About a week ago, on June 1st, 2024, we delivered our 8th Data.SQL.Saturday.LA (yes, we didn’t stop in 2020 and 2021 and delivered 2 virtual events). It’s now a perfect moment to share our experiences, the successes, and the lessons we learned along the way.

Overcoming Obstacles

Obstacles:

  • Delivering 2024 SQL Saturday in Orange County just one month ago.
  • Getting many sponsors, speakers, and attendees
  • Delivering an event in a new building

The keys to our success are delegation, very experienced organizing team, and proven toolbox. To some degree, it was just a rinse and repeat for 8th time in a new building.

Event Highlights and Successes

The event saw numerous successes:

  • Listed all event tasks in Planner to facilitate delegation and transparency
  • Welcomed over 70 attendees, with more than 140 registrations.
  • Celebrated our 8th event in a new gorgeous building (LMU, University Hall)
  • Fancied speaker and volunteer appreciation dinner at Gulp Brewery in Playa Vista
  • Perfected lunch order with collecting lunch selection during registration ticket while sending an email to Mendocino Farms in Marina Del Rey with individual choices and names
  • Used EventZilla for registration and check-in as well as collecting lunch chpices
  • Collected session feedback using https://eval.sqlsaturday.com
  • Taking photos and videos with our new event backdrop

Lessons Learned and Future Improvements

While many aspects of the event were successful, we identified areas for improvement:

  • 2-3 months of advanced planning is required for pre-conference on Friday
  • Bring lunch much earlier
  • Improve EventZilla experience
  • Add signage floorplan

As we reflect on 2024 Data.SQL.Saturday.LA, we are grateful for the community’s enthusiasm and participation. Each challenge was an opportunity to learn and each success, a moment to celebrate. Looking forward, we are excited to apply these insights to make future events even more rewarding and engaging for everyone involved.

Join us as we continue to build on this foundation, ensuring SQL Saturday remains a cornerstone event for our community. Thank you to everyone who joined us this year, and here’s to many more successful gatherings in the future!

Bird’s-eye view

Registration and check-in

Food court

Sponsors and reception

Raffle

Lunch

Published by steverezhener

Steve Rezhener specializes in Microsoft Data Platform, SQL Server, AWS/Azure and Microsoft BI Stack. Steve holds a degree Computer Information Systems and Software Development from Champlain College in Burlington, VT, and is graduate of the MBA Program in Information Technology from University of Redlands in Redlands, CA. Steve is known in the SQL Community as a co-organizer of SQL Saturday in Los Angeles event, co-leader of LA Data Platform (fka SQLMalibu) User Group, frequent SQLSaturday speaker, and President and Co-Founder of Data Driven Technologies, Inc 501.c.3. non-profit. Steve lives in Los Angeles, CA. When not dealing with data, he is fixing a house, and playing an XBOX with his 2 kids.

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