Following the full disclosure of Grant Fritchey and Andy Leonard, here are my evaluations of PASS 2009 Summit evaluations (in both sessions I was on stage together with Alberto Ferrari).

To make the post more readable, I anticipate the comments.

The first session was about the SQLBI Methodology. We previously delivered this session at PASS Europe and I have to say we didn’t expect the room full of people. We got many many feedback after the session and we were very happy. The results seems very good and of course we would have needed more time to cover this argument appropriately. Probably it would require a workshop of one day. However, we think that in one hour the important messages have been delivered and the following part is a thorough study of our paper and an adaptation of the methodology to specific scenarios.
Despite our Italian accent, we’ve been rated very high for our presentation skills. I suspect that it is because we are funny for that accent, but if it helps to digest the content better, it’s good anyway!

The other session (Custom Security in SQL Server Analysis Services) was a substitution of a canceled session and it was not announced very well. The content was the same as one of the chapters of our Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services book. There were few people but all very interested in the topic and most of them probably solved some issues that was puzzling them!

It’s strange that in our feeling the SQLBI Methodology session was much better than the security one, but if you look at the numbers both have been good, but the Security has been rated a little bit higher. Probably, one session with practical solutions to specific technical issue is rated very high if people had exactly those problems! A methodology session is probably more important, but at the same time you need time to apply the concepts and they are somewhat more vague until you don’t use them.

For the curious of you, here are the raw data.

BIA-411 – SQLBI Methodology
There were around 200 attendees (room was full), we got 87 feedbacks.

Usefulness of Session
Average: 9 (10%)
Good: 38 (33%)
Excellent: 65 (56%)

Speaker’s Presentation Skills
Average: 1 (1%)
Good: 29 (33%)
Excellent: 57 (66%)

Speaker’s Knowledge
Average: 0
Good: 22 (25%)
Excellent: 65 (75%)

Accuracy of Session Description, etc.
Poor: 1 (1%)
Average: 8 (9%)
Good: 30 (34%)
Excellent: 48  (55%)

Amount of Time for Session
Very Poor: 1 (1%)
Poor: 2 (2%)
Average: 14 (16%)
Good: 40 (46%)
Excellent: 30 (34%)

Quality of Materials
Very Poor: 1 (1%)
Poor: 0
Average: 9 (10%)
Good: 35 (40%)
Excellent: 42 (48%)

Comments
Presentation was good, still hung up on the concept of views.
Good dynamics between the presenters.
Portions of the presentation were very good but were offset by parts that were average. A little more time for this session and refined materials would make this good session excellent.

BIA-321- Custom Security in SQL Server Analysis Services
There were around 30 attendees, we got 14 feedbacks.

Usefulness of Session
Good: 4 (29%)
Excellent: 10 (71%)

Speaker’s Presentation Skills
Average: 1 (7%)
Good: 5 (36%)
Excellent: 8 (57%)

Speaker’s Knowledge
Good: 2 (14%)
Excellent: 12 (86%)

Accuracy of Session Description, etc.
Good: 5 (36%)
Excellent: 9 (64%)

Amount of Time for Session
Good: 6 (43%)
Excellent: 8 (57%)

Quality of Materials
Good: 6 (43%)
Excellent: 8 (57%)

Comments
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