When I attend a conference, one of the first things I do is look at the agenda. This gives me a good overview of how my time will be spent.
The next thing I do is find the detailed breakdown of sessions, so I can start building out my own personal agenda. I know my areas of interest, and I want to make sure my time is spent learning as much as possible. I’ve done this at industry conferences, as well as every SAS GF I’ve attended (and I’ve attended a lot).
I am happy to report that the session catalog for SAS Global Forum 2020 helps me understand what sessions are available so I can make the most of my conference experience. Here are my tips to make the most of the session catalog:
Use filters
For the first time, all programs are represented in the catalog. And anyone can attend any session. You can start broad, then filter by level of expertise, topic of interest, industry, product, or style of presentation. Filters are your friend…use them!
Use the interest list
You can bookmark sessions to your interest list, but beware that these do not automatically save for you. Be sure to use the export feature. Then you can share your chosen sessions with friends, print them, and cross-check them as you’re building your agenda in the mobile app starting March 1. It’s a great tool.
Review sample agendas
Speaking of agendas, it’s sometimes hard to narrow down your options. Start with one of the custom-tailored agendas within the session catalog and use these as a starting point to help complete your personal agenda. We keep adding new sample agendas, so you will have many great sessions to pick from!
Solicit the help of your SAS point of contact
If you’re a first-timer, or someone who is overwhelmed by too many choices, let your SAS contact help. They can help select sessions that they feel will be beneficial to your learning and networking.
Moral of the story
If you can’t tell, I’m a big fan of the session catalog. It’s totally customizable. The way I use it may not be the way you use it and that’s fine. That’s why there are so many ways to search, filter and save. Just give it a try. Your SAS Global Forum experience will be all the better when you include the session catalog.
And remember, anyone can check out the session catalog. Not planning to attend? Well, boo, go ahead and see what you’re missing. If you’re on the fence about the conference, check out all the great things SAS Global Forum has to offer then go register!
