SQLBits 2025

SQLBits 2025 

Last week we attended SQLBits in London - not as sponsors this time, but as curious and enthusiastic attendees. And even without a booth or banners, it was absolutely worth the trip. 

A Conference That Runs Smoothly 

SQLBits lived up to its reputation with impressively organized sessions - both for attendees and, from what we could tell, for speakers as well. One particularly smart detail: badges with QR codes for quickly exchanging contact info. No more fumbling with web forms or pens & papers - a scan and a click was all it took. 

We know from experience that setting up our own stand can easily take up to three hours, so we were genuinely curious how the sponsors at SQLBits managed it. We were pleasantly surprised to see a highly standardized booth setup - sponsors simply provided their digital assets in advance, and the organizers took care of the rest: printing, building, and preparing everything. It’s a logistics dream and a huge time-saver for sponsors. 

Giving the Booths a Hard Time 

As regular attendees, we finally had the chance to be on the other side - walking the expo floor and stopping by the booths. We had some great conversations, especially with sales reps and engineers. True to form, we didn’t go easy on anyone - our technical questions got progressively harder. Big names handled it like pros, while with smaller vendors it was a surprise to see that the final boss answering our deepest questions turned out to be the actual CEO of their company. 

Recognized Faces and Familiar Names 

To our surprise, some attendees recognized us from previous conferences - no introductions needed. It was a great feeling when people came up to say hi and continue previous conversations. It’s a reminder that building community pays off. 

Sessions Worth Watching 

While we didn’t pick up new technical tricks this time, we were thoroughly entertained by a series of well-delivered, engaging sessions by industry veterans. A few moments still stand out: 

• One conference room had unpredictable lighting - sometimes too dark, sometimes blindingly bright. Each speaker handled it differently, adjusting the mood with humor and style. 

• During Uwe Ricken’s session, the projector failed midway through his live demo. In true Uwe fashion, he sang and danced his way through the problem until the projector came back online. A showman through and through. 

• When Brent Ozar took the stage, we tease d him about his doppelganger Chris Woods, whom he had joked about and posted pictures earlier. We’ve made a remark asking “Who is this fake? Where is real Brent?”. He laughed and gave a shoutout and a round of applause to Chris sitting in the crowd. 

Signatures > Selfies 

Everyone was snapping selfies with the big names - but we wanted something different. We used a spare Woodler company t-shirt and started collecting signatures from our heroes. Inspired by how sports fans collect autographs, we begged everyone we admired for a signature. 

They were all humble and surprised we’d even ask - especially Steve Jones, co-founder of SQLServerCentral. When we approached him, he stepped aside so we could “get a proper picture” with someone else. Imagine his face when we took the same step aside and said, “No Steve, you are the signature we’re after.” 

The shirt isn’t full yet - so yes, it’s coming with us to future events. 

Exploring London and Leveling Up at the Afterparty 

Since we weren’t invited to all the evening sponsor events, we used the time to explore London’s landmarks and soak in the atmosphere. On Friday night, we did join the neon-themed afterparty, packed with arcade games, lights, and good vibes. If we’re going next year - and we will - we’re coordinating our outfits to match the theme. 

Looking Ahead 

All in all, SQLBits 2025 was a blast. Even without a booth, it gave us new ideas, new contacts, and new memories. Whether we return as sponsors, volunteers, or just recognizable folks in Woodler t-shirts, you’ll definitely see us at SQLBits 2026!