I’m attending a New York session of Pimp Your Reports led by Jennifer Veesenmeyer, VP of Analytics at Stratigent next Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant in Manhattan.    Last year I was on Jennifer Veesenmeyer’s panel on the Future of Web Analytics at MIMA Summit 09 – I’ve known Jennifer since I’ve attended several EMetrics Summits and through Web Analytics Association work when I was a Board Director in 2007-2009 (in total, I’ve known Jennifer for 4-5 years).

According to the invite for the event – Pimp Your Reports workshop teaches ….

….. how to use dashboards and analytics reporting to drive your company’s competitive position and enhance its performance. By getting it right, you can save time and resources and begin to reap the benefits of your effective messaging right away. This workshop provides marketing and analytics professionals with concrete techniques for applying strategies and tools to their overall dashboard design. You’ll return to work with ready-to-use job aids, tips, tricks and instructions.  Essentially, if you want reports that people can act on, they have to be meaningful and if you want to drive action in your company, you have to go beyond canned reporting options and learn how to Pimp Your Reports!

I attended a mini version of this workshop a few years ago in San Francisco and it’s been, consistently, one of the most popular sessions at Emetrics.

Here’s the agenda

Workshop Benefits

• Determine and analyze data that drives action
• Gain insights into writing effective analysis with clear and consice messaging
• Discover how all components of a business can come together in a cohesive dashboard
• Learn dashboard design best practices that communicate effectively with the C-suite
• Captialize on professional feedback specific to your company
• Enjoy an invaluable peer-to-peer learning experience

Tentative Agenda

8:30 – Registration Begins
9:00 – Welcome and Introductions
9:15 – Identifying and Highlighting Key Metrics

10:15 - 20 Minute Break
10:35 – Meaningful Visualizations
Clear, Concise Messaging

12:00 – Plated Luncheon
1:30 – Principles for Dashboard Layouts
Dashboard‐related Excel Tips

3:00 – 15 Minute Break
3:15 – Pimp Your Reports:  Tips & Specific Feedback
3:45 – 4:00 - Wrap up and Q&A

As I’ve been doing a lot of Social Media Metrics – the issue of what should be presented and how – brings a session like Pimp Your Reports back into my focus – honestly, a lot of reports I’ve seen others do,  plus my own reports and summaries, could improve.

Besides spending what amounts to the better part of a day focusing on what to present clients and how to present it – I’m curious how Jennifer’s materials have changed since I first encountered them.

Well … we’ll see how much they’ve evolved next week.