The whirlwind experience of SQL Bits 2024 was truly remarkable. It provided an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and forge new connections, all while immersing myself in enriching discussions and sessions.

This year, I had the pleasure of volunteering, adding to the event’s positive atmosphere and striving to make it memorable for all attendees. The sessions I attended highlighted Quorum’s impressive skills in data visualisation and design, reaffirming its reputation as a leader in the field.

I also had the honour of co-presenting with Olivia Wise. Our extended session, led by Olivia’s expertise, received enthusiastic feedback from the audience. It was rewarding to engage with attendees and offer insights into improving their dashboards.

My following session, “How to be awesome at finding your next job,” was equally well-received, sparking meaningful discussions with several attendees asking questions.

For those who haven’t attended, SQL Bits must be experienced to appreciate the lasting positive impact it has on individuals and the broader data community.

SQLBits was a fantastic experience! It was great spending a few days surrounded by people who are wildly enthusiastic about data. Most people who went to the conference are very friendly and very nerdy – I always felt like I was among people who are like me, and I never felt unwelcome. I really valued the conversations that I had with some of the other attendees – it felt great to be able to sit down with someone who knows more than you do and gain some really deep insight into the technology that you are using.

This goes for the talks too – I attended some fascinating talks about technologies that, up until that point, I had only known about tangentially. I feel honored that I was able to hear talks from people who are so knowledgeable, and the things that I learned make me eager to explore it further.

SQLBits is a conference like no other. As soon as you walk through the doors, you are immediately greeted by people with the same passion and interests in data as you. It is these same people who present these amazing presentations. They made me think differently about pieces of work that I have done in the past (and how I could make them 10x better), as well as providing insights into technology I never truly knew the potential of and how to properly utilise them to make them as powerful as possible.

Outside of the sessions, my highlights were having the opportunity to meet some amazingly talented people in their field, getting the chance to talk to them one-on-one, conversing with them on a personal level, and gaining as much knowledge as I could from them in the process.