We can ultimately go further by loading up speaking resources, online classes, professional evaluations of recorded presentations, maybe more!

Great start on getting something off the ground. I think a quick Phase 1 approach to collecting and sharing speakers information would be a great start in making something positive for all.

As for your concern over speakers being spammed by lots of chapters I’m not sure speakers would consider this spam, I guessing most local speaker type might welcome the flattery just being asked to speak. I suppose speakers on the list do need a method of being removed from the list. You might also need to have a way to exclude old topic information that becomes obsolete due to technology marching forward.

We should most definitely encourage chapter leaders to provide quality speakers to the list.

I have not thought much about the list being a resource to speakers. I know speakers are sometimes looking for speaking opportunities. I think PASS could provide some kind of calendar/schedule of PASS related events, the summit, SQL Saturday, Virtual Chapters, and regular chapters for speakers. But, how far do we take that? Do we start helping speakers locate all speaking opportunities, even those that are not associated with PASS?

On the networking piece…dont know. Communication definitely, with the ability to prevent spam, but I like LinkedIn, not sure we could build something better. Open to discussion on that (and most everything else too!)

I would participate in this type of program. Heck, right now the only presentations that I usually do is for the SQL Saturdays, mostly because they are easy to get involved with.

* As a chapter/event leader, would you see this as adding usable value?

N/A. I would think that they would find this useful though.

* Does it make sense to look at Phase 2, or just go with Phase 1?

I would think that Phase 2 is more important than Phase 1. As a matter of fact, I would probably only implement Phase 1 as a data gathering stage that is a lead in to Phase 2.

* What could we do to make it more useful?

I’m not certain here. Is the single purpose to be holding information relating to speakers and events, or would it expand beyond this? Would you put in event notifications for general participation (i.e. attendees as well as leaders and speakers)? How about for speakers (what some upcoming events will be in your area type report)? Would there be something to match criteria for speakers as well as for event leaders? Is this just a reporting site or would there be more of a mechanism for networking between the various participants (i.e. communications between event leaders and speakers)? Would this expand beyond those events held for SQL and into other user groups, code camps and conferences?

* Is it worth spending 100-200 hours to build Phase 2, my really quick estimate of the time, and the associated $10k-$30k price?

The real question here is not is it worth it, because in my mind it almost certainly is, but who is it worth it to? Is this something for PASS itself? That is what the title of the post infers. If so, this would be another thing that would help to tie the organization to the community beyond the summit.

(I think you know my feelings on having the board decide what PASS is or is not as it relates to a community outside of the summit.)

I don’t think you have to “go big” and spend all of the money on this right now, but you can start with a simple Wiki with limited authors. That might be more useful.