[BrentOzar]

> I'd be curious to hear how often newbies showed up to these SQL events pre-COVID.

Large SQLSaturday events used to regularly get 300-400 attendees, and a good 10-20% of them were new to the field. I would regularly do a show-of-hands in my session asking how many of them were attending a SQL Saturday for the first time, and it wasn't unusual to see half the hands go up.

People learn SQL every day, believe it or not.