Analytics
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Somewhere in the mid 2000's, I began attending the Alteryx user conference - before Alteryx was Alteryx, and when it was called "extend the reach". I was one of 150 attendees. Whether this is a first for you or a “teenth” for me, here are my top 5 reasons why attending Inspire is a must-do.
1. People
Don't just talk with your colleagues or the Alteryx folks you already know. Network with your peers and with the countless Icons from Alteryx who work behind the curtain. While I'm not a social butterfly (@ErikaW) like some, I can vouch that Inspire has always offered me the opportunity to quickly find common ground with people from around the world. Whether from California (@_enrique_javier), Colorado (@LeahK, @JoeM, @Nathalie), Illinois (@BethN, @JohnN, @T-Ryx), Ireland (@BarleyCorn), London ( @chris_love, @jdunkerley79, @james_mcgarva, @joe_strellis, @darronwalton, @daneeldevilliers), North Carolina (@AndyMoncla, @JacobMoncla) and my fellow ACEs worldwide. I can't wait to see all of you.
2. Learning
The amount of learning that happens at Inspire is insane. @DrDan (king of predictive) always says hi and takes an interest in my use of Alteryx. I've learned so much from @KimH, @MargaritaW, @CailinS, @GeneR, @RichardS and many more at Inspire that dusting off Statistics books and diving into Customer and Business Analytics doesn't even seem like a daunting exercise. With the content available in Alteryx Community and a few sample workflows, even I can mingle with the Data Analytics for Dummies crowd!
My old employer wouldn't send me to Inspire for the people or networking, but they got every penny out of their expense by what I learned and applied from each of my trips. My new company, Marquee Crew, embraces Community and makes an effort to contribute. Whether providing solutions to questions, writing knowledge base articles or blogs like this one, or contributing to the CReW macros, we pass our learnings on and share in the energy that is Alteryx.
3. Swag
I am not a hoarder, I am not a hoarder, I am not a hoarder. I went through my things, and picked out a few treasured items acquired over the years. And while I have jackets to stay warm and more bags than I can carry, my most treasured items are my Alteryx pins!
This year, I haven’t decided how I’m going to wear them. They won’t fit on a standard lanyard anymore, and I want to proudly wear my flair! Maybe suspenders? Attached to my hat? Does anyone have an XL Girl Scout sash I can borrow? @TatianaS, @TaylorM, @LaurenU – I’m looking at you!
4. Competition at Its Finest – The Grand Prix
Start your engines! Flex your Alteryx muscle. Make sure you check out the Alteryx Grand Prix. I've watched from the stands; coached and been a cheerleader; and ultimately I did compete. Did I win? Of course I did (not). But the win for me was simply competing, and I gave it my best. Hands shaking and feeling anxious, the beer couldn't even give me enough liquid courage to beat the winner, Justin Tischler. While the taunting I endured from T-Ryx made me tough, Peter Muler and @jdunkerley79 were tougher, as the winner and runner-up! I have tremendous respect for all the winners.
5. My Love for Alteryx
Why do I keep showing you my swag? All of the items in this picture have a personal connection for me and represent more than pens, shirts, towels or socks. There are stories behind all of them. Like Community badges earned by virtual activity, these items hold memories from my real-life involvement with Alteryx and Inspire. Whether running (last place again!) a 5-K and earning a pair of socks, or showing my love for Alteryx to get an I-Love-Alteryx shirt… Alteryx is more than just a product. Alteryx gave my career wings and lifted me to new heights. Because of Alteryx, I became a change agent, empowered to not only move myself up the career ladder, but also to share with my colleagues and make them more successful in their jobs.
If you haven't already guessed, I'm a big fan of Inspire... even though I am not a Grand Prix winner. Moving on. I came across an opportunity to test-drive Alteryx and never let a version upgrade go by without digging in deeper to learn the new tools and functions. When I got my dream car, there was no doubt in my mind what license plate to choose!
Go to #alteryx17 and rev up your engines. Check out the Inspire BUZZ in Alteryx Commnity to learn what others are excited about for Inspire (Better yet, register for Inspire, join us, and make sure you say “hi” to me in Las Vegas!
