A First-Time Back-to-Back

PGDay Lowlands 2024 ran alongside PGDay UK 2024, which made for an interesting travel route: a direct train from London to Amsterdam. The experience of passing under the English Channel was anticlimactic (just darkness), but the event itself more than compensated.

The conference marked the first edition of PGDay Lowlands, held in a city that holds a special place in my professional history. Amsterdam was the site of my first PostgreSQL community conference back in 2011 during pgconf.eu, making the return trip particularly meaningful. The packed schedule left little room for sightseeing this time, but the conference itself filled the gap.

A Second Chance for a Fun Talk

My presentation, "Customizing the Wordle Game Experience with PostgreSQL," balanced its playful premise with substantive content on full-text search dictionaries and customizing psql. The session concluded with a live Wordle game where the audience guessed PostgreSQL-related five-letter keywords — with Gianni Ciolli emerging as the top keyword guesser among attendees.

I had first delivered this talk at PgConf in New York, where it ran in parallel with Bruce Momjian's session. Unsurprisingly, many attendees chose that alternative, leaving me with minimal feedback and some uncertainty about the material. The PGDay Lowlands Call for Papers committee gave the talk a second chance, and the positive audience response — along with thoughtful questions afterward — was a welcome validation.

Friendly Atmosphere, Memorable Sessions

The event's atmosphere was notably warm and welcoming. A meetup the evening before the main conference provided an ideal opportunity to familiarize myself with the venue, meet fellow speakers, and ease into the conference mindset. I hope this becomes a recurring tradition.

Beyond the excellent lightning talks and regular sessions, one presentation stood out for its creativity: "PostgreSQL High Availability Poker." The speakers performed their material in a theatrical, character-driven style, making it one of the most entertaining presentations I've seen at a technical conference.

Highlights and Venue Impressions

The AV team deserves particular praise — they were meticulous in ensuring every speaker was properly equipped with microphones before taking the stage. The relaxed yet professional stage setup, with a comfortable couch as a centerpiece, alongside side monitors displaying Mastodon feeds and conference details, contributed to a polished experience.

The PostgreSQL community continues to expand, with more meetups and events appearing regularly. Regional gatherings like PGDay Lowlands play a crucial role in this global growth: they strengthen local connections and serve as foundations for larger international initiatives. I'm already looking forward to next year's edition, with organizers reportedly working on securing another excellent venue.

Looking Ahead

After a demanding week of travel and two major conferences, I was physically exhausted — travel takes more of a toll than it used to — but deeply satisfied with what we accomplished together.

Three more significant PostgreSQL events remain on my calendar this year: