MWSUG 2010 Special Events

First Timers' Session

Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor (SAS Demo Area)
Sunday, October 10, 4 – 4:30 p.m.

Welcome to your first MidWest SAS Users Group Conference! Come hear about the opportunities for learning, networking and professional development while at the conference. First time attendees will get a special private preview of the Demo Room.

Sunday Opening Session & Reception

Dinner & Opening Session

Empire Ballroom, Upper Lobby
Sunday, October 10, 6 – 8:30 p.m

Opening Reception

Crystal Ballroom, 5th Floor (SAS Demo Area)
Sunday, October 10, 8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Kick off the conference with the opening session, dinner, and a reception. At dinner & the opening session, you’ll hear from this year’s conference chairs, enjoy dinner, and hear keynote speeches from Art Carpenter and Diane Hatcher. Immediately following the opening session, come to the opening reception in the SAS Demo Area. Don’t forget your dinner and beverage tickets found in your registration bag!

Keynote Speeches

Programming for Job Security: Maximize Your Indispensability: Become a Specialist
Art Carpenter, California Occidental Consultants
A great deal has been said about programming techniques designed for the efficiency and maintainability of SAS® programs. We are taught to write code that minimizes machine and programmer resources. Unfortunately, easily maintained code requires fewer programmers, and fewer programmers means pink slips and less job security. In these troubled times, programmers need to be able to maximize their indispensability. They need to become a specialist; a Job Security Specialist.

Job Security Specialists can protect themselves and their families by applying the tips and techniques discussed within this paper. The programmer will be advised when to apply the techniques, and whether the use of the techniques should be subtle or gross.

Techniques will cover programming style, editing style, naming conventions, as well as, statements to use and to avoid. You will learn to blur data steps, make non-assigning assignment statements, re-write functions, take advantage of obscure options, use language ‘features’ to full effect, and in general write code that not even you will be able to figure out how or why it works.

With understanding comes the first steps in becoming a Job Security Specialist.
What’s Hot at SAS
Diane Hatcher, SAS Institute
While you’re getting down and dirty with current SAS capabilities, SAS is always looking ahead on how we can make SAS software even better for you. We can make it stronger. Faster. There are always new trends in technologies that help companies in other areas that SAS can leverage as well. New forecasting techniques. Cloud technologies. Mobile devices. We’ll share some of what’s currently hot at SAS, software that may be coming to a computer near you soon.

Monday Dinner & Kick-Back Party

Harley-Davidson Museum
Monday, October 11
5 – 7 p.m.: Appetizers & self-guided tour of museum
7 – 8 p.m.: Dinner
8 – 11 p.m.: Music from Piano Brew

The bus to the Harley-Davidson Museum will leave the Hilton 6th Street entrance every 15 minutes from 5 to 10:45 p.m. Look for signs in the Hilton Upper Lobby. With the bus running continuously, you can come for the whole night or as long as you have time for.

After a full day of SAS presentations, kick back and relax at the Harley-Davidson Museum. Enjoy dinner, a tour of the museum, and entertainment by the dueling piano group, Piano Brew. We’ll have a shuttle bus available throughout the night going between the hotel and the museum. Don’t miss this opportunity to network with your fellow SAS users, presenters, and SAS staff.

This is a free event! During the registration process, please indicate whether or not you will be attending this event.