We are just 27 days away from Tableau Conference in Las Vegas (Nov 12-15), and there have already been several blogs on why you should attend, but here’s my personal take on why making the trek to the desert will be worth it. You will Learn, Be Inspired, and be a part of the Community.

Learn.

Yes, you will Learn at Tableau Conference! It’s impossible not to. With all of the sessions available to attendees, you are bound to find something that floats your boat. My advice would be to find one (maybe two) sessions a day you’re extremely interested in and make sure you hit those. If you are really wanting to do some hands-on learning with Tableau make sure to go to one of the interactive sessions like #MakeOverMonday or #SportsVizSunday (shameless plug).

Not only will the sessions be informational, but some of the best Tableau people in the world will be attendance, ask them questions! Attending the keynotes will let you know what new features are out there and which ones are in the works, which will allow you to maximize the tool in your workplace.

Be Inspired.

From the data viz gallery (example below) to the Iron Viz competition, there are so many aspects of Tableau Conference that will inspire you to be better at your craft. Every time I have come back from Tableau Conference I have made at least two vizzes just from the sheer amount of inspiration I receive at Conference being around such brilliant and creative individuals.

The work of others, whether it be a creative viz meant for personal consumption or a KPI dashboard with some really cool viz techniques for work, can really push the boundaries in which we think while developing dashboards. This inspiration alone can make you better at what you do.

Community.

Without a doubt, it’s the Tableau community that continues to set this product apart from others I have used. While at Conference, make sure to introduce yourself to people you follow on Twitter or Tableau Public! Every person I have ever introduced myself to has been extremely nice and happy to talk to me (or at least they pretended to be). We all have people that we look up to or that inspire us, so make sure to go and introduce yourself to them however awkward it might be at first.

Another aspect of being part of the Tableau Community is spending time with one another to build relationships and exchange ideas/obstacles. I would suggest making plans to either grabs food or drinks with other community members at least once during Conference. Most likely you will not only have great conversation, but you’ll also learn something and be inspired all at the same time!

In summary, Tableau Conference has helped me grow immensely as a professional and I would recommend it for anyone trying to learn more about Tableau or grow their careers. I also met Luke Stanke and Baxter Boe for the first time at Tableau Conference 2018 in New Orleans, and now I work with them everyday! So big things can evolve out of Tableau Conference, make sure to be there!

Thanks so much for reading. If you have any questions or comments make sure to email me at spencer.baucke@gmail.com or DM me on Twitter at @jsbaucke.