# Vlog #2: Planning Conference (Tableau conference 2016) #data16

> This is content from just-tim, the data-and-analytics channel by Tim Ngwena (formerly 'Tableau Tim'). Tim has 12+ years of hands-on BI experience and covers Tableau most of all, plus Power BI, Looker, Hex, SQL and data modelling, the analytics industry, and the craft of doing the job — always tool-agnostic and honest about the trade-offs.

- **Author:** Tim Ngwena (just-tim, https://just-tim.com/about)
- **Published:** 2016-11-06
- **Format:** Video · 9 min watch · transcript available
- **Topics:** Community, Industry trends
- **Tools:** Tableau
- **Canonical:** https://just-tim.com/posts/vlog-2-planning-conference-tableau-conference-2016-data16
- **Watch:** https://youtu.be/5fQa0YF4IoQ

This is the second vlog in my road-to-conference series, filmed as I head into town before flying to Tableau Conference 2016 in Austin. I walk through the seven things I think you should do to plan and pack before you arrive, from downloading the app to booking sessions and making time for networking.

## Key takeaways

- Download the conference app first — it's the one-stop shop for the schedule, session booking, recommendations and networking, and carry a power bank so you don't lose access mid-event
- Stack your calendar with about three sessions per time slot so you always have options when plans inevitably change, and rely on Tableau's recordings to catch what you miss
- Book sessions one level above your current skill — beginners should sit in intermediate sessions — to broaden your thinking rather than repeat what you know
- Don't fill the week with sessions alone: build in hands-on training or a certification challenge so you return with something tangible for your organisation
- Break up the schedule with meetups, the party, the Run Data challenge and time exploring the city, and pack for Austin's weather rather than your own

## Chapters

- 0:00 Why you need to plan
- 0:37 Download the conference app
- 1:35 Book and stack your sessions
- 3:12 Choosing session levels
- 4:05 Training and certification
- 5:19 Make time for networking
- 6:41 Fun, meetups and the city
- 7:41 Packing for conference

Watch the full video, read the transcript and use chapter deep-links on the page: https://just-tim.com/posts/vlog-2-planning-conference-tableau-conference-2016-data16

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just-tim — Data and analytics, with a point of view. · https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7HYxRWmaNlJux-X7rNLZyw · https://twitter.com/TableauTim · https://www.linkedin.com/in/timngwena