A message from Amy Harris

I attended my first Nashville Analytics Summit in 2014. That year, the event was at capacity with around 150 in attendance – with even more on a waiting list. I was immediately impressed by the quality of the programming and quickly understood why the event was in such high demand. The schedule was a great mix of nationally known keynotes and presentations/workshops led by analytics professionals from right here in Middle Tennessee. It didn’t take me long to realize this was an event I wanted to attend every year.

It’s been amazing to watch the conference grow. I was invited to join the steering committee in 2016, and consider my participation in organizing this event one of the highlights of my year. Why do I give my time to this event? Because I know the many ways that the summit has helped me grow professionally, and I want to help create those same opportunities for others.

In addition to the chances for professional development that the Nashville Analytics Summit offers, it also provides an opportunity for networking with fellow analytics professionals. Whether you are looking for your next career opportunity or simply a chance to talk with other people working in the field, we have built a schedule that allows time to interact with your fellow attendees and our generous sponsors. The Summit – and let’s not forget the happy hour – are excellent places to make personal connections that will last well beyond the two-day conference.

As an educator, the conference also has an added benefit – the chance to run into former students who are now working in the field. To witness the evolution from student to professional is one of the most rewarding aspects of being in higher education, and the Analytics Summit has become one of the best vehicles for me to do this. LinkedIn notifications are nice, but they simply do not compare to having a long talk with someone you haven’t seen in a while!

Please join us at the Omni Hotel on August 20-21. We had over 600 registrants last year, and we’re hoping you will help us grow the Summit even more this year! We’ve got an exciting lineup of speakers from a wide variety of industries. We look forward to coming together as a community to discuss how we can make data matter.

Amy Harris, Ph.D.

Associate Professor in the Department of Information Systems & Analytics
Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University
Nashville Analytics Summit Planning Committee Member