PASS Summit 2009 Opens with Nearly 3000 Registrations

Day 1 Features Keynotes by Top Microsoft SQL Server Execs Bob Muglia, Ted Kummert

SEATTLE, WA — November 3, 2008 — The Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) kicks off its annual PASS Summit today at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle with nearly 3,000 registrations and keynotes by senior Microsoft SQL Server executives Bob Muglia and Ted Kummert.

As of last night, PASS Summit 2009 had 2,202 delegates and 796 pre/post-conference attendees across 46 countries for a total of 2,998 registrations.

“In one of the worst economic downturns of my lifetime, PASS has experienced phenomenal support from its members and the SQL Server community,” said Bill Graziano PASS Vice President, Marketing. “Many conferences are down 40 to 50 percent or more in attendance this year, but PASS Summit 2009 is right on target with 2,200 attendees. That’s only 9 percent less than last year, which was almost double our 2007 Summit.”

PASS Summit, the largest SQL Server event in the world, features a record 168 technical sessions this year and unmatched networking opportunities with the industry’s top SQL Server and Business Intelligence experts.

Microsoft is committing its top resources to the week-long event, including four executive keynotes, the first-ever CSS and SQLCAT SQL Server Clinic, Ask the Experts Lounge, Hands-On Labs, and free copies of SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition.

Hundreds of Microsoft experts will be on hand to share best practices, explain the latest solutions, and answer customer questions to help attendees get the most out of their SQL Server and BI investments—and their time at PASS Summit. Attendees will also get a sneak-peek at Microsoft’s SQL Server and BI product roadmaps.

In today’s opening keynote, Muglia will outline Microsoft’s key technical investments across the datacenter and cloud, exploring how they support the evolving role of database professionals around the world. Kummert will then deep-dive into the upcoming release of SQL Server 2008 R2, which delivers on Microsoft’s vision of enabling data platform customers to be more efficient through integrated tools.

PASS Summit 2009 runs through November 5, with full-day post-conference seminars on Friday, November 6.

For more information and the latest updates from PASS Summit 2009, see http://summit2009.sqlpass.org/.

About PASS
The Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) is an independent, not-for-profit association dedicated to supporting, educating, and promoting the Microsoft SQL Server community. From local user groups and virtual chapters to Webcasts and the annual PASS Summit—the largest gathering of SQL Server professionals in the world—PASS enables knowledge sharing, in-depth learning, access to the Microsoft SQL Server team, and the ability to influence the direction of SQL Server technologies. The PASS mission is to empower the global SQL Server community to connect, share, and learn. For more information about PASS and the benefits of becoming a member, visit the PASS Web site at http://www.sqlpass.org.

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