Even with more than 45,000 global customer sites, I often hear SAS users say that “SAS” is a small world. Perhaps conferences enhance the feeling: From the moment you get in line to get your conference materials, you start to recognize people from your SAS “family.” An attendee also described the SAS conference atmosphere to me as a “SAS love-fest.”

This family or love-fest feel probably stems from the once-a-year reconnection with people you’ve once collaborated with, know only through e-mail, or worked with at a former job. And the conferences offer a place to connect with others who face similar challenges, meet and talk with users whose books and papers you’ve read, and to learn new techniques.

SAS Global Forum and the regional conferences feature speakers and presenters who have become SAS icons. Here is a very short list of some of those who are speaking at this year’s SAS Global Forum. Click on their names to find out when they’ll be presenting:

• Art Carpenter, a SAS user for 34 years, is a member of the SAS Global Forum Executive Board, Chair of SUGI 28 and the author of four SAS books.

• Gregory Nelson, founder and CEO of ThotWave Technologies and Chair of SUGI 30, will present two papers at this year’s conference, adding to his more than 150 papers published in the US and Europe.

• Joseph Gardiner, SAS user for more than 25 years, is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association and an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute.

• Kathy Council is a member of the SAS Global Forum Executive Board and Vice President of Publications at SAS. In 2010, Council will celebrate 33 years as a SAS employee.

• Ron Cody, a SAS user since 1977, is a renowned SAS author with books and article titles too numerous to list. His latest book is set to be released in the winter of 2010.

• Clark Abrahams is Director of Fair Banking at SAS, has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry and has co-written two SAS books.

• Cynthia Zender has more than 25 years of SAS experience that she loves to share at conferences and on the SAS Procedures discussion forum. Zender also co-wrote Output Delivery System: The Basics and Beyond.

The presentation schedules are available now. Design your conference agenda to allow plenty of time to experience the family connection. Make time for networking with newer SAS users who can offer a fresh look at older issues, and connect with experienced users who know their way around the software and can help you learn the back roads with its twists and turns. Lastly, don’t forget to include time for making new friends and taking in the sights.

I’ll see you there!