The Tableau Conference is back – and, this time, it’s in Vegas, baby! 🎲 For three days, from May 9-11, 2023, data folks of all levels can fully immerse themselves in sessions, practical workshops, and motivating fireside chats. But with the conference just around the corner and hundreds of sessions to choose from – 245, to be exact – narrowing in on the best sessions of the conference can be, well, daunting.
Aside: I’m no stranger to event analysis paralysis. In fact, I’m currently trying to decide which sessions I should attend at the upcoming Reuter’s Strategic Marketing Conference and, even for a smaller conference, the possibilities are overwhelming. 😅
And since it's impossible to attend everything, we’re here to help. We put our blood, sweat, and tears into rounding up the hottest sessions at the event (okay, that’s a little dramatic, I know), so you can create your own, personalized Tableau Conference itinerary.
We won’t bury the lede, so here’s a TL;DR of the sessions you don’t want to miss 👇
Tuesday, May 9
- Main Keynote: A New Day for Data
- Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization
- Demystifying Data: How to Help Your Colleagues Overcome Fear
- Think Outside the Box(plot): Intro to Tableau Stats
Extras: Data + Women Meetup
Wednesday, May 10
- Dashboard Extensions: More Fun Than the DMV
- Get on My Level — Mastering LOD Calculations
- The Data Superhero and Its Impact on Data-Driven Culture
- Tableau Tip Battle!
Extras: DataPride Meetup
Thursday, May 11
- 7 Best Practices to Simplify Data Preparation
- The 2023 Tableau Community Awards: The Vizzies
- The Viz is Right
- Data Championship: Creating a COE That Inspires and Empowers
For more on each session, read on!
📆 Tuesday, May 9
Main Keynote: A New Day for Data
When: Tuesday, May 9 from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM PDT
Where: Keynote
If you like innovative demos, this one’s for you. And as the main keynote of the conference, you know it will pack a punch. 👊 Hear from some of the brightest minds at Salesforce about how they’re powering trusted data with AI and making it accessible to everyone, everywhere.
🌅 Add it to your agenda here.
Applying Equity Awareness in Data Visualization
When: Tuesday, May 9 from 12:00 PM - 12:40 PM PDT
Where: Bayside Hall C - Stage 3
Equity should have a stake in more than just social systems. Learn how to apply a diverse, equitable, and inclusive lens to your data work from Jonathan Schwabish, senior fellow @ Urban Institute. Bonus: He’ll even share some DEIA-specific techniques for collecting, analyzing, and visually communicating data visuals.
🤝 Add it to your agenda here.
Demystifying Data: How to Help Your Colleagues Overcome Fear
When: Tuesday, May 9 from 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM PDT
Where: Data Village - Theater 1
Believe it or not, “data” can be a scary word to some folks – but it doesn’t have to stay that way. in this session, Courtney Totten, director of Data Skills & Academic Programs @ Salesforce, will explain how to make data more approachable and interesting for the “non-math” people in your organization so everyone can speak the same language.
👻Add it to your agenda here.
Think Outside the Box(plot): Intro to Tableau Stats
When: Tuesday, May 9 from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM PDT
Where: South Seas GH
Statistics doesn’t have to be old-school. In this introductory session held by Kevin McKinney and Josh Belliveau, principal solution engineers @ Salesforce, you can learn all about visualizing statistics in Tableau. Because it’s just an introduction, it will cover 3 types of statistics: Distribution, summary, and modeling.
🧮Add it to your agenda here.
Can’t-miss extra: Data + Women Meetup
When: Tuesday, May 9 from 8:00 AM - 8:45 AM PDT
Where: Data Village - Community Meetup Space
Regardless of your gender identity, you won’t want to miss this chance to share stories, make connections, and recognize the amazing women, and allies who elevate them, in the data community.
👐 Add it to your agenda here.
📆 Wednesday, May 10
Dashboard Extensions: More Fun Than the DMV
When: Wednesday, May 10 from 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM PDT
Where: South Seas F
Let’s face it: Almost anything is more fun than the DMV. But this session is sure to be way more fun than wasting away while you wait for your number to be called. Join Adam Rauh, principal solution engineer @ Salesforce, and Ryan Lanigan, sales engineer @ Salesforce, as they build custom dashboard extensions. They’ll be covering everything from extension API, to types, and even best practices to make sure you have everything you need for your own extension projects.
🚗 Add it to your agenda here.
Get on My Level — Mastering LOD Calculations
When: Wednesday, May 10 from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM PDT
Where: Oceanside C
LOD calculations got you down? Not for long! Leah Purdy and Eli Blankers, lead solution engineers @ Salesforce, will be tackling your most advanced LOD concepts. This isn’t for the faint-hearted, but at the end of it all, you’ll be an (unofficially) certified LOD master.
💯 Add it to your agenda here.
The Data Superhero and Its Impact on Data-Driven Culture
When: Wednesday, May 10 from 12:00 PM - 12:20 PM PDT
Where: Data Village - Theater 2
Data culture... It’s something both underutilized and undervalued, but it’s directly tied to the long-term success of any data initiative. As it stands, organizations are relying too heavily on their designated “data superheroes.” Folks are burned out, and it’s time for a change. In this session, we’re talking solutions with Laura Madsen, CEO @ Moxy Analytics.
🦸 Add it to your agenda here.
Tableau Tip Battle!
When: Wednesday, May 10 from 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM PDT
Where: Bayside Hall C - Stage 3
What’s better than some 90’s nostalgia? A Tableau tip battle! Community leaders, Jennifer Dawes, senior consultant @ Analytic Vizion, and Dinushki De Livera, business analyst and Tableau developer @ Unifund CCR, are taking the stage to duke it out (and share their everyday tips and tricks they love to use).
🥊 Add it to your agenda here.
Can’t-miss extra: DataPride Meetup
When: Wednesday, May 10 from 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM PDT
Where: Data Village - Community Meetup Space
It’s time to show your #DataPride! Connect with people focused on highlighting, elevating, and bringing together the LGBTQ+ community in data. Everyone is welcome here!
🌈Add it to your agenda here.
📆 Thursday, May 11
7 Best Practices to Simplify Data Preparation
When: Thursday, May 11 from 10:30 AM - 11:10 AM PDT
Where: Bayside Hall C - Stage 2
Everyone – and yes, I mean everyone – can benefit from efficiency tips, especially when it comes to data prep. In this session, Abhinav Sharma, senior director of product management @ Salesforce, will be giving seven tips for prioritizing customer pain points, so your data prep can be more effective.
✌️✋ Add it to your agenda here.
The 2023 Tableau Community Awards: The Vizzies
When: Thursday, May 11 from 12:00 PM - 12:40 PM PDT
Where: Bayside Hall C - Stage 3
It’s time for the 8th annual Vizzies award show! Matt Francis, senior software developer @ Wellcome Sanger Institute, and Emily Kund, principal business intelligence engineer @ RedHat, will be recognizing and celebrating outstanding members of the Tableau Community across 12 different categories.
🏆 Add it to your agenda here.
The Viz is Right
When: Thursday, May 11 from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM PDT
Where: Oceanside D
If, like me, you’re a game show fanatic, this game-show-style session will pique your interest too. Learn from Mark Bradbourne, national solution engineer @ Salesforce, Christian Felix, lead solution engineer @ Salesforce, and Kim Vitiello, principal solution engineer @ Salesforce, about viz design best practices interactively. You can expect a 50/50 mix of visual analytics training and game show fun.
📺 Add it to your agenda here.
Data Championship: Creating a COE That Inspires and Empowers
When: Thursday, May 11 from 2:00 PM - 2:20 PM PDT
Where: Bayside Hall C - Stage 7
If there’s any session with the word “championship” in it, you know I’ll be there. This session, led by Nicholas Pillsbury, senior business intelligence engineer @ Amazon will teach you how to identify, empower, and train the next generation of analysts using Tableau native features and a customer-obsessed COE.
🏅 Add it to your agenda here.
Of course, these are just a few of the many sessions taking place during Tableau 2023. You can find the full agenda here.
🏌️ Don’t forget to check out our Sip and Swing event at Topgolf on May 9th, 2023 from 7:30PM - 10:30PM PT. We’re kicking off Tableau Conference this year with our friends from Starburst, Monte Carlo, Slalom, and Interworks. 🦩 We’ll see you there!