There’s a really great conference in Silicon Valley on data science called the O’Reilly Strata Conference. It is a three-day conference that contains plenary and invited talks on various aspects of data science, from database, analysis, and visualization platforms to applications in industry, government, and academia to the policy implications of data-driven companies. I am particularly interested in a talk by Ryan Ismert of Sportvision on the growth of Big Data in sport and its applications to sport teams, media, leagues, and the gaming industry. The challenges of developing applications in this space are very different from those in consumer spaces because so much of the in-match data is proprietary to either the data companies or the league organizations. The manner in which this challenge is addressed will drive the direction of data in sport for the rest of this decade and perhaps the next one as well.

Regretfully, I will not be able to attend the conference because the Sloan Sports Conference starts in Boston the following day. But the talk by Ryan appears to be really compelling and the other tutorial sessions are also excellent, so if you’re in the Valley and are interested in this field go purchase a ticket and attend.