Last weekend, I traveled to Pittsburgh for SQL Saturday/Day Of Data. As you, my regular readers (both of you) are well aware, I always enjoy these trips and these events, and this was no exception. I last spoke at Pittsburgh SQL Saturday in 2016, and since that event, I've been meaning to make the trip back ever since. However, every year that the Pittsburgh event was held, I wasn't able to make the trip; I had some kind of conflict that always came up the same weekend.

Whenever I do these conference trips (such as the #SQLSaturday/#DayOfData trip this weekend), I'm invariably asked, business or pleasure? The trouble is, no matter how I answer that, it would be correct. And it would also be incorrect. On one hand, I go to these things as part of my professional development (that includes when I'm presenting), to get better at what I do, and for networking.

Yesterday, after riding a train for ten hours (which included about a 45 minute stop for customs), I returned home after spending my weekend in Toronto, Canada. I went out there on Friday (riding the same ten-hour train), attended the conference on Saturday, and returned home the next day. My only regret about the trip was that I only scheduled it like this: get there, do the conference, go home.

After not having any speaking engagements through the summer, I now have three events coming up in the next month! Sept. 26 -- SQL Saturday Toronto 2026: A week from this Saturday, I will be heading north of the border to give my networking presentation! Oct. 10 -- Day of Data Pittsburgh 2026: In mid-October, I will be in the Steel City to do…

I learned today that I have been accepted to speak at Day of Data Pittsburgh on October 10! I will be doing my job hunt presentation! This will be my second time speaking in Pittsburgh, but my first time since 2016. Has it really been ten years since I was last there? Hope to see you in the Steel City!

I haven't had many speaking opportunities lately, so it's been a while since I last posted one of these. Now I have two that are upcoming within the next month! September 26: SQL Saturday/Day of Data Toronto: At the end of the month, I'll be heading north of the border to do my networking presentation! This will be my first time speaking in Toronto, and my third time speaking in Canada!

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I got the official word this morning that I will be in Toronto to speak at SQL Saturday Toronto on September 26! This will be my third time doing a presentation north of the border (and my second time for a SQL Saturday/Day of Data)! I will be doing one of my favorite presentations: my session on networking…

My friend Ed Pollack is asking us to advertise this event. Okay, I will oblige! The Capital Area SQL Server User Group (my local SQL user group) will be hosting #DayOfData (formerly #SQLSaturday) on Saturday, August 8, at the Massry School of Business, located on the campus of the University at Albany! This is a daylong conference of all things data!

This past Saturday, I spoke at Raleigh Day Of Data. It was a fun event (they always are!), and I enjoyed my trip down to the Tar Heel State! The plane that flew me to Raleigh This event was significant in that it was the first Day Of Data or SQL Saturday event that necessitated me to travel by air.

Tomorrow, I will be boarding a flight to Raleigh, NC, where I will be speaking at Raleigh Day of Data 2026! This trip checks off a Day Of Data (formerly SQL Saturday) bucket list item. I checked off my last one -- speaking at a SQL Saturday outside the United States -- last year, when I spoke at Montréal SQL Saturday…

I'm off to speak at a Day of Data conference in a couple of weeks, so I figured a schedule update was in order! I have a few events on my calendar. May 23: Raleigh Day of Data 2026 (#1143): In a couple of weeks, I'll board a flight down to Raleigh, NC to speak at Day of Data. I'll be doing…

Since I now have a couple of confirmed speaking engagements, I figured I should mention them. March 16 (tonight!): March CASSUG user group meeting: I will be the speaker tonight for my own user group! I will talk about using the free SQL Server Developer Edition to create a sandbox environment for people learning about SQL Server! This presentation is geared toward SQL Server newbies, so if you're just learning about SQL Server, come check it out!

I received word that I have been accepted to speak at Raleigh Day of Data (formerly SQL Saturday) on May 23! I will be doing my presentation called Tech Writing for Techies, a session intended to educate people who are not technical writers as to what tech writing is about, and why it's important to the development process. We'll see you there!

Well, a couple of days after mentioning a couple of Day of Data events to which I've submitted, I just found out that I'll be speaking next month for my own user group! After our March user group speaker withdrew, Ed asked me if I could step in as a replacement speaker for next month. Naturally, I said, sure!

Boy, it's been a while since I posted one of these. The fact is, since my trip out to Seattle for PASS Data Community Summit, I haven't been doing any presenting. I still don't have any confirmed speaking dates yet. However, there are two events to which I've submitted. I submitted proposals to two Day of Data -- formerly known as SQL Saturday -- events.