2016 Conference on Business Analytics and O.R. set for Orlando

Do the twists and turns of making smart business decisions by maximizing the value of your data have you feeling like you’re on an analytical rollercoaster? If so, the 2016 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research, set for the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla., on April 10-12, is the one analytics conference you should attend. This conference consistently delivers proven applications and processes that will improve your business’s bottom line. Nearly 1,000 leading analytics professionals and industry experts are expected to come together to share ideas, network and learn about a wide range of problem-solving techniques and methods.

With presentations that revolve around real-world solutions, attendees will hear the full story behind successful analytics projects. This, in turn, will help you gain insight and drive your business planning. This year’s world-class line-up of speakers and strategic thought leaders, including keynote speakers Paul Ballew of Ford and Samuel Eldersveld of Uber (see sidebar), will present talks on a wide range of problem-solving techniques and methods. Invited tracks on Analytics Leadership & Soft Skills, Decisions & Risk Analysis, Fraud Detection & Life Sciences, Internet of Things, Marketing Analytics, Revenue Management & Pricing, Sports & Entertainment and Supply Chain Analytics will be of great interest to anyone looking to make analytics work in real organizations. About 30 handpicked, member-contributed talks, in-depth technology workshops, poster presentations, panels and several opportunities for networking will round out the program.

The Edelman Awards Gala, an Oscar-like dinner and awards celebration and a traditional conference highlight, will be held April 11. Considered the “Super Bowl of O.R.,” the Edelman recognizes the world’s best applications of analytics, operations research and management science. The Edelman Gala is included in the conference registration fee. For more on the Edelman finalists, click here.

Special programs within the conference are designed for future analytics leaders. The Early Career Connection provides early-career professionals with new perspectives into some of the most critical problems facing industry today, enabling them to broaden their research agendas. The INFORMS Professional Colloquium is designed to help practice-oriented master’s and Ph.D. students transition into successful careers. Participants in both programs can register for the full conference at a discounted rate but must be nominated and selected to attend.

The Analytics Career Fair is INFORMS’ premier, professional career event that allows top analytics employers and seasoned professionals the ability to connect in a casual atmosphere. The career fair is included the registration for this conference.

The conference site, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, is a world-class resort that offers an impressive collection of on-site activities, in addition to being just one mile from Walt Disney World and close to everything else Orlando has to offer.

Registration rates for this conference start at $1,065 for INFORMS members. Special rates are available for students, retired attendees, conference newcomers and selected speakers. A team discount is also available.

Ford’s Ballew, Uber’s Eldersveld to deliver keynotes

Paul Ballew, global chief data and analytics officer, Ford Analytics, and Samuel K. Eldersveld, director of operations research, Uber Technologies, will deliver the keynote talks at the 2016 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics & Operations Research. The conference will be held April 10-12 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Fla.

Ballew leads Ford’s global data and analytics teams including development of new capabilities supporting connectivity and smart mobility. Prior to joining Ford, he was chief data, insight & analytics officer at Dun & Bradstreet where he was responsible for the company’s global data and analytic activities along with the company’s strategic consulting practice.

Ballew’s impressive career includes stints as Nationwide’s senior vice president for customer insight and analytics (where he directed customer analytics, market research and information and data management functions), as General Motors Corporation’s executive director for global market and industry analysis and as a partner for J.D. Power and Associates.

Ballew’s keynote presentation is scheduled for 8-9 a.m. on April 11.

Eldersveld, Ph.D., joined Uber Technologies Inc. in 2015 to work with the data sciences teams in San Francisco.

He received his Ph.D. in operations research from Stanford University in 1992 and worked as a mathematician for manufacturing and planning at Boeing from 1991-2000 in the Phantom Works division. He joined Expedia as a startup and spent time at Starbucks before moving to Amazon as a principal research scientist in Seattle.

He was also affiliated with the University of Washington Foster School of Business as a non-tenure-track auxiliary faculty member and lecturer in the department of Information Systems and Operations Management from 2005-2008.

Elersveld’s keynote presentation, “O.R. in Today’s Dynamic Business Environment,” is scheduled for 10:30-11:20 a.m. on April 12.