The analytics community gathered at Normandale Partnership Center once again on June 5 for Big Data Tech 2018. More than 1,800 registered or joined the waitlist for the event, making this one of our most popular conferences yet. The event schedule featured more than 50 sessions on a diverse range of topics.
“I got tips and tricks from Sofia Heisler’s Optimizing Pandas I could literally apply to my work the next day,” said John Hogue, one of the conference chairs. “Then I learned about Bayesian inference and attention-based RNN’s, something my team might use in the next year. Lastly, I got a taste of the future with a peek into quantum computing, something I don’t expect to use anytime soon but really interesting nevertheless.”
The Big Data Tech Startup Showcase session introduced seven promising startups pitching to an avid audience, as well as a startup panel discussion on AI. This year’s startups included EnduraData, Flywheel, Modal Technology, Secured2 Corporation, SmiForce Inc., Sprocket CX and Vēmos.
“What made this session especially interesting is that most of the presenters were hardened, repeat entrepreneurs,” said session organizer and MinneAnalytics board member Graeme Thickins. “Experience matters!”
The event is now in its fourth consecutive year, and each has seen the conference evolve. According to Hogue, this year saw a focus on how to best leverage analytics.
“In terms of topics it’s evolved from ‘what is big data?’ to ‘do I need big data solutions?’ to ‘how do I manage big data?’ to this year’s ‘how can I leverage big data?’” said Hogue.
Despite it’s growing size and shifting themes, one aspect of Big Data Tech has remained consistent: the sharing of ideas.
“You don’t know what you don’t know,” said Jake Mason, a first-time Big Data Tech conference chair. “Big Data Tech provides opportunities to see where you fit in the broader analytics landscape, and to understand how what others are doing can augment your work, in an accessible way.
Thank you to all who participated, presented or volunteered at Big Data Tech, as well as our conference chairs John Hogue, Sean Larson and Jake Mason. Special thank you to our sponsors who made this event possible and Normandale Community College for hosting.
Many of the conference presentation decks are available here. Links to startup showcase videos provided by TECHdotMN are below.
Startup Showcase Videos
AI Startup Panel
Startup Showcase: EnduraData
Startup Showcase: Modal Technology
Startup Showcase: Flywheel
Startup Showcase: Secured2
Startup Showcase: SmiForce
Startup Showcase: Vēmos
Startup Showcase: SprocketCX
