Category: Official Chapter

[EN] Reminiscence Boulevard: Belfast SQL User Group

koprowskit

Friday evening after one hour bus trip (with UlsterBus), fifty minutes flight (with EasyJet) and almost three hours train trip (with EastMidlandsTrains) I back to home. Twenty eight hours earlier I landed in Belfast, where I went for invitation by Ryan Dickson {LINKEDIN}. Ryan is a leader of Belfast SQL Server User Group {PASSsite|Eventbrite} I have never been there, the group looks interesting, so based on previous talks with Ryan I decided to go…

IMG_5821Being MVP, member of PASS and Community Leader  – I have not only privileges, but obligations too. One of it is kind of ‘evangelization’. With Ryan we decided to showing and explaining for their members how Windows Azure SQL Database works. About twenty five people registered for this meeting and probably all came. We spend two hours, magically extended to almost three (hope that Ryan’s wife forgive us) discussing and playing around Windows Azure SQL Database, SQL Server 2016, Windows Azure Blob Storage, coloured management studio tabs, security and more.

I’m very proud and happy to deliver this session. Trip was a little annoying and stressful from time to time (eg, with NationalExpress delay to Gatwick Airport), but finally I had fantastic time and got new experience. Especially with significantly different accent of my Northern Ireland’s audience.

IMG_5820 IMG_5822 IMG_5823

Slides from my session are available HERE and if you were there… you can rate my session HERE

#NeverStopExploring

[EN] Reminiscence Boulevard: 1st PASS East Mids Meetup

koprowskit

600_446675460A week ago I had very big pleasure to attend, co-orginize and speak at first PASS East Midland Metup in Nottingham. I’ve been at one or two previous meetings where this group resides in Leicester. But – my friend Gavin Campbell {TWITTER|LINKEDIN} decided to step back (we always have more important than user group things: work, home affairs, family dreams). I made same decision with my first SQL Server Community – Polish SQL Server User Group (in Wroclaw) {MEETUP}

And because I moved from Leicester to Nottingham, we: Gavin, Stuart Moore {TWITTER|LINKED|BLOG} and myself setup again PASS East Midlands User Group version 2.0 in Nottingham. From the middle of November we have new address and dates for our meetings – still quarterly on the first Thursday of February, May, August and November. We have great host which is famous company from payments & card industry: Capital One Credit Cards UK.

We are in internet in several places (sorted in my personal importance list):

On our first meetup we had two sessions – one presented by me and one by Stuart. And we had arround fifteen attendees – few our fans cancelled attendance before meeting (for several private/work related reasons) – which is not bad result for first meeting. We got some good feedback on meeting, just after meeting and via out meetup page. We will continuing our work with next dates:

  • in May – Thursday 5th but date is not yet confirmed / because we have small conflict with upcoming SQLBits Conference
  • in August – Thursday 4th
  • in November – Thursday 3rd

We are very open for any suggestions about speakers and subjects for our next meetings – you can share your idea.

[EN] 2Q 2015 and my public speaking and presence {updated}

koprowskit

Second quarter of 2015 looks really busy, even with less number of travels. I’ve few confirmed sessions at conferences and user groups, and some plan for attending only. I will miss few events and unfortunetelly reject some of them. This post unfortunatelly I publish a little late than expected, but it’s still “a beginning of second quarter”.

Attendee:

This quarter will be few events when I will attend. To hear someone, to see someone, to meet someone, to be inspired. My plans are very flexible (even my calendar is not):

User Group Meetings:

  • Leicester SQL Server User Group|Leicester, England|15th Apr {SITE|TWITTER}
  • Azure UK User Group|Birmingham, England|16th Apr {SITE}
  • Azure UK User Group|London, England|27th Apr {SITE}
  • SharePoint UK User Group|Nottingham|30th Apr {SITE}

Conferences:

Speaker:

Speaking is most important part of all my events. As many of us – The Speakers – we love it. So of course I will have some chance to increasing my speakers skills here:

User Group Meetings:

  • London PASS Chapter|London, England|19th May {SITE}|session: WASD for Beginners
  • East Midlands PASS Chapter|Leicester,England|17th June {SITE|TWITTER}|session (or two): TBA

Conferences

  • Enterprise Security and Risk Management|London,England|28th April {SITE|TWITTER}|experts panel & session: Trust. The Primer
  • ITCamp 2015|Cluj-Napoca, Romania|21st-22nd May {SITE|TWITTER}|session: SQL Server Security in the Cloud
  • SPBiz Conference|Virtual Event, Worldwide|17th-18th June {SITE|TWITTER|FACEBOOK}|session: 2AM A Disaster Just Began

Trainer:

After great event in Microsoft Norge [whrere I delivered Hybrid Cloud full day workshop as second part of LEAP Program], I will back to my favourite place: Reykjavik. As always with great cmpany at Skeifan district I will deliver my authored:

  • SharePoint 2013 Administration for ITPRo Masterclass |{REGISTRATION}

Rejected events:

Time is not flexible. My outlook calendar is but with limited level only. So based on many reasons (fortunatelly all are connected with business, not private things) I had to reject my attendee as speaker or subject matter expert at some events:

  • Microsoft Ignite
  • SQL Saturday Exeter
  • SQL Saturday Varna
  • SQL Saturday Krasnodar

I know it’s always very bad news for organizers and I have full respect for their hard job and results of choice the best speaker for their events. But I have always two side of coin:

  • I can send my submission and if something happen with my clients or business things in advance I can decide to not go, reject my session and living in shame
  • I can stay at home and watch tv still thinking ‘I could be there if I’ll submit on time’

The problem only is that I have no tv screen in my flat, so I can only look on my walls.