This series of posts is going to be for my first timers to get them ready for the PASS Summit.  This post will cover Friday.  Here is a link to the previous day in the Series Thursday.

Friday unfortunately marks the last day of the official summit.  No keynote this year on Friday so it gives you more time to make sessions and socialize with the many new friends you have made.

Friday

1. Many people fly out Friday so if you are flying make sure to get your bags packed in the morning.  All the hotels will hold your bags for you during the day if you want to check out of the hotel and then head to the conference.
2. Friday breakfast will be a great time to chat with the new friends you have made and make sure you have contact info/business card so you can keep in touch after PASS is over.
3. The bird of a feather lunch that happens on Friday is a great time to meet people based on similar areas of expertise with SQL Server.  So if you are into DW/BI there will be tables dedicated to others that are working on the same problems as you are probably facing.
4. If you are not flying out early on Friday it’s a good evening to kick back and relax with friends and get dinner.  Many have already left so you’ll find it a little quieter than previous nights but a great time to catch up and review the conference with friends.

This series of posts is going to be for my first timers to get them ready for the PASS Summit.  This post will cover Thursday.  Here is a link to the previous day in the Series Wednesday.

Hopefully you were out late Wednesday night socializing with many of your new friends at the Summit.   Unfortunately some events are scheduled early on Thursday morning so you may have a very short sleep before things get kicked off.   I wouldn’t skip breakfast on Thursday either not only for the chance to meet new people but you’ll need some coffee if you had a late night the evening before.

Thursday

1. A hosted Breakfast will be happening Thursday morning brought to you by SIOS technology and Fusion-IO.   You can RSVP and find the info here. 
2. PASS will only be having 2 keynotes this year so your last chance to hear about new products and technologies will be at the Thursday keynote.   This one historically for me as not been that interesting but since we are only having 2 this year that might change.
3. Thursday has the WIT (Women in Technology) lunch.   This is not just for woman, Men are welcome as well and personally I love to attend this lunch.  I have two young daughters and finding ways to help them in technology in the future is a great way to spend my time.  I highly suggest this event to everyone to try and attend.
4. The Community Appreciation event will be Thursday evening.  MS and PASS want to say thank you to the community for all its support so they have rented out the EMP space and will have games and karaoke and all sorts of events going on inside.   You can find more information at the PASS evening Events page.
5. Thursday is usually a great evening to get out late night and get some more photos as well.  I can’t confirm an impromptu photowalk at this time but make sure to watch the #sqlpass #photowalk tag to hear the latest info.

This series of posts is going to be for my first timers to get them ready for the PASS Summit.  This post will cover Wednesday.  Here is a link to the previous day in the Series Tuesday.

Wednesday is the start of the summit!   Kicking your Day off with Breakfast and a keynote is a great way to start a full day of learning.  Hopefully you met some new people at the welcome reception and now you can get to know them better between sessions.

Wednesday

1. The Wednesday keynote is usually full of product announcements from MS so you won’t want to miss it.
2. #sqlrun is going on in the morning if you are into running this is a fun way to meet others as well.  Info here.  I am a walker myself but I may be around to take pictures for this.
3. Wednesday is SQL Saturday support day so wear your favorite SQL Saturday shirt.  I have several to choose from and not sure which I will be supporting yet.
4. Wednesday the lunch is for you to find your local chapter.   The tables will be segmented out by chapter so that you can find fellow members of your community you may not have known.   If you are not active in your local chapter this is a great time to get to know some of the other people from your area.
5. The Expo hall welcome reception is on Wednesday and is a great time to start meeting all the vendors and see the products that are available to you in the market.
6. I imagine there will be a few people heading to Bush Gardens this evening for Karaoke as well so make sure to save some time in the evening to head out with others and socialize.