SAS Global Forum

Registration Opens with New Savings Opportunities

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:04:20 -0500

If you want to save money when you register for SAS Global Forum 2010, check out the two new package offers. Both offers bundle popular registration options at a discount. Not only will they save you money, these special packages may also help you with getting conference approval. It’s an easy way to demonstrate to your boss that you’re containing costs and receiving the most value out of the money you spend.

Package 2 includes a business and government conference registration, Sunday opening night dinner, Monday lunch, and Tuesday lunch & speaker. Translation: Registration and all meal options rolled into one value price.

Package 3 includes a business & government registration, Sunday opening night dinner, Monday lunch, Tuesday lunch & speaker, and a Sunday or Wednesday seminar of your choice. Translation: Same benefits as Package 2 plus an added educational seminar of your choice - even more value.

But the good news doesn’t stop there. A record number of papers were submitted to SAS Global Forum this year – an increase of over 11% from last year! I see this as evidence that enthusiasm for SGF continues to grow. Even after 35 years, SAS Global Forum is still the largest and most exciting gathering of SAS professionals worldwide. Don’t miss out on the premier event for SAS professionals. Register now!

A Blue Ribbon 500-pound Pumpkin and SAS Global Forum?

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:08:00 -0400

The route that I use from my home in Raleigh to the SAS Cary headquarters takes me by two exits for the now-running NC State Fair. Last year’s total attendance was 765,067, and hopes are high that this year’s 142nd fair will be another success.

So what does the State fair have to do with SAS Global Forum? Well, it got me thinking about deadlines, blue ribbons, and attendees. I thought of deadlines because my last chance to make the fair this year is Sunday, Oct. 25, and the deadline to submit your paper for consideration is Monday, Oct. 26. I thought of blue ribbons, because just like the state fair, SGF gives out best paper awards. And I thought of attendees because everyone is wondering how many people we’ll have at the upcoming conference. While you can’t get into SGF for free by bringing canned goods to Seattle, you can take advantage of a number of ways to save. See you later - I’m off to try some chocolate-covered bacon and a deep-fried banana split at the fair.

How to Improve your Resume – Students Only!

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:43:00 -0400

Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the SAS Student Ambassador Program, which covers the cost of travel expenses and registration fees paid to attend SAS Global Forum 2010.
What’s the “catch?” You must complete an application and submit a presentation abstract and working draft by midnight October 26, 2009, Eastern Standard Time.
What are the benefits? You’ll have the opportunity to present before an international audience, network with SAS users from every industry and sector . . . and have fun in Seattle.

The Geek’s Guide to Seattle

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:49:00 -0400

I can’t take credit for selecting Seattle as the site of SAS Global Forum 2010. But I can thank the SAS Global Forum Executive Board for making that decision a number of years ago. We had a terrific conference the last time (SUGI 28 in 2003), and that must be one reason we’re going back. Personally, I’m planning on adding some vacation time in conjunction with business. How about you?

If you’re not into shopping, art museums, or kayaking, then you may want to check out the Geek’s Guide to Seattle. Not that I’m calling anyone a Geek, but if you’re like me, you may be interested in seeing the first wireless telephone (from 1910) on display in Seattle’s Museum Of History & Industry. Or you might want to experience flight without leaving the ground at the Museum of Flight’s flight simulators. There you can try your hand at WWII dogfights, hang gliders, or even landing on the Moon! Ever wonder where Microsoft chairman Bill Gates lives? His high-tech Medina mansion is on the shores of Lake Washington and is notable enough to have its own Wikipedia page. Have fun!

Fact or Fiction - Part I?

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:05:00 -0400

I first met conference chair Lauren Haworth back in 1997 when she was presenting a paper at the Pacific NorthWest SAS users group. Since that time, she's gone on to chair the Western Users of SAS (WUSS) conference (twice!), write 2 SAS Press books, serve as a section chair for SGF, and now, serve as conference chair. It would be an understatement to say that Lauren has a lot of experience supporting the SAS user community.

I'm sure that she's heard it all over the years, and I thought that it might be fun to play some Fact or Fiction with her. If you like this game, we can make it a quarterly feature, and you can suggest the questions the next time!

1.) Fact or Fiction?: SAS Global Forum is really a thinly disguised SAS marketing event run by SAS?

Not true! SAS does provide the Opening Session, which is an opportunity for everyone to find out what's new and on the horizon. It that respect, it is perhaps a bit of marketing to a captive audience! The real focus of the forum however, is on education and providing an environment where SAS Software users can come together and network and learn. SAS mainly sends R&D and services staff. I don't consider it as a sales opportunity for them. The forum is also the result of a collaboration between the SAS Global Forum Executive Board and SAS. In fact, the board met for two days this past July to continue finalizing plans for this year's forum, and we also have weekly conference calls.

2.) Fact or Fiction?: Most presentations at SGF come from SAS staff instead of real-world SAS users.

Hmm. It depends upon how you look at it. There are definitely more presentations from real-world SAS users than SAS staff. SAS staff will be invited by section chairs to provide about 60 of an estimated 300 presentations. But when you factor in the "SAS Presents" content, which is provided entirely by SAS, then the equation might balance out. At any rate, SAS is not the dominant presenter. It's a good mix of both.

3.) Fact or Fiction?: A gallon (16 cups) of coffee costs more than $60 at the convention center.

I had to check on the answer to this one! According to SAS Certified Meeting Planner Diane Marshburn, it's false that there are 16 cups to a gallon at hotels or convention facilities because they typically use larger capacity cups, which means you'd have between with 10- 12 cups to a gallon. Unfortunately, the cost of more than $60 a gallon is true and not negotiable! So that cup of coffee you have at the conference costs us $5-6. It just one of many "behind the scenes" things that are part of planning an event. Diane and other planners back at SAS work very carefully to plan food and beverage menus so that SGF gets the best deals and value from all of its vendors.

4.) Fact or Fiction?: The conference chair is paid a stipend by SAS and has full access to the SAS corporate jet and free M&Ms.

I wish! SGF is a non-profit organization that's totally separate from SAS. My employer allows me to donate my time to the conference (Thanks, Genentech!) I receive no salary from SAS or free trips on the corporate jet. However, I do get M&Ms if I want them when I visit SAS. [note from Michael: SAS is the world's largest corporate consumer of M&M's - we consume 22 tons per year.]

5.) Fact or Fiction?: The last conference held in Seattle had approximately 3,000 attendees.

That's true. This year we're hoping for approximately 3,200 attendees.

What's in so far?

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:23:00 -0400

The Call for Papers has been open over 2 weeks now, and the response is good. We’ve heard from SAS users from over 35 companies from all over the world. The first submission was from the UK, but we’ve also had submissions from Singapore, Canada, Italy, and of course the US. SAS Global Forum is truly international: last year over 24% of the attendees were from outside of the US. So far, most submissions have been for the Statistics and Data Analysis section, followed by Application Development. As a reminder, there are over a dozen technology solutions sections and seven industry solutions sections that you can submit a paper for. If you have questions about any of these sections, simply contact the appropriate conference leader. You can also suggest a topic idea to an author by visiting the sasCommunity.org "Share Your Ideas" page.

Call for Papers Open and New Look for Web Site

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:52:00 -0400

I have 2 exciting things to blog about: the opening of the Call for Papers, and the new SAS Global Forum Web site.

First, the Call for Papers is now officially open through Monday, October 26. Call for papers sections are classified under two primary categories - Technology Solutions and Industry Solutions. Papers themselves fall into three categories: Contributed Papers, Invited Papers, and SAS Papers. Learn more about the specific conference sections within each category and the types of papers being solicited. How (and when) are papers selected? Conference leaders review and select papers, and they will notify authors by Monday, Dec. 14, 2009 as to whether or not a submission has been accepted. It’s a tried and true system that works. For more details, refer to How to Submit a Paper... and other relevant questions.

Second, we have a great new look for the SGF Web site. The Web site not only has the new conference colors, it also has a simplified navigation system. By using the tabs at the top of the Home page, you can quickly access other parts of the site such as “Overview,” and “For Presenters.” There’s also a “Quick Links” area that include direct access to the very popular Online Proceedings as well as info about previous and future conferences. Take a tour, and let me know what you think. Of course the tabs and site will continue to change as we add content and move closer towards the conference.

PS: Looking for an idea to write about? Want to suggest a topic idea to an author? Visit the sas.Community.org "Share Your Ideas" page.

Ready, Set, Go!

nospam@example.com (Michael H. Smith) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:52:19 -0400

What have you been up to since SAS Global Forum 2009? For me, among other things, I’ve seen Mt Hood on a clear day while supporting the Pharmaceutical SAS users group (PharmaSUG) meeting in Portland, OR. I’ve managed to get to the local farmer’s market on a weekly basis (the tomatoes are in), and I’ve made it to the beach once. The kids are out of school, and the weather is predictably hot and humid here in Cary, NC. Seattle, the site of SGF 2010, is 2,893 miles away. But it just got a lot closer.

We had our official “Core Team” meeting this past week to start official conference planning. Program Manager Donna Daniels hosted 12 of us in a conference room and 2 via phone. So here we go again… and it’s a good thing. Ready, Set, Go! It takes a small army of us from SAS to help prepare for and support the conference. I get to work with folks from ISD, Corporate Communications, Video Communications and New Media, Travel, Security, Corporate Services, Accounting, Legal and Risk Management and more. It’s a huge, campus-wide, team effort. But of course we are not working alone – we work closely and collaboratively with the Conference Chair, Section Chairs, and the SAS Global Users Group Executive Board. All of us come together with one goal of creating a meaningful and fun conference experience for the thousands that we expect to see next April 11 - 14, 2010 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.

What's coming up soon? A revamped Web site debuts, and the Call for Papers opens in a few weeks. I hope that you’ll continue to follow my blog as I post about behind-the scenes happenings. And, I hope that you’ll let me know what keeps you coming back if you’ve attended SGF before. Let us know so that we can keep doing the right things.

And if you haven’t attended yet – well it’s my job to whet your appetite with my view of SAS Global Forum.

SAS Student Ambassador wins Best Contributed Paper in Statistics

nospam@example.com (Waynette Tubbs) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:15:23 -0400

Elisa Priest, a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of North Texas, was selected as one of nine SAS Student Ambassadors for 2009.

She also won the "Best Contributed Paper" in the Statistics Section.

Her presentation, Easier Exploratory Analysis for Epidemiology: A Grad Student How-To Paper, was very well received. She even made folks laugh several times during her talk!

Priest sited Art Carpenter's macro book in her presentation, and recommended it as a reference. She was thrilled to later have the opportunity to meet Art, and get a photo with Art and Ron Cody!

Originally from Brazil, Priest is a doctoral student in epidemiology, with a focus in chronic diseases and clinical trial design and processes, at the University of North Texas. She completed her bachelor’s degree in molecular and cell biology at Texas A&M University.

Eight years ago, Priest first used SAS while completing her master’s in community health at the University of Texas. She is most familiar with Base SAS® and SAS/STAT® software and is a SAS Certified Professional in SAS Base Programming. Priest has presented at several South Central SAS Users Group (SCSUG) conferences and epidemiology conferences.

She authored a book chapter on obesity and inflammation and has published several articles in epidemiology and chronic disease journals, including Contemporary Clinical Trials and Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
She plans to continue supporting clinical trials and teaching efficient clinical trials design and methods after graduation. During SAS Global Forum 2009, Priest learned many SAS tips and tricks that she’ll take back to her fellow students.

SAS-L Award Presentations

nospam@example.com (Waynette Tubbs) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0400

If you aren’t familiar with SAS-L, now’s a good time to take a look at it. It’s another information channel where SAS users go to ask and post answers. At SAS Global Forum 2009, SAS-Lers continued its tradition of honoring those who’ve contributed most significantly during the past year.

“There are many ways in the SAS community to ask questions and get help,” said Rhoads. “SAS-L is probably the oldest, but I think it continues to be a very valuable source of interaction and technical discussion. SAS-L: The original social network.

The presentation of SAS-L awards was held during the SAS Global Forum SAS-L BOF Monday, March 23. This year’s MVS (Most Valuable SAS-Ler) winner, data null, was the SAS Global Forum 2008 MVS winner. In accordance with SAS-L rules, data null’s 2009 award was upgraded to SAS-L Hall of Fame. The SASLROY (SAS-L Rookie of the Year) award went to Joe Matise.

For a complete description of the awards, please visit the SAS-L BOF Wiki page.

“We have an online nomination and voting process,” said Mike Rhoads, a SAS-Ler and member of the voluntary planning committee. “Anyone who has contributed to SAS-L throughout the year can go online and vote for the MSV and SAS-L Rookie of the Year. We’d like if they left also some comments in support of their nominee.”

According to Rhoads, he, Larry Hoyle and other SAS-L volunteers manage the voting process, host the SAS-L BOF and post the results online.

Although there are four categories for which a SAS-L member can be nominated, nominations were made to only two categories for SAS Global Forum 2009: MVS and SASLROY.

MVS nominees:
Robin High
Mary Howard
Daniel Nordlund
Michael Raithel
Arthur Tabachneck
Nat Wooding
data_null_

SASLROY nominees:
Scott Bucher
Joe Matise
Akshaya Nathilvar
Ajay Ohri
Karma Tarap

Inside SAS Global Forum 2009: Ep. 33 - Goodbye

nospam@example.com (Brendan Bailey) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:48:23 -0400

That's a wrap! Alan Hoffler provides a takes a last look back at SAS Global Forum 2009. We hope to see you next year at SAS Global Forum 2010 in Seattle. Find out more at http://www.sas.com/sasglobalforum/2010.

Web Links:

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnAI8e-QEP0

SAS.com:
http://www.sas.com/apps/webnet/SGF2009VideoBlog/index.html?videoID=isgf09ep33

Inside SAS Global Forum 2009: Ep. 32 - Chris Hemedinger

nospam@example.com (Brendan Bailey) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:44:19 -0400

SAS Senior Software Manager and co-author of SAS for Dummies Chris Hemedinger talks about his experiences at SAS Global Forum 2009.

Web Links:

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0__o84g_-Ug

SAS.com:
http://www.sas.com/apps/webnet/SGF2009VideoBlog/index.html?videoID=isgf09ep32

Inside SAS Global Forum 2009: Ep. 31 - SAS Interface with R

nospam@example.com (Brendan Bailey) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:42:15 -0400

SAS Research Statistician Rick Wicklin talks about the new SAS interface with R in SAS/IML Studio.

Web Links:

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM6WpiyXpkg

SAS.com:
http://www.sas.com/apps/webnet/SGF2009VideoBlog/index.html?videoID=isgf09ep31

Inside SAS Global Forum 2009: Ep. 30 - SAS Web Services

nospam@example.com (Brendan Bailey) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:23:11 -0400

SAS Software Developer Zach Marshall talks about the exciting new features in SAS 9.2 in Base SAS to call Web Services.

Web Links:

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-BldDY7ms

SAS.com:
http://www.sas.com/apps/webnet/SGF2009VideoBlog/index.html?videoID=isgf09ep30

Inside SAS Global Forum 2009: Ep. 29 - Teradata

nospam@example.com (Brendan Bailey) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 11:20:39 -0400

Frank Capobianco talks about why Teradata is at SAS Global Forum 2009 and the excitement surrounding in-database processing.

Web Links:

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAUl3M2u6IE

SAS.com:
http://www.sas.com/apps/webnet/SGF2009VideoBlog/index.html?videoID=isgf09ep29