First, a reminder that our fourth annual SQLSaturday is this Saturday, October 16, 2010, at Seminole State College in Lake Mary, FL. Weather forecast looks good, we’ll have lunch picnic style again, and you’ll be joining a crowd that should top 250! If you attend please say hello, always nice to connect at events.

Tuesday night we had a bunch of fantastic volunteers meet up to stuff the event bags. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s not total drudgery either, at least on a once a year basis! We tried for more sweat equity this year, deciding not to order the usual printed event bags and hoping to just apply labels. That plan didn’t seem to connect with sponsors, so we just hand labeled the bags with a big “#49” and assorted platinum sponsor names. No two bags alike! Curious to see the reaction of attendees to the home made hand decorated look.

We had a good amount of stuff for the bags, and Jack and I discussed that 45 days out we always worry, doesn’t seem like we’ll have much for the bags, and then about 3 weeks out it starts arriving every day. Jack got the event guide printed and did the folding and stapling himself, another bit of unseen work that helps us keep money in the budget for other things.

The final plan this year was to decorate the bags and get the badges stuck in the badge holders, then do the assembly line, walking the tables to build a stack, then having the bag holder at the end holding the bag to slide it all in. Worked pretty well. Took about 3 hours to get it all done.

While that was in progress Jack went through all the swag, figuring out what to give away during the day and while to hold for the end of day raffle. We do the final raffle from the balcony on the 2nd floor, so I think Jack is trying to head off injuries by getting rid of the heavy stuff early! Just this task of sorting and cataloging was easily an hour, time sure adds up.