The 2014 SAS Global Forum will be the launch pad I use to blast off for SAS exploration! Since being introduced to SAS software, I have been driven to continually evolve as a SAS programmer through the development of my abilities and the discovery of new techniques. Winning the SAS Junior Professional Award is a fortuity that will take my evolution to new heights.
When you consider everything being offered, there is much to be excited about as the conference gets closer. There are workshops, presentations, social events, volunteer activities, and demos--oh my!
Since I have only been using SAS for two and a half years, my initial concern with attending SAS Global Forum was that much of the information shared would be too advanced for me to realize significant knowledge gains. However, my concerns were quickly dispelled when I began using the Conference Scheduler and became familiar with the vast array of topics being offered. The SAS Conference Team did an excellent job at creating a curriculum that can be customized to allow SAS users of all skill levels to optimize their experience.
I will also admit that attending a conference of this size for the first time can feel a little overwhelming, but knowing that there is a First-Timers’ Session scheduled on Sunday afternoon has put me at ease. Being able to begin my SAS conference experience by meeting and speaking with other users who are also making their initial conquest to a SAS Global Forum is comforting. Additionally, I am confident that the guidance given at the First-Timers’ Session will provide me with the flight path I need to succeed.
As one who learns best by doing, I am most excited about attending the hands-on workshops and spending some time in the demo area. The SAS Visual Analytics Workshop in particular is enticing to me as my team is currently seeking new and innovative ways to develop our reports. Another workshop that has caught my attention is the SAS Office Analytics Workshop because I believe that creating stored processes to share across my team would allow the team as a whole to be more efficient.
Outside of the workshops, there are also some very intriguing presentations that I am looking forward to attending. For example, I can benefit from the dozen or more presentations of the different ways to use Microsoft Excel in conjunction with SAS for reporting purposes. Users of the reports I produce in my current position are very comfortable with viewing them in Excel, and I am thus interested in learning the most efficient and effective ways of using SAS and Excel together. As a fraud analyst and future user of the SAS Financial Crimes Suite, I am interested in attending the Financial Crimes Compliance presentation. The information in this SAS session will give me a leg up in learning the product and the logic behind its use.
Since being introduced to SAS, I have always been amazed at the SAS community’s remarkable willingness to assist others through the sharing of knowledge and best practices. That’s why I am ecstatic at having the opportunity to network with fellow SAS users from a multitude of industries and professional backgrounds. I will definitely be taking advantage of some great social events planned throughout the conference. I hope to inspire and be inspired by other attendees.
Winning the SAS Junior Professional Award was a huge honor for me, and without it, I would not have been able to attend SAS Global Forum. I plan on taking the information and techniques I’ve learned back to my employer to improve our report generation and analytical capabilities. I look forward to sharing this experience with my fellow Junior Professional Award Winners as well as all of you.
See you at the SAS Global Forum 2014!
--Ryan
