Maciej Pilecki - SQL Server lessons from the field

OK, so I have opened my autumn conference season today with two presentations at SQLCON 2008 (part of BASTA!) in Mainz, Germany. If not for the fact that I was quite miserable due to extreme pain in my lower back (I could hardly walk and there was no position in which I would be comfortable), it was great fun! Luckily, they had a masseuse on site and she did a great job fixing me. Many thanks to the organizers and attendees of that fine conference! I hope to be back next spring.

So, what's next? Well, quite a bit - this autumn I am doing "a few" conferences. Here is a list of the confirmed ones:

• September 29th - October 1st - MS Partner Conference in Riga, Latvia - I am doing both the main conference as well as 2-day post-conf SQL 2008 workshop.
• October 1st - 3rd - MS Partner Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania - I will miss the main conference but I will be there in time to do the workshop on Thursday and Friday.
• October 13th - 14th - DevReach in Sofia, Bulgaria. I will be there only on Monday (doing 2 sessions), but this conference is one of the highlights in my schedule - it's one of the best in CEE.
• October 14th - 17th - Sinergija 08 in Novi Sad, Serbia. First time for me but I am looking forward to being part of this great conference.
• October 21st - 22nd - TrivadisOPEN 2008 in Zurich, Switzerland. Dual first time: first time at this conference and first time in Switzerland. Wow, some new country for me to visit. :)
• November 3rd - 7th - TechEd ITPro EMEA in Barcelona, Spain. A classic one, not to be missed.
• November 18th - 21st - PASS Commuity Summit 2008 in Seattle, WA. First time for me at PASS Summit in US. This one is a must for any SQL Server professional!
• November 25th - 26th - SQL Server Energy 2008 in Vienna, Austria. Lots of friends there - it will be a fun conference, I am sure.

This may seem like a very busy schedule but in fact, it's nothing new to me. Actually, I still have a few gaps in my calendar so if you are organizing a conference and would like to invite me, feel free to give me a call. :)

I am looking forward to seeing you at one (or two) of those conferences! Make sure you join me at one of my sessions.

And for my Polish readers: There is a big gaping hole in this schedule that some of you may notice - it's the Microsoft Technology Summit in Warsaw in less than 2 weeks. Since many people asked me about this, I feel compelled to answer: I will not be there because I have not been invited, not because I don't have time. Believe me, I wish I could join you there, but it was not for me to decide. If you want to see me there next year, make sure that you let the organizers know. I will be happy to come.

Enjoy the conference season this year!