Whether we call it the SQL Family or the Data Family, I can’t think of a better group of people.
I have been having fun working with the Day of Data Utah folks and they were kind enough to ask me my opinion. First of all, I’m happy to help, Second of all, it’s exciting to see groups being created, and Third of all, it’s good for the community.
The news about IT companies is a little scary right now, and it’s really good to have a community to fall back upon. People in our community are RABID about helping each other, and it’s heart-warming. When the world gets a little weird, you want to have people willing to give you a little help.
I have met amazing people in this “family” and I’m looking forward to meeting more.
Cue – the plugs – for my visits in chronological order
Day of Data Utah – https://www.eventzilla.net/e/day-of-data-2026-formerly-sql-saturday-2138670354 (19 Sep)
Fabcon/SQLCon Barcelona – https://espc.tech/conference/fabcon-europe-2026/ (28 Sep – 1 Oct)
PNW Day of Data – https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/oregondatacommunity/pnw-day-of-data-2026 (6 Nov – 7 Nov)
SQL Transport (it’s a story) – (8 Nov)
PASS Summit West – https://passdatacommunitysummit.com/west/ (9 Nov – 11 Nov)
Seattle Day of Data – https://dayofdata.org/2026-11-12-dayofdata1155/ (12 Nov)
Many of these are free events with an opportunity to learn from top-notch speakers along with the chance to ask them questions and to network with other people. Fabcon and PASS Summit are not free, but if you have the chance, go. My life changed forever after my first SQL Saturday (now Day of Data), and it changed even more after my first PASS Summit. I’m really excited about going to Barcelona and working in the Community Lounge. I’ll be doing a presentation on “Moving the Boulder – how to get momentum going for your community group” along with putting in a number of hours answering questions on Learning and Certification topics.
Feel free to ask questions about how YOU can get involved. It may seem scary at first, but it’s a really powerful experience to learn, present, and be questioned about your topics.
