Optimize Learning at SAS GF

[LizS]

The Learning Lab is also a great place to get hand's on SAS experience at the Global Forum. The e-courses are all(?) available there.

https://www.sas.com/en_us/events/sas-global-forum/program/learning-lab.html

I spend an hour or two there in Orlando when there wasn't a session I was interested in, picked a class I wanted to try, an learned a few new techniques. 

[danewt]

It really helps to have an understanding of the layout of the session rooms in advance. You will find yourself racing from one room to the next to get there on time.

We won't receive a floor plan until we get our conference gear at check-in/registration. So, plan to check in early and spend some time learning the layout by studying the map and actually walking around the center.

The best I could find now was this floor plan of the convention center. I don't think the GF room assignments will be finalized until just before the conference begins.

- Dan

[gmbaker]

great suggestion, Dan. The conference maps indicating the breakout sessions will be available in the conference mobile app too , not just the program guide. 

[jmhorstman]

Will the paper schedule grids be available on site again as well?  The mobile app is great, but it's hard to beat a grid format for visualizing how all the pieces fit together!

[TomKari]

I hope this request can make it to the right person; I REALLY REALLY find the paper grids useful, and I hope they'll be back this year!!!

Tom

[gmbaker]

yes. the printed daily schedules/grids will be available. 

However, please remember this will not be the latest and greatest schedule as many things may change after the print date. The app is synced several times a day with the content system and will have the most up to date session schedule. 

I hope that helps. 

[zekeT_sasaholic]

Ok.

Here is that really clunky SAS code i mentioned that people wanted to see.

@dgritt  @CJac73  @TomKari  @LoriGoldman 

Quick disclaimers:

1. i use(d) SAS Studio via AWS - figured i'd use that to demonstrate to newbies that its possible and quick.  Yes it is. Great work SAS!

2. i took the straight download from the SGF2019 "xlsx" and 

3. did a out of the box "proc import" using SAS Studio before running this code.

4. I run this code in an iterative way - once to see the full catalog and description and then adjust the "let vars" as i go. Then repeat. till

5. When i'm done i have a final tentative agenda and schedule by day, am/pm etc that i can then use with my agenda builder.

As for the idea of "location" and geography.

I'm aware of that.  What i try and do is keep many topics per hour as i can. 

This way i can choose to hit one topic or another.

A final disclaimer - i dont want anyone to assume that just because i've listed a topic here in a "not interested" that I am NOT endorsing or wont see it.  Those values are meant to demonstrate my thought process and i've attempted to show where my work was during an iteration.  I've often shifted between getting to a topic or not based on what i read or learn about the paper etc.  So please dont take my messy code and incomplete agenda as an endorsement of a paper or that you should skip a paper.

Often what i'm doing is going thru my list and determine that i simply cant get to that paper - so i just want to reduce the list of available papers i can consider seeing - but not that a paper isnt worthwhile per-se.

Anyway - hope this makes sense and if someone can use it - great.

Have a great week everyone!

Best

Zeke

ps. 

I make no claims to warranty the code beyond my passive participation here.

Unless you buy me beer and feed me then i'm happy to improve this.

[cnm8191]

Hello, 

This is what I have done to prepare for the conference: 

1. Download the conference app "AttendeeHub".

2. Read the description of all of the sessions that might interest you.

3. Save any sessions to your calendar in the app. 

4. Review the sample schedules: http://sasgfsessioncatalog.com/#/welcome/

Use the search feature in the session catalog website for "beginner". There are quite a few sessions this year. I hope this helps!

[knoxkooley]

Thanks everyone for the links to the PDFs. I so hate have issues with the mobile app. At least paper doesn't continuously crash on me. 

[AlanC]

Sorry, late to the party.

Been to lots of SGF (SUGI before).

See if you can spend time with some of the SAS vets. They will normally have pins that indicate how many years. Talk to speakers afterwards and get some sit down advice. Also, once things start to end, they are found in the hotel bars nearby chatting. Everyone is normally friendly, just ask to join. Looks like a SAS coder, probably is.

I watch a lot of stuff via streaming now.

I spend a lot of time in the booth area and speaking to speakers. they are all very qualified.

Enjoy it. It is always a great time.