The Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) opened its annual PASS Summit today at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle with a record 5,611 registrations and a live-streaming keynote to SQL Server professionals around the world by senior Microsoft executive Ted Kummert.

As of this morning, PASS Summit 2012 had 3,894 delegates – up 13% from last year’s previous record attendance – and 1,717 pre-conference registrations across 57 countries for a total of 5,611 registrations. The event’s sold-out Exhibit Hall features 18 companies new to Summit.

“When we look at the success of PASS Summit – record attendance, a packed Expo Hall, people connecting at a great First-Timers Orientation and the Welcome Reception last night – it really speaks to the success of the community,” said PASS President Bill Graziano. “Everything we do at Summit is a reflection of countless hours of work by our dedicated volunteers and a global community passionate about connecting, sharing, and learning from each other.”

PASS Summit, organized by SQL Server users for SQL Server users, is the largest SQL Server event in the world, delivering a record 190+ technical sessions, 14 full-day pre-conference sessions, and unmatched networking opportunities with the industry’s top SQL Server and business intelligence experts.

Microsoft is committing its top resources to the week-long event, including two executive keynotes and a special Spotlight Session on “Big Data Meets SQL Server” by Microsoft Technical Fellow David DeWitt – all of which will be streamed live to community members around the globe as part of PASS TV’s 12 hours of programming a day, with overnight replay.

Over 300 hundred Microsoft SQL Server engineers will be on hand in technical sessions, the CSS and SQLCAT SQL Server Clinic, Chalk Talks, Hands-On Labs, and the Expo Hall to share best practices, explain the latest solutions, and answer questions to help attendees get the most out of their SQL Server and BI investments—and their time at PASS Summit. Microsoft Learning is also onsite to provide easy access to Microsoft Certification exams at a 50% discount.

In today’s opening keynote, Kummert – Microsoft Corporate Vice President, Data Platform Group – will be joined by the technical minds behind Microsoft's data platform solutions and services as he shares details about what Microsoft is doing to help organizations accelerate insight on any data.

PASS Summit 2012 runs through Friday, November 9. For the latest updates and access to the PASS TV live stream and programming schedule, see http://www.sqlpass.org/summit/2012.

About PASS

PASS is an independent, not-for-profit association dedicated to supporting, educating, and promoting the global Microsoft SQL Server and Business Intelligence community. From local user groups and virtual chapters to webcasts and the annual PASS Summit, PASS enables knowledge sharing, in-depth learning, access to the Microsoft SQL Server team, and the ability to influence the direction of SQL Server technologies. For more information, visit the PASS website at http://www.sqlpass.org.

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