Tableau Conference Guide 2023 #data23

Updated May 2nd, 2023

Tableau Conference (TC) 2023 is fast approaching!

For those that don’t know, Tableau Conference is THE data event of the year! With 200+ sessions, hands-on training, Iron Viz and Data Night Out, there’s something for everyone to learn, connect with the community, have fun and give back.

This year, Tableau are hosting another hybrid conference with an in-person experience in Las Vegas (which I’ll be focusing on in this post), as well as a free virtual experience. I won’t be focusing on the virtual experience in this post, but if you would like to attend virtually, you can register for free here. The virtual experience will include daily 4-hour TC broadcasts, plus 4 collections featuring 15+ episodes on demand.

As I’ve done in previous years, I’ll share some conference tips in this post to help those who are attending in person, either for the first time or to serve as a refresher for conference veterans. This post will provide an overview of the conference experience, what to expect and how to prepare. If you have questions about the TC dress code, thought Doctors should only be consulted for medical concerns and don’t know your ‘Data Night In’ from your ‘Data Night Out’, this post is probably for you! 

This post features a collection of tips that I’ve collected over the years. However, it’s important to remember that we’re all unique and it’s entirely up to you how to approach the conference. While some of these tips may not necessarily work for you, I hope you find them helpful nonetheless.

Tableau Conference 2023

This year will see thousands of data fans descend upon the city of Las Vegas, Nevada (USA) for three jam-packed days of learning, networking and inspiration!

The conference is taking place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centre; the same venue which hosted the conference in 2017, 2019 and 2022. This venue worked perfectly as a conference venue last time so I’m excited to return there. While the Convention Centre is huge, the breakout rooms are closer together this year so it should be easier to move around the venue.

Without a doubt, #data23 will be a busy week for everyone involved so preparation is key for a stress-free conference.

The TC experience can be daunting, even for the most extroverted data fanatic. However, this is particularly true in the post-Covid era. For some, this will be their first large-scale in-person event in years. For those who are nervous about returning to in-person events, I would suggest taking things at your own pace. There’s no expectation to participate in everything. Take things slowly, take plenty of breaks and if anything makes you feel uneasy, I recommend finding an alternative option that you are more comfortable with. For those who feel energised by the in-person experience, be mindful that others around you may be struggling. Be supportive and accommodating and be prepared to step away from the hustle and bustle to help others feel more at ease.

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What can you expect at TC?

A high-level conference schedule is available here. This should give you an idea of what activities and content the conference days will consist of. A more detailed Session Database is available here. This includes details of the breakout sessions that will be happening at TC, as well as their timings.

While you can favourite sessions in the database (you’ll need to log in first), I personally find it easier to do this in the Salesforce Events mobile app. The app is available to download from the App Store or Google Play and once downloaded, you’ll see the Tableau Conference listed as an upcoming event. In the app, you’ll find the agenda builder where you can design your conference schedule, along with venue maps and lots of other useful information. The app enables you to personalise your conference experience and plan the sessions that you want to attend and will serve as your go-to conference guide.

One difference this year is that you won’t be able to ‘book’ sessions in advance. All sessions will be first come, first seated. For those that have been attending TC for many years, this is how it used to be. With this in mind, you’ll need to plan your schedule carefully, allowing enough time to get to sessions early to ensure you get a seat. If there’s a popular session you want to watch, I highly recommend showing up early to avoid disappointment, even if that means leaving the previous session early. Likewise, if you see a long queue outside a session, it’s a good indication that it might be one worth attending!

The conference schedule typically runs from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. That’s 3 FULL days of content!

The core schedule consists of a variety of session types:

Keynotes

These are held in the main arena and have the largest seating capacity of any of the conference sessions. Keynotes usually take place at the start of the day, or after lunch. Keynotes are the star attractions of the conference. You won’t want to miss them!

This year, the main keynote sessions include:

• Opening Keynote & Devs on Stage – This session will mark the beginning of TC! The keynote will feature an inspirational talk from Chief Product Officer, Francois Ajenstat and other special guests. This year, the opening Keynote includes ‘Devs on Stage’ where Tableau Developers will provide a sneak peek into the product roadmap!

• Iron Viz – The ultimate data visualisation competition, live on stage! This year’s Iron Viz will feature finalists Brittany Rosenau, Nirosh Perera and Paul Ross as they battle it out for the $10,000 prize.

• True to the Core Keynote: Join Francois Ajenstat and product leaders from Tableau for a one-of-a-kind question-and-answer forum about the Tableau product roadmap. This will be the first ‘True to the Core’ keynote held at a Tableau conference but ‘True to the Core’ sessions take place at Dreamforce each year. At Dreamforce, they offer an unfiltered view into Salesforce’s forward-looking roadmap. making it a consistently popular and highly anticipated session.

• Luminary Keynote: Details TBD. This is usually an inspirational talk from a famous guest speaker. Last year, it was mathematician, Hannah Fry.

This year will also include mini keynotes:

• Data Cloud for Tableau Unlocks Hidden Insights of Your Data: Details TBD
• Data for Good Keynote: Details TBD
• Tableau Visionaries: Stories of Impact and Inspiration

Breakout Sessions

These are lecture-style sessions led by either Tableau employees or guest speakers, including both Tableau customers and community leaders. Each session typically lasts either 20 or 40 minutes with the opportunity for the audience to ask questions at the end. These sessions cover a vast variety of topics including Tableau tips, data culture, customer stories and much more.

Remember, each session has a limited number of seats. Using the Salesforce Events app you’ll be able to build your schedule and favourite the breakout sessions you wish to attend. I recommend you do this as soon as you can! The difference this year is that you won’t be able to ‘book’ sessions in advance. As mentioned above, all sessions will be first come, first seated. With this in mind, you’ll need to plan your schedule carefully, allowing enough time to get to sessions early to ensure you get a seat.

If there’s a popular session you want to watch, I highly recommend showing up early to avoid disappointment, even if that means leaving the previous session early. Likewise, if you see a long queue outside a session, it’s a good indication that it might be one worth attending!

Hands-On Training Sessions

These classroom-style sessions are led by Tableau trainers and cover core Tableau concepts, including data preparation, calculations, dashboard design and more. These sessions are great for attendees looking to improve their Tableau skills and learn new concepts. The sessions will be taught at a manageable pace, with practice exercises along the way. Hands-on sessions are only ever run in person. You won’t find these as part of the virtual conference experience.

This year, there is an opportunity to add Tableau training workshops and certification exams to your registration (for an additional fee). These workshops will be taking place on Thursday.

Community Project Hands-On Sessions

Live community project sessions are a unique opportunity to experience your favourite Tableau community projects, in person! They offer an opportunity to meet community project leaders and fellow project participants, participate live in your favourite project and be inspired by guest speakers or success stories. Some projects such as Workout Wednesday or #MakeoverMonday will offer a hands-on session (you’ll need to bring a laptop with you to participate), while others will feature guest speakers, a project overview, or networking opportunities. This year’s live projects include:

• Workout Wednesday – Wednesday, May 10, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM PDT – Roundtables Banyan CD
• Makeover Monday – Tuesday, May 9, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM PDT – Bayside Hall C – Stage 9
• Back 2 Viz Basics (B2VB) – Tuesday, May 9, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM PDT – Roundtables Banyan CD
• Preppin’ Data – Thursday, May 11, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PDT – Roundtables Banyan CD

There are also other activities and events unique to the in-person conference experience, including:

Data Village

The Data Village is the hub of the conference!

While the exact details for 2023 are under wraps, in the Data Village you can usually expect to find places to hang out, a Community Hub area (all things Tableau Community and a great place to meet community friends), Tableau Doctor, the famous TC photo booth, the Tableau Public Viz Gallery, multiple Theatres featuring smaller breakout sessions (usually silent disco style with headphones), the Tableau swag store, refreshments and much more.

The Data Village is the venue for the Welcome Reception, too!

Community Meetups

Community meetups are your opportunity to network with like-minded people in a dedicated meeting space in the Data Village. There’s no need to register, just show up! You can also add these events to your schedule, either online or in the app.

Meetups will be happening at the following times:

Tuesday, May 9
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Data + Women
9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. Get Creative with the Community
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. Comuni[datos]
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Blacks in Data
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. Tableau Community Projects
5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. TC First Timers + Community Leaders – if you are a first-time TC attendee, I highly recommend attending this meetup to get connected with other community members!

Wednesday, May 10
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Tableau Developers
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Healthcare + Life Sciences
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Education + Academic
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. #DataPride LGBTQ+

Tableau Public Viz Gallery

Imagine an art gallery filled with printed Tableau Public vizzes! Visit the Tableau Public Viz Gallery and be inspired by the work of talented Tableau Public authors. You might even see your own work featured!

Tableau Doctor Clinic

At the Tableau Doctor Clinic, you’ll be able to connect one-on-one with Tableau product experts and Tableau Visionaries to get point-in-time support with your Tableau challenges and technical questions, or even get some tips to help take your dashboards to the next level. Book your Tableau Doctor appointments in advance on the conference website. Some appointments will be released later, on the day of the event, so don’t worry if there are no appointments available.

Morning Workouts

To complement the core conference schedule, there are usually morning group workout options available to all attendees. In the past, activities have included #RunData guided early morning runs around Las Vegas, instructor-led yoga classes by the Mandalay Bay pool, and more. Full details of how to get involved will be available in the app (although I’ve not seen any details of sunrise yoga shared this year so I’m not sure if these will be happening).

Welcome Reception

The Welcome Reception is a celebration to mark the start of TC!

The Welcome Reception takes place in the Data Village and offers attendees the perfect opportunity to explore all of the attractions located in the Data Village whilst mingling with other conference attendees. Expect lots of fun and excitement to end the first day of the conference! Last year, we were joined by lots of Elvis impersonators!

Data Night Out

Data Night Out is a huge data-themed party! Expect live music, entertainment, a variety of food and drink options, fun attractions and lots to see and do. Data Night Out is the perfect opportunity to unwind and enjoy an evening with fellow data friends.

The venue for Data Night Out will be The Pool at the MGM Grand (the same venue that hosted us in 2022)! This year’s event will feature a DJ set from Sofi Tukker but there will be quiet areas for those that prefer something different.

There will be shuttles running from the Shark Reef Aquarium (next to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center) from 6:30pm to 10:30pm. Remember to bring your conference badge and ID to gain entry! I recommend getting there early, if you can, to avoid the long lines.

Note: The venue does not allow you to bring in bags.

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What to pack

The conference dress code tends to be casual. There’s no expectation for anyone to wear smart business attire! I recommend wearing whatever you feel most comfortable in. Anything goes!

Here are some tips to ensure you come prepared:

Comfy shoes | You will do a lot of walking at the conference! Don’t believe me? Check out this viz by Michelle Frayman from TC22! Can you beat Paul Chapman’s step count? The days are long and you’ll be on the go from morning until night. Some nearby hotels are a 20-minute walk away from the convention centre and even if you are staying at the Mandalay Bay itself, you’ll still need to walk a short distance to get to the convention centre. Bring sensible footwear with this in mind.

A fully-charged battery pack and charging cable for your phone or tablet | The likelihood is you’ll be using your electronic devices heavily during the days to reference the TC app, check your Twitter feed, take photos, write notes, etc. The last thing you want is a dead battery by mid-afternoon! There will be places to charge your devices in the conference venue but bringing your own fully-charged battery pack will save you from having to worry about trying to find a charging point (or fighting with somebody else to use one).

Something to use for note-taking | If you’re anything like me you’ll want to take notes during the sessions you attend to help you recall the content later. This could be a notepad, tablet or whatever works best for you.

Your favourite Tableau t-shirts | Tableau Conference is the perfect opportunity to showcase your Tableau t-shirt collection! If you don’t own any Tableau t-shirts, don’t fret. There’s a swag shop at conference which sells all the Tableau swag you could possibly wish for! Don’t forget to leave some space in your bag for any swag or freebies you are bound to acquire during the week!

A water bottle | I find it useful to bring a water bottle that I can refill in the conference venue. Bottled water in Vegas is expensive and in the dry heat, you’ll need to make sure you stay hydrated!

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Before you arrive

Decide upon a conference objective | What do you want to get out of the conference? Perhaps you want to learn more about a particular feature, tool or industry trend? Maybe you want to see how other companies are using Tableau? Or maybe you simply want to network with as many people as possible and catch up with old friends? Whatever you want to achieve, keep this in mind when planning your conference and pick sessions (or plan free time) that will help you to achieve your goal.

Use the TC App | The TC app will be your go-to conference guide! Be sure to save it somewhere on your mobile device so that it’s easily accessible.

In the app, you can expect to find important information including a venue map, session locations, important announcements and key attendee information.

Plan Meetings or Informal Gatherings | If there are specific people that you want to meet, reach out to them in advance. You could do this through the TC app, or on social media. Chances are it will be easier to arrange something with them before the conference begins and agendas fill up. Also, you are more likely to guarantee meeting them this way.

Plan your sessions….. but don’t go overboard | There are so many sessions that run during the conference so you can’t attend everything. You could create a rigid schedule and plan every second of your day but I don’t recommend this approach. I guarantee you’ll enjoy the conference more if you build in some flexibility and downtime. In fact, you may get more value from the impromptu meetings that happen by chance between sessions in the corridors than the sessions themselves. The approach you take is entirely up to you. Simply do what you feel most comfortable with.

I strongly advise you to plan in advance what sessions you would like to attend. Popular sessions will fill up fast so to avoid disappointment, try to have backup options planned in case you can’t get a seat in your chosen session.

Remember, not all sessions will be recorded this year. Consider attending sessions in person where you think you would benefit from being present in the room and asking the speaker questions at the end, or where you know it won’t be recorded. While some community members may repeat their sessions at subsequent user group meetings, you’re unlikely to find customer sessions again.

Be open to session recommendations from others | In the lead-up to the conference, and while you’re there, you are likely to hear other people recommend sessions or speakers that you might not have initially considered. Some talks may sound too technical or out of your depth but don’t let this put you off. You’ll still learn something by attending a more advanced session.

Change your Twitter/LinkedIn profile picture to a headshot of yourself | Trying to identify your social media friends at conference is way more difficult if your friends identify themselves as a cat/dog, scenic place or cartoon! A simple headshot usually works best.

Jeremy’s Conference Viz | Fill in this form so you can be part of Jeremy Poole’s annual conference viz. Jeremy has been running this viz every year for as long as I can remember. It started as a way to help identify who was going to the conference and when they’ll be in town and enable those with similar interests to arrange to meet up. It worked so well the first time that he’s continued to run it year after year. Completing the survey will help you to network with the Tableau Community both before, during and after the conference.

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Once in Town

Register & collect your conference pass | It helps to do this as early to avoid the queues you’ll otherwise find at peak times. The app will tell you what time registration will be open but this year, you’ll be able to pick up your badge/pass from Bayside B from 1pm on Monday, 8th May.

You won’t be able to enter the conference without your pass so it’s key you do this as soon as you can. Once you have your pass, you’ll need to wear it the whole time you are in the conference venue, or attending Data Night Out. You won’t be able to enter the Data Village, sessions or conference events without it.

Pro Tip: Write your Twitter handle on your conference pass with a Sharpie pen so people can identify you better. This is especially true if you are better known by your Twitter handle than your real name! You can also amend your name in your registration to include your Twitter handle. That way, it gets printed on your badge automatically!

Familiarise yourself with the venue | This helps you to know where you’re going when the conference begins (including planning the route from your hotel). You can also check the maps, available in the app, in advance.

Attend the Tableau swag store early | The swag store is where you can buy Tableau-branded clothing and merchandise. The store gets busy and tends to sell out of popular items very quickly. I recommend visiting the store early, especially if you have your heart set on getting something in particular. The store is usually located within the Data Village and tends to open during the Welcome Reception (it may be earlier this year). Remember, you can usually buy the same products online but it’s not quite the same as buying them at conference. Furthermore, if you live outside of the US you’ll usually need to pay postage to get them shipped to you so buying in person makes sense.

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During the Conference

Attend the Opening Keynote (featuring Devs on Stage) | The keynotes are always awesome, informative talks and you’ll learn so much about what new features and developments are in the product pipeline at both sessions! The energy in this session is not to be missed!

Attend Iron Viz | Iron Viz is THE ultimate viz competition! The atmosphere is incredible, you’ll be inspired and you might even learn some new tricks! Mark Bradbourne sums it up perfectly here:

“Imagine a room filled with thousands of people going nuts for three contestants creating data visualizations. Now open your eyes and watch IRON VIZ! There is really nothing like it. Watch three contestants building world-class vizzes on stage. You’ll find yourself cheering on your favorite (or quite frankly, all of them) and getting wrapped up in the spectacle and competition”.

Take a photo (or two) in the photo booths | These make excellent profile pictures for social media and great conference mementoes. Just be prepared to queue for the booths at popular times; early mornings or late afternoons tend to be quieter. The photo booth/s tends to be located in the Data Village.

Stay hydrated and don’t forget to eat | Conference is busy and it can be easy to miss the food and drinks provided by Tableau. There are usually snack stations and drinks refrigerators located throughout the venue where you can pick up something to take to a session with you or put in your bag for later. The same applies to breakfast and lunches which are available at specified times in the Data Village. If you are a fussy eater it might be worth bringing some snacks with you too.

Don’t rely on conference coffee | I would recommend getting up early and getting a coffee from a nearby coffee shop if coffee is important to you. Conference coffee can be very hit or miss! There is a Starbucks on the approach to the conference venue but it can get very busy at peak times!

Get involved as much as possible | Arrive early each morning, attend the Welcome Reception, Data Night Out and any other conference events taking place. Conference only lasts a few days so make the most of it!

Leave your laptop in the hotel | Unless you are attending a Tableau Doctor appointment or a hands-on session (including community project sessions), you’re not likely to need your laptop.

Let go of the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) | With so much going on it’s inevitable that you will miss out on something. With a conference of this scale, it simply can’t be helped. Get over it and enjoy the things you can be part of.

Tweet! | The hashtag this year is #data23. Be sure to use it whenever you tweet about the conference or share anything conference-related on social media. Also, following the hashtag helps you to keep tabs on everything going on around you. Use the unique session hashtags if you attended a great session and want to shout about it. If you tweet photos using the hashtag they might even get featured on the big screen in the Keynote arena!

Plan in some downtime | Don’t feel you have to attend EVERYTHING. You can always miss a session. Conference can be overwhelming & exhausting so you might feel like you need some time out to relax at some point during the week. This is perfectly acceptable. 

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After the conference

Recover | Try to plan some downtime to catch up on sleep; you’ll be tired after an extremely busy few days.

Reflect on your conference experience | Maybe even write a blog post about it or write up some of your learnings to share with your colleagues.

Feedback | Leave reviews for the sessions you attended in the app & be honest with your feedback | Tableau (and speakers) love to receive feedback to help them plan for future conferences.

Plan | You’ll likely leave the conference re-energised with lots of exciting ideas to put into practice or new skills to utilise. Just don’t try and do everything at once! It’s not a competition.

Follow Up | Keep in touch with your new friends & follow up on any connections you made.

Start counting down the days to the next Tableau conference! 

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I hope you found these tips useful.

See you in Las Vegas at #data23!

Thanks for reading.