I was doing some work on the marketing for SQLSaturday Orlando and looked back at the messages we sent last year, and in one those messages I found this under the heading of “Invite a Friend”:

“New to SQL Server? Not new, but never been to one of these events and wondering what it will be like? Wondering if free training can be worth a Saturday? Wondering what kind of people spend Saturday learning about SQL Server? All good questions!

The kind of people that spend a Saturday working on their skills are the people you want to be around. They know there is value in learning, it keeps them employable and they learn because they like what they do. The cost is free because the speakers donate their time to pay it forward and because they like what they do and they’ve spent a lot of time learning to do it. There is an amazing variety of content, the hardest part of the day will be realizing you can only watch six of them!

It’s an easy going event. Follow the signs, park, check-in, grab some coffee and a donut. Browse the sponsor area to learn about new products or just find your way to your first presentation a bit early. Along the way you’ll see a group of people that is the most open and welcoming that you’ll meet. I’ve never figured out why that is, if it’s because SQL Server draws happy people for some reason, or if it’s because they just enjoy learning that much, or maybe it’s the chance to hang out with true peers for a day talking shop.”

It turns out I wrote that in a post for the event last year and Kendal Van Dyke plugged it into an email (with attribution). It’s a year old and still a pretty good message. It’s easy for those of us who have gone to one (or a couple dozen) what it’s like for someone who has never been. I bet there is someone you work with that hasn’t been to one. Why not talk to them or send them something? Borrow mine, write your own, talk about it over coffee, find a few minutes to remember what it was like for you the first time you signed up and attended.