SAS conferences are amazing events, with great presentations, keynote talks, classes and workshop, experts from the SAS Institute, networking opportunities and so much more! With so many things to do and so much happening at once, SAS conferences can be overwhelming.  Plan to get the most out of your conference experience by following these guidelines:

Make a plan

Go over a printed conference schedule and mark it up with what you plan to do during each block of time. Be sure to include a balance of papers, networking and extra, fun activities.

Work with your friends and colleagues

There are a lot of things you will want to take in at a SAS conference but you don’t have to do it all alone. Are there two papers (or more!) at the same time you want to see? Work out your plan along with your colleagues to be sure all the essentials get covered.

Network

A SAS conference is so much more than just the papers. It’s also great opportunity to meet SAS users and make new connections. At the lunches and dinners, sit with some people you don’t know. Always be ready to meet new people. Bring lots of business cards and follow-up with people the week after the conference.

 Go to the Demo Room

It might be called the demo room or SAS Exhibits or the Innovation Center but whatever name is used, it’s like having all the best parts of the conference packed into one place. You will find SAS Institute staff eager to help with your problems, demonstration of the latest advances in SAS, books, classes and more! Don’t just try to stop by for a few minutes between other things: make sure to block out at least on hour to seriously take it all in.

Talk to the experts

One of the greatest things about conferences is all the experts who come to meet with SAS users, talk about our work and help with our challenges. Many are from the SAS Institute, who are always eager to listen to users and share the latest advances in the SAS system.

 Don’t over-commit

My friends are sure to laugh at this one, because I’m one of the most guilty people around. With so much to do, it’s important to pace yourself. When you make your plan, add up the number of hours of work, including attending papers, classes and keynotes, volunteering, visiting the demo room, re-grouping with your team (good to do once a day) and talking with experts on problems. If the numbers start getting well into double digits, you might have too much. You won’t get anything out of the second half of the conference if you are too exhausted from the first half to get out of bed!

Start writing next year’s paper

I absolutely believe that every SAS user is a potential author because each and every one of us has a unique experience, background and problems solved that came to share for everyone’s benefit. The best time to brainstorm ideas for a paper is at a conference. Make notes about your ideas and inspirations to work on when you get back home.

Have fun!

SAS conferences have a lot of fun activities you won’t want to miss. Mixers, sponsored gatherings and special events and are just some of the opportunities to enjoy the event. Take some time to relax, visit with old friends and new acquaintances, take it all in and have some fun along the way.

SAS conferences are designed to be filled to overflowing with great things to see and do. With care and a little planning, your conference can be a more productive, a little less overwhelming and a lot more emjoyable.