This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub.
Author: Logan Carrington
SQLBits 2023 was an unforgettable event that brought together nearly 5,000 Microsoft SQL Server enthusiasts from all over the world for an epic week of learning and connecting.
This year the conference took place at the International Convention Centre in Newport, Wales, from March 14 through 18, with 300+ sessions over the course of five days. Microsoft participated in over 75 sessions including our keynote, general sessions, and training days which covered the entire Microsoft Intelligent Data Platform, including SQL Server, Azure Arc, Azure SQL, Azure Synapse Analytics, Power BI, and Microsoft Purview.
Here’s a recap of our adventures and some of the exciting announcements and sessions from SQLBits 2023.
The Day 1 keynote was a highlight of the conference, as Asad Khan, Sanjay Mishra, and special guests from the engineering team took to the stage to save the Kingdom of AdventureWorks. With an electrifying introduction from Buck Woody, the team showcased the power of Microsoft's Intelligent Data Platform to transform customers' data estates and combat security attacks, degraded performance, and instability. The audience was left in awe as they witnessed firsthand how the platform could improve resiliency and ensure business continuity. You can catch the keynote on the SQLBits YouTube Channel and relive the magic!
During the conference, the Microsoft booth co-sponsored by Intel hosted a daily one-hour book signing event for Bob Ward’s new book, SQLServer 2022 Revealed. Bob signed over 500 books that were distributed to attendees over the course of three days.
While at SQLBits, we had the opportunity to partner with Girlguiding Gwent and give back to the local community. Girlguiding Gwent is the leading charity for girls and young women in the UK – empowering girls, giving them space to grow into leaders and ensuring that each one can get involved – no matter their background or ability. 13 of our Microsoft team members and 3 Data Platform community members came together to clean up trash in the local community.
Overall, SQLBits 2023 was a huge success, with 42 Microsoft-sponsored sessions, 30 community sessions, and 4 pre-conference training day sessions. The event brought together the best and brightest in the Microsoft SQL Server community and provided opportunities for attendees to network and learn from each other. The excitement and energy at SQLBits 2023 was truly unparalleled, and we can't wait for the next adventure.