by Sarah Burnett & Fiona Crocker | Co-Founders, Dub Dub Data

With the annual Tableau Conference fast approaching, we’ve pulled together a quick post of conference tips and tricks, covering everything from planning your conference schedule to navigating the conference mobile app, finding the best breakout sessions to attend, and making the most of the conference events taking place.

If you’re anything like us you’ll want to go from morning until night, so knowing where you’re going and planning your schedule is key for a stress-free conference experience.

 A HUGE THANK YOU to the following Tableau Ambassadors who contributed to the content shared:
Sarah Pallett, Celia Fryar, Sam Batchelor and Sudhaa Ramakrishnan

👀 Prefer to watch instead?
We’ve dedicated an entire episode of our unDUBBED podcast to D35 Your Ultimate Guide to Tableau Conference 2026. Skip the scroll and view here.

Why is this blog in two parts?

You won't believe it, there's so much to know we've split the blog into two parts.  Read on if you want to get the most out of your conference schedule. Click here for Part 2 - navigating the overwhelm, manage your mindset at TC. 

Haven't registered yet?

Tableau Conference 2026 runs from 5–7 May in San Diego. Don't sit on the fence - spaces fill up and the fringe events around conference sell out even faster. Register for TC26 → Here

 01 — Arrive Early

Day 0: Why You Should Arrive Before It All Kicks Off

If you can swing it, arrive in San Diego a day or two before the conference officially opens. This is one of the most overlooked tips for first-timers, and one of the first things seasoned attendees do. Here's why it matters:

• Beat the time zone: Travelling from Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere with a long haul flight? The time difference is brutal. Give yourself at least a day to adjust before the keynote hits.
• Pick up your badge early: You can grab your lanyard the day before, skipping the queues on the morning of day one.
• Hit the fringe events: Some of the best meetups happen on Monday before the conference officially starts (more on those below).
• Make early connections: When you're not rushing between sessions, you have the headspace to actually meet people properly, in-person. Ease into it.
• Join the Tableau Community Slack: Before you even land, get active in the Tableau Community Slack. There are TC26-specific channels where people are sharing session recommendations, meetup plans, and insider info. This is where the real pre-conference intelligence happens.
  
  

  02 — Sessions & Events

Tableau Conference Sessions Every Attendee Should Prioritise (TC26 Guide)

The schedule is enormous and it can feel overwhelming. So here's the honest edit - the events that genuinely cannot be missed and why they matter.

The Main Keynote: Get in Early & Set Your Conference Mindset

Yes, there will be forward-looking statements. Yes, the wall-of-words slide gets glossed over at warp speed. But the keynote sets the tone for the whole conference - the buzzwords, the energy, the sneak peeks at what's coming. Get there early, grab a good seat, and use the wait time to introduce yourself to the person next to you. Have a 30-second pitch ready: who you are, what you do, and what you're hoping to get out of TC26.

Devs on Stage: The One Session You Cannot Miss

If you could only attend one session, year after year, make it Devs on Stage. This is where Tableau's engineers and product team get up and show you what's coming - and the crowd reaction alone is worth the price of admission. You're in a room full of builders who genuinely understand the time savings behind every new feature. The energy is electric. For those who can't attend in person, it streams live, but nothing beats hearing those oohs and ahhs in the room.
 

Iron Viz: 20 Minutes. Live. On Stage. Pure Drama.

Three finalists - whittled down from a huge feeder competition - each have 20 minutes and the same dataset to build the most compelling visualisation they can, live on stage. They're judged on analysis, design, and storytelling. Then they get five minutes to present. Then the crowd votes. It is genuinely nerve-racking to watch and deeply inspiring. Our TC26 finalists are Anne Pregler, Kevin Wee, and Brian Moore. Go and support them.

The Vizzies: Community Awards — By the People, For the People

Now in their 11th year, the Vizzies were started by Emily Kund and Matt Francis to recognise the community members doing incredible work - without it being a popularity contest. Tableau Visionaries and Zen Masters are excluded by design. Vote before you arrive, then come along and celebrate the up-and-comers in the Data Fam. It's a genuinely special session.

To the Core - Your Chance to Be Heard by the Execs

Shout-out to Tableau Ambassador Sam Batchelor for putting this one on the radar. To the Core is essentially an Ask Me Anything with Salesforce and Tableau executives. If you've got something important to say about the product, this is your forum. Come prepared with something that matters to you and use the mic.

Data Night Out - The Big Party — But Choose Your Adventure

Data Night Out is the major community social event - music, drinks, free to attend, and a chance to let your hair down with the Data Fam. It's not for everyone, though. If big, noisy crowds aren't your thing, that's completely fine. A quieter dinner with a small group of data friends can be just as valuable. Neither choice is wrong. Just don't skip connecting with people entirely.

 
03 — Planning

How to Plan Your Tableau Conference Schedule  -  TC Tips for Attendees

The TC26 session catalogue is enormous. Here's the honest truth: you will make plans, and then you will change them. That's not failure - that's conference. Build a rough plan in your conference app then stay flexible.

"The tiny session description doesn't always give you enough to understand what you're walking into. Talk to people - they'll tell you which ones are unmissable."

- Fi, unDUBBED Podcast

Start with the non-negotiables. Lock in the big hitters first - Devs on Stage, Iron Viz, the Vizzies - and build everything else around them.

Prioritise sessions that won't be recorded. Customer sessions are the hidden gold of TC. Real organisations sharing real implementation stories, real problems solved with Tableau. Sometimes they're not recorded, and the insight you gain can be career-changing. One of us once walked out of a customer session on write-back having found the solution to a multi-million dollar retail data problem we'd been wrestling with for months. Customer sessions first.

Think about your persona. What do you actually need to get out of this conference?

Analyst / New to Tableau - Get Inspired

• Flerlage twins sessions for creative viz thinking
• Andy Kriebel & Jeff Shaffer's speed-tipping session - your head will spin with their Tableau tips
• Iron Viz for motivation

Team Lead / Principal Analyst - Build Influence

• Sessions on communicating data value to leadership
• Our session: Building Data Culture with Datafluences
• Community meetups for peer knowledge

Data Leader / Executive - Shape Strategy

• To the Core for exec-level interaction
• Salesforce and enterprise sessions
• Customer sessions from comparable industries

Developer / Technical - Go Deep

• Devs on Stage (obviously)
• API and extension-focused sessions

Talk to speakers after their sessions. If you've got a specific question for your environment that they didn't cover, they'll almost always prefer to answer it one-to-one rather than in front of the room. Go to the front. Introduce yourself. Ask questions!

Don't customise your schedule with sessions that are recorded. Salesforce+ and the DataFam TUG have many of these sessions recorded and available after the event. Save your time at conference for the stuff that can't be replayed.

04 — Community

Community Meetups & Fringe Events You Should Know About

 Multiple people in the Datafam called this out unprompted when we crowdsourced for this episode: the meetups are where the real conversations happen. Away from the conference floor, impromptu meetings away from the corporate angle - just like-minded people who love data talking honestly.

Data + Tacos -  Monday Lunchtime - San Diego Tableau User Group

Run by the San Diego Tableau User Group, this is a relaxed midday meetup on Monday before conference officially kicks off. A perfect entry point if you've arrived early, connect with locals, ask your San Diego questions, and meet familiar Data Fam faces when they're not in full conference mode.

Register Here for Data + Tacos

 Data + Women - Monday Evening - Everyone Welcome

A sponsored drinks event on Monday evening before conference. This one is explicitly not just for women - data has roughly a 70/30 split and the event welcomes everyone who wants to show their support. It's a great way to ease into the social side of conference without it being a massive crowd. 

Register Here for Data + Women

Data Village -  Inside the Expo Hall - Your Homebase

 Tableau Ambassador Celia Fryar called this out as a genuine highlight from last year. The community village is inside the expo hall and is where you'll find breakfast, lunch, and - most importantly - your people. Spend time here. You'll stumble across ambassadors, visionaries, and community members willing to teach, connect, and help. Don't skip it just because it's not a formal session.

"Meetups are always a great way to connect and find your people."

— Sarah Pallett, Tableau Ambassador  

Keep an eye on the Tableau Community Slack for additional fringe events being announced closer to the date. There are always things happening that aren't on the official schedule. If you're running something at TC26 and want the Data Fam to know about it, drop us a message on LinkedIn or post in the community Slack channel.

 05 — Survival

Conference Tips & Survival Guide: Energy, Food & Overwhelm 

By day two, it hits differently. Here's how to stay sharp across all three days.

01 Hydrate Constantly

Bring a refillable water bottle and use it. Conference air conditioning is dehydrating and you'll be moving a lot - expect 20,000–30,000 steps a day.

02 Eat Fresh Where You Can

American conference food is heavy. Find fresh fruit if you can - bananas, apples, mandarins. It makes a real difference to your energy and digestion across a long day.

03 Build Recovery Into Your Day

Block 20-30 minutes of nothing. A walk with headphones in. A quiet sit in the sun. It helps you reset and actually improves your sleep.

04 Don't Go Too Hard on Day One

Pace yourself. It's easy to sprint on day one and be completely depleted by day two. Ease in, especially on the social events.

05 Carry Electrolytes

If you do overindulge one evening, hydrolyte or electrolyte sachets will be your best friend the next morning. Be kind to yourself and carry on.

06 Use Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Big crowds are loud. Having the option to block out noise - especially on travel days or during evening events -- is genuinely valuable for those who find constant stimulation draining.

07 Clear Your Work Calendar

Before you go. Do not try to do your day job while at conference. Block out the whole week and actually be present. You're investing in your career - honour that.

08 Choose Your Own Adventure

You cannot do everything. Say no without guilt. If something doesn't serve you, leave. Nobody is keeping score. Do what actually matters to you.

"It's really easy to get overwhelmed - just be kind to yourself."

— Sarah, unDUBBED Podcast

One practical note on taking notes: decide how you're capturing things before you arrive. Whether it's pen and paper, an iPad, or voice memos (Wispr Flow works brilliantly if you want to capture thoughts hands-free), just have a system. At the end of each session, jot one thing down - even if it's just "watch this recording again because of X" - so you don't lose the insight in the blur of three big days.

 That's it.. For Now :)

Come back for Part 2, where we dive into the human side of conference.

From managing imposter syndrome and putting yourself out there, to building real connections and actually following through when you get home - this is where the real value happens.

unDUBBED Podcast -
D35 What Nobody Tells You About Tableau Conference 2026 

Follow us on your favourite platform:

🎙️ Unscripted. Uncensored. Undeniably data.

Summary

🎧 Episode Overview

Heading to Tableau Conference 2026 in San Diego?

This episode is your practical guide to getting real value from TC26 - without wasting time, burning out, or missing what actually matters. 

Tableau Conference can be overwhelming. Thousands of people. Hundreds of sessions. Constant noise, energy, and options pulling you in every direction.

The difference between a good experience and a genuinely career-shifting one comes down to how you approach it.

In this episode, we break down how to navigate TC26 with intent:

• What to prioritise
• Sessions vs conversations
• Where the real value is created
• How to turn inspiration into actual outcomes

We also focus on what isn’t on the agenda:

• The moments between sessions
• Meetups and side conversations
• Connections that lead to opportunities long after the event

Plus, we tackle:

• Conference fatigue
• Decision overload
• The pressure to “do everything”

…and reframe the experience around making deliberate choices.

If you want to walk into TC26 with clarity, confidence, and a strategy — this is the episode to listen to before you go.

Chapters

00:00 – Welcome to TC26: A Journey Begins
Fi and Sarah share why Tableau Conference matters and how they first met at TC17.

02:50 – Key Events Not to Miss
Keynote, Devs on Stage, and Iron Viz — and why each matters.

10:37 – Community & Networking
To the Core, Vizzies, Community Village, hackathon, and Data Night Out.

27:40 – Why Meetups Matter
How meetups help you make real connections.

31:55 – Your First TC Experience
What day one feels like and how to settle in.

34:36 – Energy Management
Food, hydration, noise, alcohol, and pacing yourself.

36:33 – Networking & Conversations
How to approach people and manage imposter syndrome.

39:45 – Asking Questions & Session Etiquette
How to get more from sessions and Q&A.

42:58 – Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Over-scheduling, skipping meals, trying to do everything.

44:21 – Practical Prep
Shoes, layers, battery packs, roaming, QR codes, note-taking.

45:12 – Final Takeaways
Rapid-fire insights, survival tips, and key reflections.

Links & Resources

🎟️ Tableau Conference 2026

• 👉 Official Site & Info 
• 👉 Register for TC26 Tickets 

📊 Sessions to Check Out

• 👉 Building Data Culture with Datafluencers 
• 👉 How to Do Cool Stuff in Tableau 2026 
• 👉 Tableau Speed Tipping: Return of the GOATs 
• 👉 TC26 Session Catalogue 

🌮 Community & Fringe Events

• 👉 Data + Tacos (TC26 Pre-Game Event) 
• 👉 Data + Women (TC26 Pre-Game Event) 

📚 More Resources

• 👉 Why Attend Tableau Conference (Convince Your Boss) 
• 👉 Iron Viz – Tableau Community Competition