By guest-author Dan Jacobsson, Business Developer at Knowit Decision Stockholm

Whatever role you have working with SAS products and solutions, SAS® Global Forum is the highlight of the year. This year´s event was my second one and I looked forward to experience it again, this time in Las Vegas, a city I have never been to before and potentially the strangest place I have ever been.

Apart from experiencing Las Vegas, I was looking forward to the introduction of new SAS products and releases combined with social interaction with people: customers, other partners and SAS representatives. We were all there to experience the atmosphere and learn from each other and from SAS.

In my role working at Knowit Decision, attending this conference is essential to me. During the days we were gathered, we had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss with SAS Product Managers, R&D and other experts. This year the focus was on SAS® Viya, SAS® Cloud Analytics, SAS® Analytics for IoT, Advanced Analytics and the latest release of SAS® Visual Analytics (which by the way looked really great).

In addition, the different demonstrations given at The Quad was of superior quality and gave me so much inspiration for future customer cases.

To listen, learn and socialize with the “cream” of SAS people worldwide was a useful experience. At SAS Global Forum, it is up to each one to make a tailor-made agenda out of the approximate 800 sessions during the conference. Personally, I was looking forward to the launch of the new platform SAS® Viya and the celebration of SAS turning 40 this year.

Referring to Las Vegas, I experienced Las Vegas Boulevard´s constant pulse at all hours, the many huge hotel complexes, the Bellagio´s fountain, the many casinos with their card tables and slot machines and the strangest people. Amongst these, the man who made a ball out of himself by getting down on his stomach, pull his legs behind his head and arms in the opposite direction, for later to start rolling down the sidewalk.

Our guide Nancy, who brought us to and from Hoover dam, had worked as guide in Las Vegas the last 47 years. She had experienced the mafia era when Las Vegas where in its start-up period, and she offers every now and again anecdotes from that era.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas is an old cliché that no longer goes. What happens in Vegas WILL NOT stay in Vegas it the new one. The world needs to know that we can count on SAS for the next 40 years.

And while at it, you also have the possibility to join SAS global events. First up is the Analytical Experience in Rome (November 2016) and secondly SAS Global Forum 2016 in Orlando, Florida (April 2017). Hope to see you then!