What is Big Data & Why You Should Attend the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chambers BIG Data Seminar

The Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce (GGCC) invites you to its BIG Data for Business Seminar sponsored by Johns Hopkins University Montgomery County Campus & M&T Bank on Tuesday, April 4.

The amount of data out there is incredible, and it just keeps growing. It’s what organizations do with the data that matters. Big data can be analyzed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic conception. What does that mean for businesses? How can they make better use of the information that flows into their organizations every day?

BIG Data – and the way organizations manage and derive insight from it – is changing the way the world uses business information. We are delighted to announce our keynote speaker will be Alton Henley, Sr. Program Director at Montgomery College, Workforce Development & Continuing Education. He is expert in the area of data and data analytics.

“This is an exciting topic. We all joke that “big brother” is watching, but we need to know what data is out there and how we can use it to improve our business,” said Marilyn Balcombe, President, Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber.

About the Seminar:

• What is #BigData / Data Analytics? What can it do?
• What data should I be gathering and how? (internal / public domain / commercial data)
• I have the data, now what do I do with it? (data-driven decision making)
• How does this impact my product, marketing, target market?
• How to find the information I need without getting swallowed up?
• What are 3 – 5 takeaways that I can start using in my own business

This seminar will help us answer questions like:

• If we take data from any source and analyze how it can help with product development and smart decision making?

And can all of this BIG Data and its analysis help answer these questions:

• What will this customer buy next?
• What is the potential value of this customer?
• How influential is a person?
• How can we engage with a person through products and services that the customer has not yet thought of?

Who Should Attend?

Some ask does BIG Data have a place in the small business arena. There are almost 28 million small businesses in the U.S., and more than 50% of the working population work in a small business. So we would say yes, BIG Data is suited to small business in ways that it never was for big business. And BIG Data is helpful for medium and large businesses alike. This seminar is for everyone – small, medium, large businesses, business owners, sales, marketing professionals and more.

Cost: $20 Chamber Members /$30 Non-Members

To register please visit our events calendar at www.ggchamber.org or click here.

The GGCC is active in providing business-to-business networking opportunities throughout the year: a collective voice in local, regional, and state legislative affairs, professional development opportunities and other services that enhance the business environment.

The GGCC is located at 910 Clopper Road, Suite 205N, Gaithersburg. To learn more about the GGCC visit us at www.ggchamber.org.

Find us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gaithersburg-Germantown-Chamber-of-Commerce/64339954570. Or on Twitter at: @GGCCNEWS.

About Laura Rowles

Laura authors the blog Your Success is Our Business on MyMCMedia. Laura is the Director of Events & Marketing for the Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce - a member-based organization of businesses that have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic, commercial and industrial progress in our communities. The area's economic well-being is a result of the caliber of work that is done by the Chamber. The Chamber has a major impact on business, income and future growth of the area. My position at the Chamber - Director of Events & Marketing - affords me the opportunity to plan quality events for our Members and market the Chamber is a variety of avenues. At the GGCC, we typically have around 30 events each year including: breakfasts, lunches, after-five's, ribbon cuttings and special events. The consensus is we have high quality events with good energy. In 2012, we had over 2,040 people visit our events. Most our events are free to Members so securing sponsorships for all events. Additionally, I am responsible for planning networking, overseeing the budget and marketing of all events in order to make them successful. Lastly, I coordinate all marketing and communication efforts of the GGCC including weekly email blasts, its quarterly newsletter, all social media platforms, media relations and community outreach.

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