We’re excited to unveil a new addition to PASS Summit West 2026. This year we will be running a First Timers Welcome Networking Event, taking place right at the start of the Community Kickoff Reception in Seattle on November 9.

Whether you’ve already got your ticket or you’re still on the fence, this session was built with you in mind.

Why We Built This

Every year, attendees tell us networking is one of the best parts of PASS Summit. Every year, first-timers also tell us it’s the part that feels hardest – walking into a room where everyone in the community seems to already know each other.

For 2026, we’re doing something about it.

How It Works

• When: The first 30 minutes of the Community Kickoff Reception on November 9. We have a separate room just for first timers so you’re not walking into a packed room, instead, you’re walking into a room with everyone feeling like you are. Then we’ll merge the rooms so that you can join the Power Hour, hopefully with some new but now familiar faces.
• Format: Small groups on table-hosted roundtables. You’re never facing a whole room by yourself.
• Conversation starters: A handful of easy prompts to break the ice, so nobody’s stuck wondering what to say first.
• Getting in: No extra sign-up required. Make sure to grab a first-timer ribbon from registration and show up.
• How to spot each other: Wear your first-timer ribbon. It’s a signal to everyone around you, including hosts and fellow attendees alike, that you’re new, and that saying hello is exactly the right move.

Already Registered?

If you’ve got your ticket, we can’t wait to meet you in Seattle. Join us on November 9, 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM in Columbia A, Level 3 just before Community Kickoff. That’s it! The rest is taken care of.

Haven’t Registered Yet?

If the thing holding you back is picturing yourself alone at a huge reception full of strangers, we built this event for that exact worry. You’ll spend your first 30 minutes at PASS Summit West with a small group of people who are just as new as you are, guided by a warm, easy structure, not left to figure out where to stand. You don’t need to know anyone going in. You just need to show up.

Register now to join us at PASS Summit West, November 9–11, 2026, in Seattle. #PASSDataSummit