Why data science conferences are worth extra effort

I love data. I love science. I love working with data…

But… there comes a time as a professional when you feel like you’re not as sharp as you where, you don’t quite grasp the newest, trendiest topics – a time when you need to upscale yourself.

Courses, meetups, podcasts, workshops, … all seem to be viable options. But one of these options stands out: Data Science conferences.

Chances are you’re probably thinking: “Should I bother? Aren’t conferences just waste of my time, money and effort?… Are they worth the extra effort?”

We’ve all thought about it – but is it really the case? How about if I told you: They are worth the extra effort.

You can get tons of obvious and not-so-obvious benefits when attending these events, the thing is not so many people know how to attend a conference…

First of all, I’ll admit that attending conferences requires considerable resources…

On top of the cost for the conference itself, you spend money on traveling, accommodation and meals. Don’t forget also about the missed work and working days that can cost you even more.

Plus, additionally to the time spent on the conference itself, you should also account for the time spent on:

• arriving to and from the event location;
• preparing for the conference (learning about the speakers, choosing the most interesting sessions etc.);
• getting the most out of the event after you get home (e.g., networking and ‘thank you’ emails).

This is why most people try to pick a recommended conference, organize the logistics, solve all traveling issues, find and attend sessions that you are the most interested in, and even get in touch with conference attendees and speakers.

But there’s some bad news…

Even if you make sure all of this is done, sadly, it’s impossible to guarantee that you’ll get valuable benefits from attending the conference.

As a result, many people conclude: it’s a waste of time and effort. And this is understandable, especially if you had some unlucky experience with conferences before.

This is why you should:

Data Science is an area of tremendous growth.

As a result, you can find plenty of conferences conducted each year: you can find some that are big or small, some more or less expensive than others, academic or business oriented, some cover broad topics, while others are of a narrow focus and only cover some specific areas.

There are several factors to consider (and questions to ask yourself):

1.  Your budget.

I wouldn’t suggest going all-in in one conference and that’s it. Not only will it put too much pressure, but you should take the time to up-skill yourself several times a year.

There are tons of options to learn and educate yourself, plus, there are hundreds of conferences, of all shapes and sizes, so pick the one that fits you right.

(Don’t forget to account for some additional expenses like tickets, hotels, transport, meals, entertainment)

2.  Your goals.

If so, look for conference that specifically address them. If you don’t have anything you need to focus on, then go with your biggest interests. Chances are, if you love a specific topic, you’ll want to dive deeper into it and a conference will do just that.

3.  Your development.

If you are at the start of your career as a data scientist, some general conferences that will let you dip your feet into several topics might be what you should look for — maybe even an event focused on career-development.

If you already have years of experience under your belt, you know there are you love to explore and others that you aren’t so fond with. Once you choose this subfield, think of what else you can get from the event — networking opportunities, mentoring, even partnerships and narrow it down.

4.  Your exclusive knowledge.

I try to aim for conferences where I can learn something from the attendees that is un-searchable online.

What do I mean by this?

Experience. Real. Life. Experiences.

Everything technical can be read up on Google, all the latest knowledge will be released on the most up-to-date newsletter, the latest tech in any news outlet.

But if you do a little bit of homework and look up past conferences from the speakers, or if you read their bio and you see something you might like, then this increases your chances of learning something new, exclusive and valuable.

Finally, as we’ll discuss later, conferences are a great place for networking, so you should try to think beyond the speakers and consider the audience. Who is the event targeted towards? Is it likely you’ll meet someone valuable?- if so, you are good to go.

If you choose the right conference to attend and you’ll have half the job done.

After that, you’ll get the opportunity to enjoy all these additional not-so-obvious benefits, next.

Data Science is a field that’s developing quickly.

The truth is: you can find an overwhelming amount of resources, many of them online — meaning, you can access them from the comfort of your home.

You can attend online courses and webinars, listen to podcasts, get answers to your questions, workshops, just to name a few…

So, why bother with the time and expense of in-person events for learning?Isn’t this less efficient?

While online is good, offline events can give you something more:

• They bring you the in-between-the-lines information, content that can’t be read or found anywhere else. There a subtleties that often get overlooked when reading text, but wont be skipped with the right emphasis.
• You can learn from practically anybody. You’ll be surprised how often I’ve learned incredible insights from the person sitting right next to me, a conversation was all that was needed.
• You might meet your idols in one-on-one sessions (which are getting more and more common). You’ll learn about what they are working on, their views and vision, and they may even give you advice on how to enhance your own work.

Remember, conferences provide an environment, where you are encouraged to ask questions to people, all the people. An environment where everybody knows some about a specific topic, but nobody believes or acts like an expert.

It’s the right time to ask that dumb question that’s been bugging you all along.

Networking is often the only reason for many professionals to attend any given conference.

And it’s true — it’s that important.

Good conferences provide lots of opportunities for attendees to mix and mingle, build new relationships, and even strengthen existing ones. Over tea or coffee, you may find yourself making new connections with your potential partners, business associates, clients or future mentors.

Social media may keep you connected with your peers from all around the world, but in fact, there’s no substitution for meeting (or really getting to know) someone in real life.

Yet, unlike business meetings, Data Science conferences allow you to interact with people in a social and less formal environment.

Consider something crucial: through text (email or text) you lose the tone and intention behind what you want to say. Often, things can get misinterpreted or misunderstood just because we don’t know the intonation behind what is meant.

Speaking, fortunately, is the solution to this problem.

Many people find networking to be awkward or uncomfortable, but it can get easier if you keep in mind that everyone is there for the same reason — people are usually open to communications during conferences and other live events, this is expected.

You never know how someone could benefit you or your organization in the future, in-person events are irreplaceable in some crucial aspects for developing a career — so stay open to talk to and be talked to.

This blitzing fast field is moving quicker than we can all grasp.

It often comes down to speed…

The truth is: there’s always something new to learn in this field, and the best conferences are definitely at the foreground of these cutting-edge developments and news.

This is the perfect place to access the most up to date industry information, oftentimes from the sources themselves. You’ll even be exposed to various ideas, topics and industries that you might of not considered before, but you’ll learn, just because you where there.

Take also into consideration social media, and you’ll find yourself in a position of contributing content to the conference buzz. It’s almost a must-do nowadays to live-tweet about your feedback and experience using the conference hashtag.

You’ll have an amazing opportunity to follow along with all the ground-breaking news and announcements that typically occur at conferences, and if you do it right, you will be able to additionally market either yourself or your organization.

You’ll become part of a much larger conversation, you’ll stay relevant and be heard.

Data Science conferences are there for you to move forward in your career. Full Stop.

This can be either by learning the next big piece of knowledge, finding the last puzzle piece you where missing or by marketing yourself correctly.

If you have already some experience as a data scientist, you can go further and even position yourself as an expert among your peers.

When you are active in your industry and participate in the main events, you are more likely to develop a reputation of an expert among your peers and your clients.

Those who are engaged over the long time are often invited as speakers at popular events or asked to write articles for the professional publications. And it’s not a secret that people like to associate with the experts and leaders.

Finally, you’ll make yourself a target for those who are there to hire the right candidate for their company.

Yes, conferences may help you even with this question.

When you register to participate in the event, you show your commitment to take the step forward. Sometimes, taking this step and committing is a great way to stop procrastination and non-action.

During the conference you’ll have the opportunity to focus on one specific task-professional development. It’s time for you to improve yourself, to learn something new, to talk to the people of the same profession, to listen to yourself and answer:

• Are you comfortable in this environment?
• Are you enchanted by these talks?
• Do you have something to share with this community?
• Do you want to know more?
• Are you inspired to implement what you have learned?

After answering these questions, your vision of the future career development might become much clearer.

Plus, there are specific events that are specifically tailored for career development as a Data Scientist, regardless of where you find yourself in your career — an example: DataScienceGO.

As you see, even though, attending conferences and other in-person events might be something that sounds tedious and requires some extra effort, time and money, it is indeed WORTH IT… if you do it right.

So, why are Data Science conferences worth the extra effort?

The short answer is:

If you make an effort to choose the right conference, you’ll get number of new opportunities such as:

• Learn from the best people in Data Science
• Get new ideas about your current projects
• Find your next business associate, partner, mentor or client
• Be familiar with the latest trends in Data Science
• Become part of the Data Science community
• Position yourself as an expert
• Get inspiration from being among the like-minded people

Nobody would argue that in order to achieve success in your career, you need to invest in your education and professional growth. Conferences, thus, should become an integral part of your professional development, as they provide great ways to get your skills to a higher level and the best place to network.

Now, it looks like they are definitely worth the extra effort.