Adam Machanic, with the New England SQL Server Users Group and Southern New England SQL Server Users Group, has been working to create a data-focused event based on the Code Camp concept. 

New England Data Camp v1.0 will be on January 24th from 8:15 AM to 5:30 PM at the Microsoft offices in Waltham, MA.

Registration and Details

From the Data Camp registration page:

It's all about the data! Today's applications are increasing data-dependent and whether you're a developer, DBA, or BI professional, you need to know how to work a variety of data across a range of products. This free, full-day Code Camp-style event will feature three concurrent tracks throughout the day to satisfy any tech professional who is interested in the latest and greatest tips and techniques for working with SQL Server 2005 and 2008, the Microsoft BI toolset, and all of the new .NET data access technologies--including LINQ and the Entity Framework.

Call for Speakers

Interested in helping?  Data Camp is made better by multiple perspectives, so please consider giving a session!  The Call for Speakers is open and available at:

       http://www.thedevcommunity.org/CodeCamps

Here's how to add yourself and a session (excerpted from my Code Camp 10 post):

1. Sign in to an existing account or create a new one at TheDevCommunity.org site.
2. Complete a Speaker Registry profile (if you don't already have one.)
3. Go to the Code Camps home page.
4. Next to the Data Camp entry, you should see a "Submit a Session" link.
5. Submit one or more sessions.

I believe it's been a few years since we've had a dedicated data-oriented community event of this scale, so this is a nice thing to see.  Whether you're a dev, DBA, or IT pro, this is a solid opportunity for networking and learning.

Registration is now open, so sign up today and I'll see you there!

-Chris