Newswise — CHARLOTTE, N.C. - March 1, 2017 - Every day, businesses and organizations are deluged with data of size, scope and potential to offer virtually unlimited possibilities. The Analytics Frontiers Conference at UNC Charlotte has emerged as the region’s leading forum on data science; this event is an outgrowth of the University’s Data Science Initiative that positions UNC Charlotte at the center of the data analytics revolution.

This year’s Analytics Frontiers Conference expands to three days, Wednesday through Friday, March 29-31, at the Ritz-Carlton in uptown Charlotte. Participants will have access to speakers and panel discussions devoted to leveraging new analytical techniques, tools and infrastructure to improve their competitive advantage and efficiencies.

Leading statistician Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight.com, will be the conference’s keynote speaker. Silver is noted for his innovative analyses of political polling. He gained national attention during the 2008 presidential election when he correctly predicted the result of primaries and the presidential winner in 49 states. In 2012, he predicted accurate outcomes for all 50 states.

Red Ventures CEO and co-founder Ric Elias also will be a keynote speaker. By 2007, Red Ventures was ranked fourth on the Inc. 500 list. Elias is a survivor of Flight 1549, the plane which crashed on the Hudson River in 2009. The event changed his life. Elias was named an Ernst & Young National Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 and has been inducted into the Carolinas Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Mirsad Hadzikadic, professor of software and information systems and director of the University’s Complex Systems Institute and the Data Science Initiative, stated, “The 2017 Analytics Frontiers Conference will highlight the latest developments in applications of machine learning, data science and artificial intelligence, as well as the social challenges, focusing on domains as diverse as financial services, health care, energy, retail and social good. During this three-day conference, attendees will get the chance to immerse themselves in analytics tutorials, keynote talks by world-renowned experts, presentations on best practices in data science and conversations with graduating students from analytics programs across the state.”

More than 1,400 participants throughout the southeastern United States are expected to attend the March 29-31 “destination” conference.

Expanded sessions for 2017 include:

Wednesday, March 29 - Offers in-depth discussions, workshops and customer case studies on the details of successful implementation of large-scale data analytics. The focus will be on the required processes, tools and infrastructure.

Thursday, March 30 - Features guest speakers, starting with renowned statistician Nate Silver who will discuss “Powerful Predictions Through Data Analytics,” followed by tracks on “FinTech,” “Health Care,” “Retail,” “Social Analytics,” “Manufacturing” and “Energy.” A diverse group of industry experts will present on the current state and the future direction of analytics.

Friday, March 31 - Designed for the next generation of data analytics talent with a focus on data analytics and health informatics career and industry topics. In addition, a career and job recruitment fair will provide an opportunity for human resources representatives to meet the more than 400 analytics graduate students from UNC Charlotte, Duke, ECU, UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. Central. Graduate students with an analytics focus can attend the Career Fair at no charge.

Current sponsors for the 2017 Analytics Frontiers Conference include Bank of America, Cisco, Teradata, Carolinas Healthcare Systems, City of Charlotte, Grant Thornton, Duke Energy, PMMC, Sherpa and The Hartford, Northeastern University Charlotte, Pentaho, Information for sponsorship opportunities are available here.

Learn more about the conference and sponsorship opportunities by contacting Executive-in-Residence Olin Broadway at 704-687-8638 or email [email protected].

Visit the Analytics Frontiers Conference website for the agenda and to register.