Howdy friends! Courtney Baker here and as The Quad project manager, I’d like to give you a Texas-size welcome! I can hardly wait for it to open on Sunday, April 28 at 4:30 p.m. CST. Why am I excited? Well, it’s big, really big (113,000 sq. ft.), more interactive than ever, open for 18 hours during the conference and features more than 125 booths. Here are a few don’t-miss attractions:
- Calling all visual learners! Every booth is jam-packed with the latest SAS technology. See interactive demos on everything imaginable: administration, analytics, visualization, data management, programming, solutions and more.
- Take a deep dive into what SAS pioneered – analytics. Discover how to put it into action with the SAS Analytics Life Cycle. Explore and discuss each step of the journey from data to powerful, effective analytics. This hands-on experience puts you in contact with leading SAS experts for engaging discussions around data exploration and visualization, managing and preparing data, building and deploying models and more.
- Get hands-on with code with Spheros, robots and more. Stop by the Computer Vision Robot Challenge booth to check out the game SAS IoT developers created to showcase how computer vision/object detection can work with SAS Event Stream Processing to provide real-time feedback on your driving skills. Learn more in Chris Hemedinger's post from earlier this week here.
- See code come to life. If you cannot get enough Sphero, be sure to also check out CodeSnaps Court in the Learn area. Designed to introduce students to coding, CodeSnaps uses printed coding blocks to collaboratively prepare programs on a work surface. When you scan blocks with the free CodeSnaps app from SAS Curriculum Pathways, the program executes on the connected robot. Fun for technical and non-technical attendees alike!
- Analytics for humanity. SAS is proud to be part of the Data for Good movement, which encourages using data in meaningful ways to solve humanitarian issues. Join the team at the Data for Good booth to learn how analytics can make a difference to help solve global problems including water and poverty – and help communities in Dallas through the Boys & Girls Club. There's even a hands-on simulation so you can experience what it's like for people who must journey beyond convenience to collect safe water. You can't miss the illuminated water tower!
- Curiosity is at the heart of human progress. GatherIQ is an iOS and web app that inspires project-based learning, data literacy and invites students and teachers to be part of the movement to reach the UNs Global Sustainability Goals by 2030. Staff at the GatherIQ booth can help you make an impact during the conference by downloading the GatherIQ app and unlocking donation coins that will automatically be made on behalf of SAS Global Forum to the local Boys and Girls Club of Dallas. The more you contribute, the better your chances to make the leaderboard. Do a good deed – your generosity will make a difference.
- Supersized demos. With 12 Super Demo stations, you’ll get an in-depth look at a SAS technique, feature or procedure during the short how-to sessions. For example, Using SAS® for Image Classification, an encore presentation by SAS Senior Analytical Training Consultant Robert Blanchard, shows why convolutional neural networks are considered the modern foundation of computer vision and have popularized many deep learning applications. Using a drone, see how easy it is to load, prepare and classify images with convolutional neural networks in SAS® Viya® as well how easy it is to use graphical processing units (GPUs) for training an image classifier in SAS. This drone presentation will also be shown at the SAS Training booth in the Learn area.
- Tell a compelling data story. Discover the power of data visualization. You can create almost any type of chart from a data set, but just because you can create many different types, doesn’t mean you should. Less is more. Clarity is better than complexity. Overwhelming your report audience with too much information, too many visuals, or too many sections can cause them to lose focus. Meet with SAS experts at the visually impressive Compelling Reports and Beautiful Data booths where you can find out how to turn analytics into art and tell beautiful data stories.
- Is data visualization exclusively visual? Not anymore. Find out how SAS turns data into a multimodal sensory experience at the Accessibility booth. Data should be seen and heard.
- Big networking opportunities. Mingle with like-minded professionals and make connections to bolster your career. And don’t forget to join us for Happy Hour in The Quad on Monday, April 29, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Whew … I told you The Quad is big! I have one more shameless plug. Drop by the Information desk, located at the entrance inside Exhibit Hall D, to meet my knowledgeable team. We are the first stop for everything happening in The Quad. Whether it’s helping attendees find demos and presentations that pique their interests, connecting them with SAS experts or listening to their SAS stories, we’re here to help. See ya'll in Dallas!
