3 Reasons You Should Attend a Data Conference

This piece was written by The Data Incubator’s Megan Cummings.

Virtually every week across the globe there is a high-quality data conference happening. Each year, you should take a moment to analyze your budget and availability to find a conference that would best fit your needs. Whether you’re a computer science student, entry level data scientist, Chief Technology Officer, or CEO, attending a conference is an essential key to career development, growing your professional network, and staying on top of the latest trends. So if at any point you’ve ever been hesitant to register for a conference, here are the top three takeaways:

Learning

This is the most obvious benefit of attending a conference and the sole reason why some people choose to attend. There’s something new to learn in the data science universe every day, and many of these conferences are at the foreground of these cutting-edge changes. Conferences are where you can access the most up to date industry information, oftentimes from the sources themselves. With hundreds, sometimes thousands of attendees, you can also gain exposure to a boundless variety of new ideas and trends that can benefit your latest project or business venture. When planning out your conference schedule for the year, be picky and selective about which ones to dedicate your time and money to by first asking yourself what you hope to learn from each one. Take time to research the speakers, break out sessions, and workshops and make a schedule far in advance to ensure you’re getting the most out of the conference as possible. On top of that, make sure what you’re taking away is beneficial for your organization, professional development, or career growth.

Networking

In some cases, this is the only reason people choose to attend conferences. Who doesn’t enjoy an opportunity to converse with your industry peers and meeting new people who can introduce you to new ideas or ways of thinking? Sometimes the serendipitous conversations can bring the most valuable information, partnerships, and collaborations. Oftentimes, there are scheduled networking events, or company sponsored happy hours that provide the perfect platform for interacting with likeminded people and sharing thoughts and ideas. Sometimes people find networking to be awkward or uncomfortable, but keep in mind that everyone is there for the same reason and you never know how someone or their connections could benefit you or your organization. So when you’re packing your bags, make sure to bring those frivolous business cards, you certainly won’t regret it!

Contributing Content

Social media has changed not only the way we interact at conferences, but also how we attend conferences as well. Virtually everyone in the room is live tweeting about their feedback and experiences and using the conference hashtag to document their involvement. Whether you’re attending the conference or not, you have the ability to follow along with all the ground breaking news and announcements that typically occur at conferences, making this the perfect opportunity to market either yourself or your organization. By live tweeting or blogging about your experiences at a popular conference, you have the ability to be part of a much larger conversation and stay relevant. By contributing to the conference buzz, you get your name out there and give yourself free marketing whether you’re attending for yourself, your small business, or your large corporation.

Chances are you don’t have to venture very far to find a data science conference near you. At The Data Incubator, we partner with various conferences across the globe to provide you with exclusive discounts, check out these upcoming events in a city near you!

Crunch Conference|October 5-7 |Budapest

Receive your $30 discount with the code: DataIncubatorAtCrunch

Nordic Data Science Summit |October 13th|Sweden

Link to conference here

The Nordic Data Science is an annual event bringing together the Data Science Community in the Nordics to share ideas, and discuss ways to harness the full potential of Data Science and Machine Learning. The agenda is suited to guide you through the process of extracting knowledge from data by using the latest methodologies, tools and algorithms.

Big Data in Use|October 27|London

Promo Code: TheDataIncubator25

Data experts from top data-driven organisations, such as Google, Facebook, TripAdvisor, Shazam, skyscanner, NHS, and TfL are going to speak at Big Data Week London 2016, showcasing innovative ideas and best practices that you can implement straight away.

Tickets starting at £350. Book now and grab the 25% discount, using this exclusive registration code: TheDataIncubator25.

CMS WIre’s DX Summit|November 14-16|Chicago

Promo Code: DXS15DAI

CMSWire present the Digital Experience (DX) Summit 2016, a three-day digital customer experience event in Chicago from November 14-16, 2016. This conference gathers industry-leading analysts, practitioners and technologists focused on creating customer-centric cultures and practices across multiple channels and touchpoints. Visit www.dxsummit.com for more information.

QCon San Francisco|November 7-11|San Francisco     

Promo Code: DataIncubator100

Do you want to learn about the current trends and changes in software development from industry leading practitioners? Then QCon San Francisco (Nov 7-11, 2016) is for you.  A practitioner-driven conference, QCon is designed for technical team leads, architects, engineering directors, and project managers who influence innovation in their teams.  DevOps, Security, Containers, Next Gen Microservices, Stream Processing, Architectures You’ve Wondered About, Distributed Systems, Java 9, Big Data Meets the Cloud, Modern CS in the Real World are just some of the topics of this year’s QCon SF. You can save $700 off registration if you register and use the discount code “DataIncubator100”.

URL: https://qconsf.com/?utm_source=mediapartner&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=dataincubator

Editor’s Note: The Data Incubator is a data science education company.  We offer a free eight-week Fellowship helping candidates with PhDs and masters degrees enter data science careers.  Companies can hire talented data scientists or enroll employees in our data science corporate training.