Organizers of the Big Data Congress, to be held in Saint John on January 24, hope it  will evolve into a national event that will be held annually to promote the development of the digital economy in Canada.

Geoff Flood, the CEO of the data analytics consultancy T4G, came up with the idea for the conference as part of his movement to establish a big data centre of excellence in the region. The conference will feature some of the world’s leading thinkers in the growing industry of data analytics, interspersed with more local discussions, a trade show, and workshop.

“We’re in the very early, pioneering days of big data,” said Flood. “But the implications for every sector of the economy are limitless. This event will highlight solutions and ideas from leading thinkers and doers at home and around the world.”

As more and more human interaction happens online, companies, government and organizations are producing huge amounts of data – whether through internet searches, spending, health inquiries or drawing on government services. Big Data is the movement to analyse that mountain of information to predict future spending trends, identify efficiencies or understand behavior.

T4G, a Toronto-based company with offices in Fredericton, Moncton, Saint John and Halifax, believes New Brunswick – indeed, all of Atlantic Canada – could develop into a centre of excellence for the industry, which would need a strong work force with expertise in advanced analytics. The company is organizing the Big Data Congress with the New Brunswick Information Technology Council in the hope that the event raises awareness beyond the region’s borders about  the development of the industry on the East Coast.

“We’re calling it a national event and inviting people from beyond the region,” said Flood. “We see it as an awareness-creating activity.”

Flood says his concept of a “centre of excellence” does not involve setting up offices so much as “a critical mass of talent in a small region.” He perceives several advantages in Atlantic Canada, such as a population well educated in digital technologies, a vibrant collection of startups, governments that understand the concept of data analytics, and universities that are modernizing curriculum to meet the needs of the new industry.  The sector also got a boost last month when IBM announced it was setting up a data analytics centre in Halifax, which will eventually employ 500 people.

The keynote speakers at the Big Data Congress will be: Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher and author Andrew McAfee; Harvard lecturer and Deloitte Analytics senior adviser Tom Davenport and Wired magazine contributing editor Steven B. Johnson. Flood said the organizers are hoping for about 300 delegates.

“One area where I would really like to exceed our expectations is in the (delegates from) government and in the traditional, non-tech industries,” he said. He hopes people outside the tech sphere will attend and learn how Big Data can help them achieve efficiencies.

As part of the event, the organizers have asked the city of Saint John to provide them with data collected by the local government. Delegates with some technical aptitude will be invited to a hack-a-thon (a meeting where geeks get together to invent something new) to device efficiencies for the city using its data.