Our February Immersion Event in Dallas, TX – What did the attendees think?

I love this shot! I told everyone to do something fun and this is what I got… What a great group! (Well, except for Paul. I'm sure that's intended for me!! :))

This particular Immersion Event ran from February 21 through 25 in Dallas, TX and I've done a write up from our perspective here: What a week for our first Immersion Event on Internals and Performance.

In this post, I want to give you the attendee's perspectives and experience… I'll throw out a few of our favorite comments to start:

"Best training I have ever had – in any technical field. Very deep – but presented in a way that is easily understood. Thank you! I have several specific takeaways that are going to have an immediate input on my job. Finally, great hotel and great food – this helps get the most out of training."
Luke Newport (@newportl)

"The expertise/level of the speakers is refreshingly excellent! Practitioners as trainers results in a great class. I appreciate the very healthy balance of lecture/demos/questions. … All sessions based on true results and real-world experience. I can't stress enough how happy I am with this choice for training this year. … This is without a doubt the best training I have attended. It was professional, but comfortable, both of which are conducive to learning. I think you folks are doing it right: professional content + demos + open Q&A + multiple trainers!"
Darrell Landrum, Buchanan Technologies (@DarrellLandrum)

"This was an excellent class! The amount of content was incredible. Based on conversations with other attendees, I was probably the least experienced DBA attending, but the materials were presented such that I could easily follow and absorb. I learned quite a few things that I can use as soon as I get back into the office. Very engaging and informative presentation style."
Peter Hoidas, Whole Foods Market

"This was a great event. I learned so much. I thought you hit the perfect balance between theoretical and practical information. I will highly recommend this class to database developers and administrators. … Having the two of you present is especially great because of your complimentary presentation styles. It adds real balance and excitement."
Kendra Little, Wild Tangent Games (@Kendra_Little)

"The best SQL Server technical instructors I ever came across! They can present, demonstrate and explain every topic very well. I highly recommend attending all of their courses."
Viren Shah, Reliance Steel and Aluminum Co.

"There is no doubt you guys know your stuff. Any question thrown at you was addressed and then some. I have a lot to do when I get home. Your slides are full of information and everything was well demonstrated – on the whiteboard or in demos. Also, your demos are always flawless. Very impressive."
In summary: "All topics were interesting. I never found myself bored or uninterested in anything. I think that is due to your presentation skills and the fact that you make all of the information accessible even when it is quite complicated."
Darcy Dupuis, Saskatchewan Liquor & Gaming Authority (@DarcyDupuis)

"The SQLskills Internals and Design Immersion Event is without a doubt the greatest learning experience I’ve ever had for SQL Server.  Not only are Paul and Kimberly at the top of any list regarding expertise on the subjects, but they possess a keen ability to present the material in a way that makes it easy to absorb.  A rare combination in any environment, I left feeling well informed and excited to attend the next event."
Steven Wright, Director of Engineering Services for SQL Sentry (@SQL_Steve)

"I will DEFINITELY take another Immersion Event from SQLskills."
Bill Scrivener, Harris County Appraisal District

"Thank you for opening my 'SQL' eyes. Now, I know how to argue and find bad coding practices. Also, I can provide the right solution for the problems I encounter. Thank you with all of my <3!"
Jeffrey Chen, Mecklenburg County Government IST

Very informative, very pleased with skillsets learned.
Aaron Winkler, Match.com

"As the event approached the last two days, it appeared that the presenters started to hurry through the modules to keep up with the schedule. Although allowing for the audience to ask questions will cause the sections of the presentation to run long, overall the entirety of the event was well scheduled and laid out. I am very impressed wth the breadth of knowledge the presenters have and their ability to convey this information to the audience."
Terry Anthony, Passport HealthCare Communication Inc.

Thanks Terry! We could have used an extra hour or two. We've already updated the website to change the Friday schedule to a full day and NOT end early. We're also thinking of running until 5:45 each day to get a bit more time for questions. Q&A is really valuable but we also need to make sure that we don't rush in any way. Thanks again! kt

"Very much satisfied with the training. There was never a boring moment. I see myself doing a lot of things differently. The information is very useful for my day to day activities and I can work with my developers a bit better. … The best training I ever attended."
Sunil Mikkilineni, First Solar

"Very satisfied with the event. Now it's about time to show some of the benefits back to my employer and come back for more events like this. There are more than a few topics that can be taken to my environment and get good performance benefits. Discussions, whiteboards and tangents. Wonderful execution. Every aspect is perfectly planned and executed. Thank you."
Sankar Reddy, Funmobility, Inc. (@SankarReddy13)

In response to: what is your favorite topic: "Wow, just one? That would be hard. I would have to sum it up as 'internals and performance.' In other words, the entire event. But, if I have to pick one: M3: Data File Internals and Maintenance. Well, wait, M11 – the explanation of the DMVs and DTA's shortcomings."
Joe Noll, RKL eSolutions LLC (@JLNoll)

And what about the food?

SQL Sentry sponsored our event and covered the costs of food so that the attendees didn't have to go and forage for food at lunch. This allows students to take a REAL break from the day and relax. And, overall the food at the hotel was fantastic. Here are a couple of quick comments:

  • Thank you for the vegetarian food at lunch – it was really great.
  • Impressed with the food. I have had a couple of folks from next door's event rave about our food.
  • No one (even Microsoft) takes care like you guys. You are the best!
  • What a great selection for everyone – I never went hungry!

And, can I just tell you that there were OVER 30 refills of coffee/tea during the week. WOW! And, a HUGE thanks to SQL Sentry for the food!

By the Numbers

For overall course evaluations, we asked students to rate each module as well as the overall course. We used a scale from 1 to 9 with 9 being the highest and most satisfied. For the modules, all modules ranked above 8.55 meaning that we got more 9s than anything else – across EVERY module. The overwhelming favorites were my Module 8: Index Internals with an 8.9 and Paul's Module 11: Index Fragmentation with an 8.88.

As for the event, we also asked the attendees to rate the event with 7 questions about their satisfaction, the usefulness of the content and the effectiveness of the presenters. Here's the breakdown by question:

Overall Satisfaction with the event
Score     Question
8.80       Q1: Overall satisfaction with the SQLskills Immersion Event
8.85       Q2: Overall usefulness of the information
8.80       Q3: Overall effectiveness of the presentation
8.90       Q4: Kimberly L. Tripp’s knowledge of the subject
8.90       Q5: Kimberly L. Tripp’s presentation skills
8.90       Q6: Paul S. Randal’s knowledge of the subject
8.85       Q7: Paul S. Randal’s presentation skills

The best part about the event is that we learned a lot from the attendees! We're still learning what we're doing right and what we could do better and we're going to KEEP improving thanks to their fantastic feedback and comments.

Immerse yourself!
kt

PS – Become a SQLskills Insider to get special information (and sometimes early discounts/details) about our events as well as content available only to Insiders! Become a SQLskills Insider here: https://www.sqlskills.com/Insider.

4 thoughts on “Our February Immersion Event in Dallas, TX – What did the attendees think?

  1. Aak! Got me in mid-blink!
    I’m impressed you actually got my comments correct from my chicken scratch on the feedback form.
    2 weeks later and I stand by every word.

  2. Hey there Darrell – Mid-blink is OK. At least you’re not sticking out your tongue! :)

    And, thanks for the great comment. We had a really good time and the class dynamic was fantastic. Just a perfect combination for a great week.

    Cheers,
    kt

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