INFORMS Open Forum

For our first time attendees at the Business Analytics Conference, we thought it would help if members who have been before could share how they plan their attendance - do you plan your schedule by speaker, by track or a combination of the two? Thanks for sharing!

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Jill Capello
Membership Associate
INFORMS
Catonsville MD
jcapello@informs.org
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One of the things I like best about the Business Analytics conference is the variety of tracks! I read through the options for each session time and select the one that sounds most interesting. Sometimes it's related to my day job, sometimes it's something I want to learn more about, and sometimes it's something I know absolutely nothing about. I also make a note for myself of times when I could be ok to skip something in favor of grabbing a meeting with a new contact, mentee/mentor, or a quiet break. I highly recommend the WORMS events to everyone - women and allies alike. All are welcome! This year, the presenter will offer 1-1 coaching sessions for session participants, and it's a great opportunity to get advice about your personal situation. No matter how you decide what to attend, you'll learn something new and expand your network. Enjoy the conference!

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Emmy Smith
Senior Manager, Data Science & Analytics
Amazon Web Services
Seattle WA
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As a practitioner, I have always been interested in the Edelman Award competition. Teams competing for this award present how they have approached a complex business problem, the challenges faced, their amazing technical implementations with demonstrated impact to their companies and society in general.

The winner of the competition is announced at the Edelman Gala, which is a wonderful opportunity to network and make new friends.

Another opportunity to network is attending the Informs Practice Section Business meeting. This Section is the one that manages and organizes the Edelman Award, Wagner and UPS Prizes. Therefore, becoming a member of this Section is an opportunity for volunteering for these Prizes and networking with other practitioners.

Looking forward to the session: What it Takes to Be an Effective Leader (Hosted by Women in OR/MS).

In previous years, I have also served as a judge in the Innovative Applications in Analytics Award (IAAA), and these sessions are very interesting!

I am looking forward to seeing old friends and making new friends too!

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Patricia Neri
Principal Decision Scientist
UL
Cary NC
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