando in September!

Thanks,

Brad





Saturday, July 23, 2011

SQL Saturday 85 Shedding Some Light on the Schedule


http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajpresto714/230681875/

Hello Dear Reader, we are getting close to ending the Call for Speakers for SQL Saturday 85, the call ends July 24th.  SQL Saturday 85 is in Orlando on Saturday September 24th 2011.  I’m about 90% done with the schedule,  I know you’ve got to be as excited about this as I am!


I wanted to share with you some of the Sessions that we were looking at including.  I’m picking three Today, and then Shawn McGehee (@SQLShawn | Blog) will be posting more details on his blog tomorrow. 

Monday we’ll have the 90% of the Schedule posted with the remainder to follow Tuesday or Wednesday.  Tuesday we will also be releasing the details of the Pre-Con selected from our Call for Pre-Con Speakers.  There is still time to Click Here and submit a Session for SQL Saturday 85, the Call will close tomorrow.

“So Balls,” you say, “You promised to some details make like a kid on a long car trip and leak already!”

You got it Dear Reader, opening away!

SPILLING THE FLOOD GATES
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebigeazy/5745591968/sizes/l/in/photostream/


You know that Buck Woody (@BuckWoody | Blog), the well know speaker, Microsoft Guru, The CLOUD, and all around good guy is coming to do a Pre-Con for us, SQL Server Performance Tuning Using Application Path Analysis, but did you know that he will be PRESENTING at SQL Saturday as well!


Leaked Session Number 1: From Ground To Cloud for Databases

Speaker:  Buck Woody

“The cloud! Move everything to the cloud! No, wait, the cloud is awful! Don’t move anything to the cloud! Wait – what’s “the cloud”? Buck Woody, Microsoft’s “Real World DBA” will show you how to. figure out where your data should live, based on actual decision points. You’ll learn about Windows and SQL Azure, and when it makes sense to put data locally or remotely.

And that’s not all Dear Reader how about we have a Microsoft Certified Master in the house as well!  And not just a MCM, but a Premier Field Support Engineer with a specialization on Performance Data Warehouse!  None other than Brian Mitchell (@BrianMitchell | Blog)


Leaked Session Number 2: Applying FastTrack & PDW Best Practices to your DW
Speaker: Brian Mitchell

“SQL Server 2008 R2 Fast Track Data Warehouse and SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse share many of the same design components and best practice recommendations. We will discuss what those designs are and how you can apply those to your data warehouse. Additionally, we will walk through things you can do today to improve the performance of your data warehouse. “

So how do you follow that up?  How about with a Microsoft MVP a TEACHER of the Microsoft SSAS MASTERO Course, The Man, The Myth, The Legend Adam Jorgensen (@Adam_Jorgensen | Blog)!


Leaked Session Number 3:Analysis -0 to PowerPivot

Speaker: Adam Jorgensen
“In this session, the attehdees will learn how to drive and build a PowerPivot solution and reports as they rotate through the podium as volunteers. 


All right Dear Reader, if you haven’t registered now is the time to start rolling, Click Here to register for SQL Saturday 85!  And go visit Shawn’s Blog tomorrow to get more leaked details!  

And as always Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks,

Brad