Panels

We are dealing with the Digital Divide problem which has been exasperated during COVID-19 as workplaces and schools have shut down and forced people to work from home. As all entities are working together to solve this complex issue, it's extremely important to keep Digital Equity as a key principle. This requires granular data of broadband access, devices, and digital literacy at the household level. What challenges jurisdictions are facing in collecting the required datasets? What are the various approaches being followed to overcome these challenges?

In any role where you work with data or use data to make decisions, issues of data equity are emerging as an essential consideration. A more equitable approach to data involves asking questions such as: what assumptions or perspectives are built into the data? Who defined the categories and methodology, and why? What is and is not represented in the data, and why? How is equity defined in this context? These answers can help us develop a better approach to our data work, but implementing new practices into projects and teams can be challenging. Hear from our panelists on their perspectives on data equity and learn from how they’ve brought these practices to their work to help build a more equitable future.

The past year marked unprecedented challenges for Public Health Departments. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, one of the largest public health organizations in the country, responded to the pandemic by using data and technology to accelerate manual processes and understand citizen experience. This session will discuss two projects which improved COVID-19 data intake and helped the County shape their response.

A global pandemic that shuttered movie theaters also cleared the way for the major direct-to-consumer streaming services to bolster their positions with audiences worldwide (e.g., Netflix, Disney+, Peacock, and HBO Max).  Factor in the proliferation of social media platforms with vast user generated content, and there is clearly more entertainment for all of us to choose from than ever before.  On this panel, you'll hear from prominent media and entertainment executives about how companies across the Hollywood ecosystem are using data to not only keep up with the competition, but also to harness insights that allow them to stay ahead of the game as traditional lines between old and new media become blurred.

Takeaways How does structured data power search? What is the history of structured data and Virtual Assistants like Alexa, Siri, Cortana et al? How do we ensure that structured data doesn't forget People w Disabilities or other groups who are sometimes ignored? What is coming down the pike for the future of structured data? Whatever happened to federated search? Best practices in enterprise and web search