User Groups: Will I see You at the SAS UK Professional Convention?
This week (July 10-12) the SAS UK Professional Convention takes place at the SAS UK Headquarters ( Marlow, England). I’m hearing there are record numbers for attendance – so it should be a happening gig. Already the Tuesday session has filled up!
Focus is Big Data – There’s More Than That!
Here’s some highlights and you can find a complete agenda here.
- Information is Beautiful (David McCandless) whose blog and book Information Is Beautiful are dedicated to visualising ideas, issues, knowledge and data – all with the minimum of text.
- SAS Visual Analytics demonstration, which I hope is similar to the one from the SAS Global Forum. It was really amazing.
- Wed. Breakout Session Topics
- Analytics
- Architecture
- Customer Intelligence
- High Performance Hints & Tips
- Information Management
- Business Intelligence
- I’ll be presenting a paper about using Google Analytics with the SAS BI system, which Angela and I presented at SAS Global Forum. It really helps the user understand how data can be moved from outside systems, manipulate, and surface in the SAS BI tools. I’ll have some books to giveaway to a few lucky attendees!
- Guy Garrett, who has been a guest blogger here, also will be talking about implementing a BI strategy for your organization.
- Thurs Agenda
Chris Hemedinger, our favorite SAS dummy leads off the day. Along with the more discussions about big data and how organizations can better use it. I think the big data discussions are especially useful – it helps us think about where more data exist that we can mine and analyze. (I know – it’s gets my data nerd salivating also!)- Afternoon Breakout Sessions
- Getting it Together for Big Data
- Financial Services Focus
- In this session I’ll be presenting 25 Tips for SAS Enterprise Guide that everyone can use. I plan to infuse UFO trivia with our favorite SAS tool – Enterprise Guide. You’ll learn some practical tips you can take back to your office and where to find more UFO data or just how to avoid the aliens.
- Public Section Focus
Wow! I’m really sorry I’m presenting during some of the sessions – there will be a lot to learn. Somebody take some good notes for me!
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Phil Male (Follow him @PhilMale) organizes the event. We chatted about the event on his recent trip to Cary. Among the entertainment he has planned a Bhangra Dancing Display, which is an Indian dancing that has become popular globally. There’s a party afterwards so sounds like we will have some time to practice or imitate the new dance moves. On Wednesday evening you can watch Moneyball. It was based on a true story of how the Oakland A’s used statistics to improve their team. I’m not much of a baseball fan – but I thought Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill did a fabulous job. It will be great to watch it again.
Downton Abbey or SAS UK Headquarters?
The convention is being held at the SAS UK headquarters in Marlow, which is outside of London. I have been told that the site – Wittington House – is very much like a castle. Since I’m a Downton Abbey fan – I’m very curious what the inside of the building looks like. I suspect it has undergone some transformation to be more “officey” but I’ll post some snaps when I return.
Phil said I didn’t need formal clothing for tea but I think I still need to figure out what I do with a crumpets and if biscuits really are cookies. Also I wonder if the Earl Gray tea is like TAZO that is available in the US.
Learn More
Learn more about the event at the SAS Professional Convention. It’s probably not to late to register and you certainly don’t want to miss the party. Also the SAS Professionals site is a great place to meet other SAS users and pick up some tips.
Tags: user conferences
