DataFam Day in Amsterdam @Salesforce Tower

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I recently visited the new Salesforce towers in Amsterdam for the first time!

They have relocated a metro station down, next to the Olympic Stadium, moving it from Amsterdam Zuidas. Interestingly, I’ve been visiting the London office more often, despite living in Amsterdam. The Blue Fin building by the Tate Modern was iconic; I clearly remember presenting there while admiring the London skyline. It made me feel like a million bucks, even while holding my overpriced watery Costa Coffee! Jokes aside, the community is grateful to Salesforce for opening its office for this event in Amsterdam.

The Tableau Conference in San Diego is just around the corner. It was a great idea to organize the DataFam days in London and Amsterdam, representing two major hubs in Europe. I have been looking forward to these events to reconnect with both old and new friends from the community, especially since I won’t be able to travel to San Diego this year. I suspect many of my peers feel the same way.

The line-up for the event was fantastic. I would have been surprised if they hadn’t brought out the heavy hitters. At DataFam Day, the goal was to dive into tip sessions, engage in hands-on learning, and have conversations about today’s evolving data roles and strategies. The sessions were led by seven community leaders who showcased best-in-class visualization techniques using Tableau and agentic analytics.

The event culminated with a keynote speech by Vidya Setlur, Sr. Director of Research at Tableau. She delivered an inspiring talk on the themes of discovery, curiosity, and the power of imperfection. I have always been a fan of hers, and her examples related to life sciences truly resonated with me.

• Jessica Bautista Gauna: Practical overview of how Trusted Viz Extensions integrate seamlessly into Tableau Public, with real examples that unlock new creative possibilities.

• Mi amigo Pablo Gomez: Learn how to bring AI into your workflow to create clear and compelling dashboards - without losing the human touch.

• Heidi Kalbe: Tremendous Tableau Tips and Tricks. Which became a trademark.

• Shreya Arya: See how VMO2 enables internal teams, using  long-form dashboards and Tableau Agent (AI) to deliver proactive insights and data storytelling in action.

• Chris Westlake: Learn more about parameter actions and dynamic zone visibility, with a deliciously fun, real-world example.

I had to make a difficult decision when choosing my sessions, and I wish I could have attended all of them. I participated in Will Sutton's MCP Hands-On session, which focused on MCP, Claude AI and Tableau. This session was my "A-HA" moment, as I gained a comprehensive understanding of the entire workflow, and I'm excited to explore this topic further on my own.

MCP = Model Context Protocol was brought by Anthropic by the end of 2024. It enables AI models to securely connect with external data sources, software tools, and databases. Additionally, helps LLMs overcome data isolation, enabling them to use tools, read files, and query databases for better, more context-aware responses.

The second presentation I chose was Tristan's "Beyond the Boundaries of Tableau." I had watched this presentation in London last year and was eager to see how he would expand on his previous concepts. He truly pushed the limits of what Tableau can do.

C'était fantastique!

Overall, it was a glimpse of the Conference, providing us with a bit of a flavour of the TC. Who is attending the TC? Firstly, I am envious; secondly, you will have an amazing time of your life. Tableau and Salesforce got you covered with amazing sessions, community events, and sunny San Diego. Live every day like it's Taco Tuesday!

Thank you for your continuous support and dedication to the community!