I did an hour or so call with Jack Corbett recently to review what we hope to accomplish this year. We came out of it with a few ideas:

• We want to run a dedicated sponsor track. We think sponsors will find it valuable, but so will our attendees – a chance to see a product really put through it’s paces
• We’re going to explore alternate locations, but hoping to decide by April 23. Mainly we’d like a site with bigger rooms, but we’d also like to see if moving around in Orlando serves areas we miss staying in one spot
• First time SQLSaturday speakers will get shirts, all will get small gifts (same as last year)
• Planning on charging for lunch and doing the boxed lunch again this year, though we might revise if the venue would let us do a buffet lunch
• We’re going to schedule one block of 2 hour ‘mega sessions’ running in the 1-3 pm time slot, a chance for our best speakers to go deep, and to to get practice at doing longer presentations
• We want to do a couple panel discussions this year
• We’re thinking to do a $99 seminar on Friday, still debating on who to invite. It’s a good formula, last year the economy made it barely break even
• We’d like to have one track that really appeals to SQL focused developers
• We want to do a PASS session, and we plan to invite Blythe and someone from the Exec to attend/present that

Last year Jack managed the schedule and some of the logistics, this year he will own sponsors, budget, and messaging. with me taking speakers, volunteers, and most of the logistics. This will give Jack a chance to try some new things, and splits up the work more or less evenly. See his thoughts here.

More as we get going, but thought I’d share some of the effort that goes on before the event gets started.