SQLBits Unplugged: Inclusivity, Costumes & the Power of Community (with Simon Sabin)

DESCRIPTION 📄

What started as a small idea among data geeks became one of Europe’s most celebrated data conferences. In this episode, I chat with Simon Sabin, founder of SQLBits, about how the event grew from its humble beginnings into a cornerstone of the Microsoft data community.

We explore what makes SQLBits unique—from its deep commitment to inclusivity and diversity, to its legendary themed parties and creative venues that make learning feel like an adventure. Whether you’ve attended before or are considering joining next year, this conversation pulls back the curtain on what makes SQLBits unlike any other tech event.

🎉 Expect stories, laughs, and maybe a bit of costume talk.

GUEST BIO (Simon Sabin)👤

Simon runs a Data Consultancy Sabin.io enabling companies to make the most of the data they have by implementing a Dev Ops strategy.

He is passionate about the importance of the community and learning. He founded and continues to run SQLBits, the largest SQL Server Conference outside of North America, has been awarded as a Microsoft MVP since 2005 and was recently made a Microsoft Regional Director.

He has worked with data for all his career and worked with companies across all industry sectors including online retail, insurance, finance, motor sport.

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SQLBits

Grow Your Skills & Visibility in Microsoft Fabric (with Shannon Lindsay)

LIVESTREAM DATE/TIME 📅

October 3rd 9:30 AM (PT)

DESCRIPTION 📄

Fabric Community Contests are a great way to get hands-on with Microsoft Fabric, grow your skills, and build visibility in the data community. In this livestream, we'll take a closer look into recent Fabric Community Contests - including Notebooks, Translytical Task Flows, and the Dataviz World Champs. We'll share how participants have gained confidence, recognition, and even new career opportunities.

We’ll also preview upcoming contests in the Fabric Skills Fest and share tips for building a portfolio that stands out. Whether you’re looking to practice your skills, share your work, or simply get inspired, this session will show you how contests can open doors.

GUEST BIO (Shannon Lindsay) 👤

Shannon’s background in global public health has shaped her commitment to community and accessibility, guiding her work leading Fabric Community Engagement at Microsoft. She loves helping people find their place in the data world—a journey that began when she first discovered the magic of Power Query, sparking a lasting enchantment with Microsoft BI tools. Now, whether she’s conjuring up data insights with the Workout Wednesday team, gathering with fellow data witches in user groups, or brewing up connections, Shannon’s focus is on making data feel less intimidating. She’s dedicated to building a welcoming community where data pros and newcomers alike can learn, grow, and connect—casting spells of empathy and connection to bring people together.

(Livestream Replay) Learn About Power BI Consulting - with Eugene Meidinger

DESCRIPTION 📄

Many people consider becoming a Power BI freelancer or consultant, but they often have the wrong focus. Consulting requires placing the customer first and understanding their needs. In this discussion we’ll cover all of the pieces involved with becoming a Power BI consultant. We’ll also demo some custom GPTs designed for practicing requirements gathering.

GUEST BIO (Eugene Meidinger)👤

Eugene Meidinger works as an independent BI consultant and Pluralsight author, specializing in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric. He has been working with data for over 10 years and speaks regularly at user groups and conferences. He is also Microsoft MVP.

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(Livestream Replay) Building an Analytics Team - with Reza Rad

DESCRIPTION 📄

With all the activities and announcements in the recent few years, from the introduction of self-service analytics tools such as Power BI to the start of SAAS experiences such as Microsoft Fabric, Having a BI and Analytics team that can be on top of these technologies proves to be a hard job for the executive leadership team. Evolving the generative AI and Copilot also brings another aspect: do we need developers now as we did before?

Reza Rad shares his experience working with many BI and Analytics teams worldwide and offers suggestions on how to build the team, ensure they are upskilled, and follow the standards needed to ensure the best utilization of analytics in your organization.

This is not a technical session but a session for decision-makers and the executive team to harness analytics with the right decisions on their team.

GUEST BIO 👤

Reza Rad is a Microsoft Regional Director, an Author, Trainer, Speaker, and Consultant. He has a BSc in Computer engineering; he has more than 20 years of experience in data analysis, BI, databases, programming, and development mostly on Microsoft technologies. He is a Microsoft Data Platform MVP for 14 continuous years (from 2011 till now) for his dedication to Microsoft BI. Reza is an active blogger and co-founder of RADACAD. Reza is also co-founder and co-organizer of the Difinity conference in New Zealand, the Power BI Summit (the biggest Power BI conference), and Data Insight Summit (Chicago, USA)

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