Anyone who has attended Summit will recount tales of its wonderful ‘Aha!‘ moments. Perhaps it happens after a presentation, as you’re chatting in the lobby, when in a flash of inspiration an idea of how to tackle a problem suddenly reveals itself to you.

It may feel like a sudden flash, but more likely it’s the culmination of many small pockets of discovery; a day of learning in a pre-con, advice received in the Microsoft ‘tech zone’ of the Exhibition Hall, a casual chat at a Summit lunch, an interesting idea in a technical session. And now, as you stand in the lobby talking animatedly with a group of database people facing similar challenges, each of these disparate strands comes together and the solution is clear.

People tend to get misty-eyed when speaking of Summit, of the sense of community, the professional connections made, and long friendships forged. I’ve experienced this myself. However, if its value to you lies in building technical knowledge, and a strong professional network, the value to your employer depends on those ‘Aha!’ moments. These are the ones that will help you resolve the tough technical or architectural problem with which your team or organization is currently grappling.

The ‘hive mind’ can conjure some excellent ideas. We experience it occasionally on the best forum threads and discussions, but it really gets to work at a world event like PASS Data Community Summit. Here, you can network with DBAs and developers from across the globe, tackling similar problems in very different settings. You’ll hear new perspectives and fresh approaches to common problems. Often it will reveal the path you need to take.

If you have a good ‘Aha!’ moment from the Summit, please share it on social media, using the hashtag #SeattleSummitMoments. You can also register for this year’s event, which will hopefully provide a lot more of them.