Moderated by a Computerworld editor or partner, these facilitated discussion groups are designed to get conversations rolling quickly and ideas flowing freely. We’ll fire off a few questions to get things started, and then guide the conversation to uncover best practices and great ideas.

What are the best approaches for harnessing and mining the massive amounts of structured and unstructured data that companies collect these days? What are the benefits? How to structure decisions from unstructured data? This session will examine which approaches work best, as well the new tools and technologies that are available today. Come join this lively discussion to learn ways to leverage new and existing technology investments in order to tap the power of Big Data.

It’s BIAP game time!  Whether you’re a first time rookie, or a seasoned veteran, be sure to join us as we kick-off this extraordinary event.  Beer will be on draft and sliders will be passed as you meet, greet and converse with fellow attendees.  Be sure to continue the great conversations in the Wigwam lobby bar where NFL games will be broadcast on the big screens.

Big data is more than applying emerging technologies to huge data sets. In today’s environment, big data is about using enterprise data, social media streams and business analytics to define customer strategy and drive bottom line results. Learn how FedEx is unlocking the potential of enterprise data and predictive analysis to drive business and transform the customer experience from a transaction to a conversation. Key topics include data challenges, implementation approaches and BI tools.

Like Linux before them, open source technologies, such as MongoDB and Hadoop, have started to make their way into the enterprise through the IT department and internal projects with increasing frequency. But with commercial open source offerings on the upswing, enterprise adoption is accelerating as more companies look to store, process and analyze extremely large volumes of data. In this presentation, learn how open source technologies are changing the big data equation at ADP (where data is literally their middle name). Roberto Masiero, VP of ADP’s Innovation Lab, will share how open source has aided their ability to work in a multi-tenancy environment in the cloud -- and what’s on the horizon for these fast-growing open source platforms in the ADP landscape.

Enjoy refreshments and make new connections with attendees and sponsors.

• Mapping visualization
• Spatial analytics
• Geographic data enrichment
  

• Who are my best customers?
• What do they buy?
• What else should I know about them?
  
• Where can I find more customers like them?
  

 

Gather actionable ideas that you can take home by joining one of our lunch discussion tables below:

What are the latest trends in the BI landscape today, and what tools and solutions are on the horizon? A BI guru puts some of the cutting edge technologies and best practices under sharp scrutiny in this wide ranging and candid discussion with technology leaders and IT practitioners.

How do you transform raw data into real business value? That’s the perennial question facing BI stakeholders everywhere. In this lively panel discussion with two Computerworld “Best of BI” award winners, you will learn how the effective use of intelligence, integration, and integrity technology can cover all of your information needs, from data inception to information quality and delivery. Whether it’s a public-facing BI portal for monitoring student achievement or a secure mobile application for dispatching fire and police personnel, all successful BI initiatives utilize the same essential technologies to integrate, enrich, and transform data into relevant, timely, and usable information. Businesses that adopt these architectural principles are sure to cut costs, reduce risk, achieve compliance, and improve business performance, laying a foundation for a real-time, connected enterprise.

The consumerization of mapping began in 1996 when MapQuest map enabled thousands of retail web sites with store locators. The launch of Google Maps and the Google Maps API took that to the next level and now people expect to be able to see their data on a map.  But just seeing your data on a map is only the beginning. In this session, James Killick, a 25 year veteran of business and consumer mapping technology, will provide an overview of where mapping and map-based analytics is headed and how you will be able to use it in any business analytics system to provide greater insight and to make much more informed business decisions.

Enjoy refreshments and make new connections with attendees and sponsors.

More than 34 million Americans (one in nine) are covered by a WellPoint affiliated health plan, making it one the nation’s largest health benefits company.   Learn how the health insurer is collaborating with IBM on a system aimed at improving patient outcomes through the delivery of up-to-date, evidence-based health care. IBM’s Watson technology is a computing system that can analyze the meaning and context of human language, quickly process vast amounts of information and provide responses to questions based on the evidence it finds. In pilot programs, physicians are using the WellPoint-Watson solution to help identify treatment options that balance the interactions of various drugs and treatment choices, enabling physicians to more quickly select the most effective treatment plans.

It's not enough to have the best analysts or the best technology or the best data.The whole [of the business analytics solution] must be greater than the sum of its parts. Drawing on extensive IDC research and advisory services, this presentation will highlight best practices of leading business analytics solution adopters. IDC Decision Management Framework will be used to draw attention to the different types of decisions, decision makers, and their business analytics requirements. In addition, recommendations for evaluating business analytics technology, data, and staffing options will be discussed.

 

You won’t want to miss this fun, casual and practical way to network that’s been highly rated by our previous attendees. This is a lightly structured opportunity to meet practitioners who have similar challenges in the arena of BI and analytics, and industry contacts who can solve them. Relax, learn and have fun – all at the same time!

 

Come enjoy the tastes found south of the border!  Enjoy everything from fresh tomato salsa to the flavors of chipotle at this colorful and spicy reception. Refreshing cocktails will complete the backdrop for great conversations as we wind-down after a great day of sessions.

Enjoy refreshments, chat with sponsors and meet attendees.

Julia King will take the stage for a fireside chat with our keynote speaker to discuss the road ahead for BI and analytics and ongoing challenges and solutions. This highly interactive session includes ample time for audience participation.

Enjoy dessert, chat with sponsors and network with fellow attendees.

Big data experts from leading technology providers and IT practitioners lay out their product and strategy roadmaps, specifically addressing users’ concerns around the scope and cost of Big Data initiatives, the skills required and how cloud, mobile and social fit into the overall picture.

This lively, multi-topic workshop features winners of Computerworld Editors’ Best of BI Awards holding small-group discussions on how they are taking business intelligence to the next level. The workshop offers a more detailed look inside the workings of a wide range of innovative, high-value initiatives. Click here to view the list of winners and their discussion topics.

In this advice-packed session, you will hear how savvy IT organizations are exploiting data analytics to rule the market. Tarek ElHadid, the CIO of Freescale Semiconductor, will share his view of the BI & Analytics landscape – and how the capabilities that have been enabled through technological advancements are enhancing the role of IT organizations in all industries and size of company. Through the latest in BI and analytics, IT is now positioned to change the behavior of the organization through predictive analysis. This presentation will present examples of how and where IT has assumed this leadership through analytics role – and will also feature a snapshot of how things are likely to develop in this fascinating arena in the future.