DATA LUTHIER

This was my 4^th SQL Bits, and this one was a little different from all the others, not only because of the format of the conference but also because I got selected to speak, twice! The previous Bits I’ve been to as both an attendee and an exhibitor, but this time I got to experience the conference from a speaker’s perspective.

As usual I travelled down and attended with my colleagues from Purple Frog Systems, which always makes it more fun. We had the usual number of laughs and played the exhibitor games with the same competitive level as we always do. At the same time, we’ve all come back with something we’ve picked up from a session and can’t wait to implement. Learn hard, play hard.

My first session, “From No Code to Low Code: An Introduction to M in Power Query” was scheduled as the first session on the first day, what better way to start my Bits than by delivering a talk? It was well attended, there was a lot of engagement, and I received a lot of very positive feedback throughout the week. Despite the nerves of getting up on stage at my first real conference, I really enjoyed myself and better still, my demos went smoothly.

My second session wasn’t until Saturday so my focus was on learning as much as possible before then.

There were so many sessions, too many to list so here are my favourites for each day:

Wednesday – Deborah Melkin – Conquering the Monster Proc – How to Combat Legacy Code

Thursday – Laura Graham-Brown – Dynamic Power Query

Friday – Erin Stallato – SSMS 21 Spotlight: What’s New and Why it Matters

Saturday – Kasper do Jonge – Fabric Security: Everything You Need to Know

Two other big personal highlights for me were:

Traci Sewell – Talking About Mental Health for You and for Them. Stepping into a more managerial role, I thought attending this session would be a great way to learn how to approach questions of mental health, and while I was right, the session also hit home and highlighted issues I need to address myself. If you ever get a chance to attend one of Traci’s sessions, I recommend taking it.

Warwick Rudd – Improve Productivity Quickly by Integrating New Fabric Task Flows for Better Project Management. While this session was brilliant from a technical perspective, the real take away was a comment about the value of events like SQL Bits, community!

He is absolutely spot on, my favourite part of SQL Bits is seeing friends from the data community that I don’t interact with regularly enough (unless you count liking a LinkedIn post) as well as making new ones.

The data community is like no other, 4 years ago when I first attended, I was introduced to people that inspired me. I saw them take the stage and impart their knowledge on the attendees, me included, and knew immediately I had to get there. The speaker lounge seemed like this forbidden room, reserved for only the stars of data.

Over the years, as I’ve spent more time in and around the community, I’ve come to realise this was a huge misconception on my part and everyone is incredibly friendly, approachable and helpful.  This year, I spent time just chatting casually with some of those same people, in lifts, over dinner, at the bar and over coffee.

On Saturday I presented my second session, there were still butterflies but no real nerves. Between the experience of my session earlier in the week, the presence of my previous mentor in the room, (thanks Robert), and the suggestions and feedback from other speakers, I was comfortable enough to just get into a flow and enjoy it.

I had to head home directly after the session, the three hour car journey gave me time to reflect on the week, and my biggest realisation was that in a time where we see the question “Will AI replace humans in the workplace?” posted everywhere, the answer is “No”. SQL Bits and events like it prove that nothing will ever replace the human and community element of our industry.

I’m looking forward to next year already!