I've had a chance to look at the results directly and it
is clear that there is a tough choice.
On the one hand people are saying that they prefer to have PASS put their
money into chapters and things like 24hrs of PASS rather than an event on the
east coast. Whilst at the same time almost 50% more people said they would be
more likely to attend an East Coast event than a Seattle event, and 60% more
said they would be more likley to attend a US Central region event. Whats more
60% said that the summit should be outside of Seattle every other year with only
19% saying it should always stay in Seattle.
So clearly there is a huge desire for a non Seattle event.
Looking at the other reasons for keeping in Seattle and the big one being
that people want Microsoft speakers. More people think its somewhat important of
very important that the conference is in walking distance of the hotels and
restaurants. Essentially the Q6 questions show an even balance for normal
conference, highlighting that they are prepared to travel, not with the family
and they want a well laid out conference.
Whats very annoying is that the questions, as people have commented, were
biased towards certain answers. For instance there was no option about whether
people feel its important to have industry leading speakers, MVPs etc at the
conference. Only questions about Microsoft speakers. I know survey writing
is very difficult to avoid biasing the answers one way or another. There
was also no choice to show peoples preference, would people
prefer Microsoft speakers or the summit to be held on the East
Coast/Central US. I also find it amazing that people prefer hundres of
developers rather than the SQLCAT and CSS teams, surely that indicates another
issue about a lack of understanding of what the these teams do.
All in all it is clear that people showed they want an event outside of
Seattle and don't want PASS to be putting money into that instead of into other
community activites. I find it suprising that there appears to have been a huge
weighting against certain questions which have prioritised them over the huge
desire for a PASS summit outside of Seattle.
Lets see where we will be in 2013 or maybe they will rethink 2012 who
knows.
