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For all the hype and press it has received in the past few years, data science is still a field very much in flux. Although it’s not a new sector, the sheer amount of innovation and expansion it has seen means that knowledge you had about data science three years ago (and even last year) is already on its way to being out of date.
Luckily, the tech industry loves to provide opportunities to connect with others in the industry and update your knowledge. This year, the slate of data science conferences includes a wide variety of topics, such as deep learning, big data, the academic side of data science, and more. Before finalizing your 2020 plans, consider signing up for any of these data science conferences.
1. Data Science Salon, February 18 – 19 (Austin, TX)
Scheduled early in the year, the Data Science Salon is usually a trend-setting event for the year to come. The event is highly industry-focused, but it does offer a chance to interact and learn from some of the biggest companies in data science. We might be biased, but if you want to learn about the awesome innovations in the field, you can hear our CEO, Maor Shlomo, talk about the new ways to take feature engineering from an art to a science.
This year, Data Science Salon is split into two distinct tracks: the technical track, and a use cases track. The former features technical presentations and immersive panels that discuss the technology itself, offering insights into the latest tools being developed and used by creators, as well as chats that include technical breakdowns of innovations. The use cases track features executives and other practitioners in data science and machine learning discussing their success stories from implementations, as well as potential roadmaps for machine learning adoption.
2. Strata Data & AI Conference, March 15 – 18 (San Jose, CA)
The Strata Data & AI Conference in San Jose, hosted by tech education company O’Reilly, is one of the largest gatherings of machine learning and data science experts and features a wealth of educational opportunities that expose you to some of the biggest trends and brightest minds in the industry. It’s also sponsored by major tech firms including IBM, Intel, Amazon Web Services, and Dell.
The 2020 edition also includes speakers from many of the world’s largest tech organizations, as well as luminaries in the field, educators, and researchers who are pushing data science and machine learning forward. Some of the presenters include John-Mark Agosta, a principal data scientist in IMML at Microsoft, Eitan Anzenberg, director of data science at Bill.com, and Shilpa Arora, principal data scientist at Atlan.
3. Gartner Data & Analytics Summit, March 23 – 26 (Grapevine, TX)
Sponsored by one of the biggest names in analytics and data science, Gartner’s four-day event is one of the few must-attend summits on this list. The research and advisory firm is known for its incisive and conversation-setting research, and its Data & Analytics Summit brings together a combination of education, industry leaders, and networking opportunities, along with some of the biggest names in tech presenting.
The 2020 version of Gartner’s Summit features exhibitors that include IBM, SAP, MicroStrategy, SAS, and Qlik. Guest speakers include Inclusion Expert at S.L. Robbins And Associates, Dr. Steve Robbins, as well as UCL Associate Professor Dr. Hannah Fry. Also speaking will be a cadre of Gartner’s own analytics and data experts.
4. The Data Science Conference, May 14 – 15 (Chicago, IL)
The aptly named Data Science Conference is more education-oriented than others on this list but features an impressive speaker roster to go with a great selection of events and opportunities for both beginners and industry veterans. Although the event is both vendor- and sponsor-free, it does have plenty of opportunities for event-goers to network and gain greater visibility in the industry.
Some notable speakers at the conference include Bureau of Labor Statistics Economist Alex Measure, Uber Data Science Manager Arun Bodapati, Vice President of Data Science at the Walt Disney Company Duan Peng, and Head of Unified Data Analytics Platform at LinkedIn Ameya Kanitkar.
5. Predictive Analytics World, May 31 – June 4 (Las Vegas, NV)
More a collection of co-located events than a single monolithic conference, Predictive Analytics World is a terrific networking opportunity for a wide range of industries. Held in Las Vegas, Predictive Analytics World offers eight separate tracks, as well as five simultaneous conferences that feature 160 speakers. Our team will also be on the showroom floor, so you can come see what the data science revolution looks like in person.
The business track, which includes major names like Facebook and FedEx among its sponsors, features speakers such as A. Charles Thomas, GM’s chief data and analytics officer; Jen Gennai, head of responsible innovation and global affairs at Google; and Gil Arditi, product lead for machine learning at Lyft. Other tracks include financial, medical, government, and Industry 4.0. You can also take advantage of in-depth beginner and expert-level workshops that cover big data, machine learning basics, and deep learning.
6. DataScienceGo Conference, November 6 – 8 (San Diego, CA)
Unlike the more business-oriented conferences on the schedule, DataScienceGo is focused on helping professionals navigate the field better. The conference eschews the corporate trappings, opting for a more immersive experience that includes a variety of speakers, panels, training sessions, and other opportunities for both beginners and industry vets.
The conference is still finalizing its speaker list for the 2020 event, but past speakers at 2019’s DataScienceGo included experts from major tech companies such as Amazon, IBM, and Salesforce, as well as academics and other luminaries in the field. DataScienceGo is better suited if you want to take a deep dive into data science and get familiar with the field and the industry.
A Year’s Worth of Learning
To stay at the top of the game in data science, you need to have the most up-to-date knowledge. These conferences give you a great chance to learn about the newest developments, the top companies in the field, and get some face time with some of the smartest people in data science. We hope to see you at some (or all!) of the conferences on this list.
