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Top Tips for First-Timers Attending PASS Summit

So, you’ve registered for PASS Summit 2025, or you’re thinking about it, and it’s your first time attending. Welcome! You’re about to join the largest gathering of data professionals in the world, and we’re here to help you make the most of it.

Whether you’re flying solo or coming with colleagues, stepping into a conference of this scale can feel overwhelming. But don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Here are our top tips to help you feel confident, connected, and ready to thrive at PASS Summit.

 

1. Plan Your Agenda, But Stay Flexible

With hundreds of sessions to choose from, it’s tempting to pack your schedule. Start by identifying your must-see sessions, those that align with your current role or future goals. But leave room for spontaneity. Some of the best learning happens in hallway conversations or sessions you didn’t expect to love.

According to the 2024 Community Insights Survey, 97% of 2024 attendees said they walked away with actionable insights to apply at work.

 

2. Use the Mobile App

The PASS Summit app is your best friend. It helps you navigate the venue, build your agenda, connect with other attendees, and get real-time updates. In 2024, over 80% of attendees downloaded the app and found it invaluable.

 

3. Don’t Skip the Exhibit Hall

It’s more than just swag (though there’s plenty of that too). The Exhibit Hall is where you can meet vendors, see live demos, and discover tools that could transform your workflow. It’s also a great place to grab a coffee and chat with fellow attendees.

94% of attendees explored the Exhibit Hall in 2024, and many said it was a highlight of their experience.

 

4. Join the Community Zone

This is where the heart of PASS Summit beats. Whether you’re looking to meet speakers, join a local user group, or just have a friendly chat, the Community Zone is the place to be. It’s designed to help you feel welcome and part of something bigger.

 

5. Attend a Networking Event (or Two)

From welcome receptions to casual meetups, there are plenty of opportunities to connect. Don’t be shy, everyone’s here to learn and share. You never know who you’ll meet: a future mentor, collaborator, or even your next boss.

 

6. Ask Questions and Say Hello

Speakers love engaging with attendees. If a session sparks a question, ask it. If you see someone whose work you admire, introduce yourself. PASS Summit is a space where everyone, from first-timers to seasoned pros, is here to grow.

 

7. Take Breaks and Stay Hydrated

It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Make time to recharge, reflect, and maybe even explore a bit of Seattle. Your brain (and feet) will thank you.

 

8. Follow Up After the Event

The learning doesn’t stop when the conference ends. Reach out to people you met, revisit your notes, and share your takeaways with your team. Many attendees say the real value of PASS Summit continues long after they return home.

 

You Belong Here

PASS Summit is more than a conference, it’s a community. And as a first-timer, you’re a vital part of it. In the 2024 Community Insights Survey, attendees told us they come to PASS Summit to learn, connect, and grow their careers.

You’re in the right place.

 

Not Registered Yet?

Register before July 16 to beat the price bump and secure your ticket to PASS Summit 2025. We can’t wait to welcome you to Seattle this November!

From Kansas City to Seattle: How PASS Summit Changed My View of the Data World

By Ty Klayum

Hello! My name is Ty, and I was one of the PASS Summit Futures Scholars at the last PASS Summit this November. Thank you, the data community, for welcoming me with smiles and kindness at the event. You all made it a treat and an experience that I truly will never forget. Thank you also to the Redgate team, and the extensive list of event sponsors, for their hard work in setting up and orchestrating this event and for giving the other Scholars and me a chance to connect with the field uniquely and incredibly.

Due to the time difference between my location in Kansas City, Missouri, and the Redgate team’s time zone in Europe, I woke up on a bright Friday morning to an email informing me that I had won the scholarship to attend the event. This had to be a mistake! Was I heading to Seattle in just under 3 months to go to the biggest gathering of the data community in the world? And they were going to cover my expenses!? A few emails back and forth later, my skepticism subsided, and it turns out it was true! This is wild, I thought. I realized how blessed I was. This was just the beginning.

I arrived in Seattle the day prior to the event start and stepped foot in the Pacific Northwest for the first time ever. And because of diligence from Thy Pham, my contact from Redgate’s Marketing Team, I knew exactly where I needed to be and when. I took a walk in downtown Seattle, headed to a local coffee shop, and then went directly to the first session. It’s worth noting that many attendees throughout the week wore their PASS Lanyard wherever they went, so it generated easy and instant connection and conversation with anyone I could say hi to, even before the event began.

Events like the Welcome Reception were the perfect grounds to walk up to anyone who wasn’t already engaged in the great conversations all around me and strike up a chat with them. What seminars are you going to? Me too! I’m looking forward to learning about (fill in the blank) because of an initiative my company is taking toward so and so. This was direct insight into what a professional in the database industry’s day-to-day looked like and what they loved about it. I asked, “Do you enjoy this kind of work?” or “If you could go back and start over, would you stay in this field or change to something else?”. Many times, the answer I received was that they wish they had switched to this field sooner in their careers! This was perfect. The Community Zone and evening events presented even more opportunities to connect with others.

Attending as many lectures as possible, I packed my notebook with pages of information and circled terms to come back to later. There was a lot here, and these were the easier and introductory sessions! What else, besides drinking from the firehose of data and goodness, was there to do? An entire floor of exhibition tables and giveaways to attend was next on the list. I found myself going back to this floor multiple times to see as much as I could, as I wasn’t able to see it all between sessions, as there was so much.

My favourite moments over the three days of PASS Summit were meeting the Redgate Executives, Graham Miller and Kate Duggan, connecting and grabbing food with those I met between events and sessions, and simply walking around the venue. PASS Summit this year was hosted at the Seattle Convention Center, and it was beautiful. Another standout moment from PASS Summit was a conversation I had with another attendee who was seasoned in the field. He took the time to invest in me, answer my questions, and make sure that I understood what he described. He used analogies to make it simpler to take in the information and said it all in a kind and warm fashion. He gave me pointers and told me about becoming well-rounded in the field before settling and hunkering down into a niche after discovering what you love doing with data. This experience that I had was not unique, however. I consistently found myself reflecting on how welcoming and warm every attendee I had a conversation with was.

A note to all those considering attending future PASS Summits: It’s worth it! Book an extra day before and after the event is over, as Seattle and the locality are too sweet to miss. Potentially bring an extra notebook, but be sure not to overload on sessions because of the availability of video recordings online, post-event. I would also recommend signing up as soon as possible for the space-limited and fun events in the evenings, like Casino Night, Board Game Night, and others, and building your schedule on the app available for the event so you are well-rested and able to enjoy these as much as possible. And I would also be prepared to have conversations with other professionals who enjoy what they do, and who have wisdom available to someone willing to ask them engaging questions and draw it out.

This PASS Summit and the chance the Redgate team blessed me with to attend it changed the way I view the data field, especially the databases sector, paving the way for whatever is planned next for me. I can’t wait. PASS Summit removed the abstraction and uncertainties I had about the field and nudged me to be confident about taking initiative in the database industry. Thank you again, Redgate and event sponsors, this was a treat. Thank you also for the chance to write a small reflection on my experience. This was awesome. Thank you also, database community, for being so welcoming.

The Best First Conference Experience I Could Have Asked For

by Amy Ly, PASS Summit 2024 Scholar

I had the incredible opportunity to attend PASS Summit 2024 as a PASS Summit Futures Scholar. This marked my very first experience at a professional conference, and I was overwhelmed (in a good way) by what was available. I was able to attend both pre-con days and all three official conference days.

Initially, I was nervous about connecting with others, and the fact that I made a career change and had little experience in the field intimidated me. However, the warm and inclusive environment quickly dispelled my worries. The pre-con sessions I chose to attend were at the perfect experience level for me and provided me with great context in AI trends (past and future) and introduced me to other aspects of SQL coding I hadn’t considered before. In addition, I found new friends by just sitting at a table around mealtime and talking about our pre-con experiences. Further attending events like the Welcome Reception and Casino Night allowed me to form more meaningful connections with my new friends and gave me the chance to meet more interesting folks! As a result, waiting in lines for swag and going up to vendors for demos became less anxiety-inducing because I had friends to join me.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I felt like PASS Summit 2024 struck a good balance between technical expertise, vendor pitches, and industry trends. While there was a clear focus on new tools and AI advancements, I was delighted to see a significant number of sessions dedicated to Data Analytics. I also had the chance to schedule a 1:1 with an industry expert to get advice on how to solve a classification and machine learning problem for a current project I was working on! Regardless of area of interest or experience level, it felt like this conference had something for everyone.

The conference was a treasure trove of insights and learning. Some standout sessions that truly enriched my understanding included:

  • Redgate Keynote: Simplifying Complexity: Making the Database Work in the Real World – This session was a good start to one of my days. At my table, it helped facilitate discussions amongst attendees about shared challenges in the field.
  • Effective Data Visualization: Putting the Icing on the (Report) Cake – This session inspired me to think creatively about building dashboards that are both useful and engaging. I really appreciated all the analogies to baking a cake.
  • Power Hour – A dynamic and fun session packed with swag being thrown at the audience. Even though we weren’t supposed to come away with any takeaways, I was inspired by some of the silly examples of work that was shown. The playful atmosphere highlighted the potential capabilities of tools like Microsoft Fabric, many of which I hadn’t realized were possible.
  • From Data to Influence: Disney+ Storytelling Techniques in Power BI – This session was particularly inspiring, displaying how to build a beautiful and functional dashboard with data. It was really validating to hear that I can just be choosy about what datasets to incorporate (especially when it depends on the audience and sometimes less is more)! I ended up playing Ticket to Ride with the presenter later at Game Night!
  • Watch Brent Tune a Query in SQL Server 2022 – Witnessing live query tuning was both educational and inspiring. One of my conference friends referred me to this session and I was glad that I had a chance to pick up tips and tricks that I can apply to my work life now.
  • WIT Luncheon: Amplify Your Voice: Strategies for Visibility and Influence at Work – This was a powerful discussion on how a woman could progress in her career in a professional setting. It was very relatable too because the speaker used her own personal journey to help us reflect on our wants and needs.
  • Maximizing Organizational Potential: The Essential Role of Data Strategy – This session highlighted how a robust data strategy can drive organizational success. I found it particularly relatable, as many companies, including my own, struggle to effectively manage the vast amounts of data they collect and make effective data-driven decisions.

The next time I attend a conference, I will be better prepared. For anyone considering attending PASS Summit in the future, here are a few tips based on my experience:

  1. Attend a preconference session – These workshops provide in-depth knowledge and are especially beneficial if you choose an advanced-level topic or one led by a seasoned conference attendee.
  2. Pace yourself – It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, especially if you’re attending solo. Don’t stress about missing sessions—most content is available as recordings and presentations can be downloaded.
  3. Explore the host city – Take some time to enjoy the surroundings. It’s a great way to unwind and bond with your new friends at a local restaurant. I ended up getting a rush ticket to see Wicked, which was a nice way to end the evening!
  4. Join a social event – Events like Casino Night or Game Night are fantastic opportunities to meet new people. With one of my newfound friends, I had an engaging conversation about good coding practices and the importance of data quality. These interactions made the conference experience even more enriching, and I felt like I belonged to the community.
  5. Talk to vendors – Don’t shy away from engaging with vendors you might not have considered before. I learned a lot about observability tools, a field I have no prior background in, and realized its growing importance for sustainability. A lot of material that I received, I ended up bringing back to my database engineering colleagues!

PASS Summit 2024 is more than just a conference. Being a first timer, I was amazed at how many people seemed to know each other and how long they’ve been attending. This conference is a vibrant community where learning, connection, and inspiration thrive. Being around seasoned professionals has left me determined to enhance my own skills – I am determined to build impactful dashboards in 2025 and have set a goal to earn a Power BI certification within this upcoming year. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to attend, and I look forward to continuing my journey in data analytics with renewed enthusiasm and ambition!

 

PASS Summit 2025 Learning Pathways

What if you could walk into a session and walk out with a strategy you can use the very next day? 

That’s the power of Learning Pathways at PASS Summit 2025. 

These aren’t your average sessions — they’re curated, progressive learning experiences designed to help you build real-world skills, close knowledge gaps, and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving data landscape. 

What Are Learning Pathways? 

Learning Pathways are a series of thoughtfully arranged sessions that build upon each other, aimed at developing specific competencies. The pathways vary in topic and contribute to closing skill gaps or introducing new technologies. An attendee should be able to attend a Learning Pathway from start to finish and walk away with an actionable skill or strategy to use in their day-to-day. 

And here’s the best part: all Learning Pathway sessions are delivered across the three main conference days of PASS Summit, giving you the flexibility to dive deep without missing out on the rest of the event. 

Topics That Matter 

This year’s Learning Pathways include: 

Led by Experts Who’ve Been There 

Our 17 speakers aren’t just presenters, they’re practitioners. You’ll learn from data pros who’ve solved the problems you’re facing and can show you how to do the same. 

Walk Away with More Than Notes 

You’ll leave with frameworks and strategies you can plug into your projects right away, not just ideas, but implementation. 

Connect with Your Community 

Learning Pathways are also a chance to collaborate with peers, ask questions in real time, and build your network with others on the same journey. 

Join Us at PASS Summit 2025 

These sessions are designed for doing, not just listening. Explore the newly announced lineup here.

 

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