COVID FAQs
Health and Safety – Updated September 7, 2021
To our Data Governance and Information Quality Community,
All of us at DATAVERSITY would like to thank you for your continued support. While the last 17 months have been full of uncertainties, we are pleased to have the opportunity to conduct the 2021 Data Governance & Information Quality (DGIQ) Conference as an in-person event.
We had originally intended to follow the state and local regulations in force at the time of the meeting — the current requirements being that face coverings will be required indoors, with practical exceptions for meals. However, over the past few weeks, it has become clear that this only creates uncertainty for our audience. And this is understandable — if you don't know what the health and safety protocols will be in 3 months, how can you be confident that they will make you feel safe? This uncertainty will not help you to get approval to attend the conference, nor will it help us run a successful meeting.
Therefore, for the sake of certainty and confidence, we have chosen to implement a “fully vaccinated” requirement for all attendees at the upcoming DGIQ Conference in San Diego.
There is ample data to support this decision, from the positions of both safety and confidence, and we are — if nothing else — a data-driven organization. According to recent research conducted by Freeman (an event management company), it is typical for at least 80% of B2B conference attendees to have been vaccinated, and as high as 88% for IT events. We are confident therefore that we are providing reassurance to the vast majority of our audience. And with so many other major events now requiring vaccinations — from Bruce Springsteen and Hamilton, to the Consumer Electronics Show and the HIMSS conference — it is clear that the expectations of our attendees have moved strongly towards “vaccine required.”
I expect that there will be some folks who object to this policy. And there will be others who are unable to cooperate with it due to specific and legitimate personal concerns. For those folks, I sincerely regret that we cannot accommodate you at the moment. If you'd like to contact me directly (tony@dataversity.net) so that we can help you to access the valuable content of the conference, then we will do our utmost to help you out. But under the current circumstances, there is obviously no perfect solution, and some folks will be unhappy with the outcome no matter what policy we adopt. If we have overlooked a realistic alternative solution, I welcome your suggestions.
I expect that in the coming weeks we will publish additional information here with the objective of increasing the confidence of all DGIQ participants. We will also provide clarity about the validation and testing processes that will be in place at the conference.
Tony Shaw
CEO
DATAVERSITY
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FAQ
Q. What COVID-19 procedures and policies will be implemented at DGIQ 2021?
A. We will be requiring 1) proof of vaccination from all conference attendees and 2) face coverings to be worn by attendees in all indoor meeting spaces. Click here for a more in-depth outline of all our onsite COVID-19 policies, procedures, and services, including steps attendees should take before the conference and upon arrival at the conference as well as health and safety protocols and resources we’ll be providing at the conference. If you have any questions regarding this document or any of the information outlined here, please email registration@dataversity.net.
Q. How will you be verifying proof of vaccination for the event?
A. Proof of vaccination is being verified through the third-party application CLEAR for US attendees and via a different method for international attendees. You should have already received an email from registration@dataversity.net with these instructions. If you have not received this email, please reach out to registration@dataversity.net as soon as possible. This process must be completed by Thursday (12/2) for all attendees.
Q. What other protocols have you taken in advance of the event?
A. DATAVERSITY partnered with Epistemix, a software company that has built computational models to help the exhibition, conference, event, and tradeshow industry prevent the further spread of COVID-19, inform policy, and support decision-makers in setting and communicating protocols to assure events can happen safely.
With Epistemix modeling software, they simulated scenarios and their probable outcomes for the DGIQ 2021 conference based on the expected number of attendees (~300), number of exhibitors (~20), average age of attendees, vaccination coverage of attendees, the vaccination coverage in San Diego and other factors. Results from Epistemix showed that requiring attendees to wear masks during the conference and requiring proof of vaccination upon entry to DGIQ creates an environment that is 4x less likely for somebody to contract COVID than doing everyday activities in San Diego.
Q. What is DGIQ?
A. The Data Governance and Information Quality Conference (DGIQ) is the world’s largest event dedicated entirely to Data Governance and Information Quality. Whether you are a newcomer or an experienced data professional, the DGIQ conference offers practical case studies, advice from experts, and in-depth how-to tutorials.
Q. What makes DGIQ so special?
A. DGIQ is not just a regular business conference – it’s an ongoing community and network of data governance and information quality professionals. Like all DATAVERSITY conferences, the educational program emphasizes peer-to-peer learning through the sharing of case studies and practical experience. The setting, on the shores of San Diego’s Mission Bay, is a relaxed atmosphere that helps to encourage this culture of sharing and generosity between attendees.
Q. Isn’t DGIQ usually in June? Why is it in December this year?
A. Everyone knows DGIQ is supposed to be in San Diego in June, right? And then, in December, we go to the east coast. So why is it different this year?
The short answer is, of course, "COVID." A more detailed explanation is related to the uncertainty of conditions during Spring of 2020. Our speakers, attendees, and sponsors were all unsure of whether to make plans to attend, and many companies had already implemented travel restrictions. It was soon obvious that we would have to reschedule the event, so in fairness to all parties, we moved to December 2021.
So, we look forward to DGIQ this December and then returning to San Diego in June of 2022. Then back on the east coast in December 2022, and life will be normal again :).
Q. Who attends DGIQ?
A. Good question! In terms of industries, every major sector of the economy is represented, though the largest industry groups are usually from financial services, insurance, healthcare, online commerce, and government. The range of job titles and functions is also very diverse, including Chief Data Officers, VP and Director-level IT executives, Data Architects, Analysts, Auditors, and Consultants. And increasingly, the DGIQ event attracts managers from “the business side,” who now make up almost 50% of the audience.
Q. How do I get to speak at the conference?
A. Most of the sessions are selected through a Call for Presentations (CFP) process, starting in May of 2021, and we received over 200 applications to speak. This process is now closed. If you would like to apply to speak in the future, please add your name to our CFP list by emailing speakers@dataversity.net.
Additionally, some sessions such as Keynotes and Panels are developed through specific invitations to the speakers. There are also some vendor speaking sessions that are identified on the program agenda as “Sponsored.”
Q. What is the CDMP, and how do I get CDMP Certified?
A. The Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) is the premier professional certification program in Data Management and is designed and administered by DAMA International. DATAVERSITY conducts CDMP exams at most of our in-person events, including DGIQ, as part of our long-running partnership with DAMA. Further information about the CDMP is available on our CDMP page.
Q. What if my question wasn't answered above?
A. For registration questions, email registration@dataversity.net. For all other queries, email events@dataversity.net.