5 Awesome Features of an Epic Tableau User Group (2022)

Are you starting a new Tableau User Group (TUG) or leading an existing one? If so, we probably have one thing in common, we want it to be awesome!  Last year the TUG I led had over 3,000 people participating in sessions, and I’ve learned a lot about what makes a successful TUG tick.  In this post I’ll be sharing the top 5 things that will really take your TUG to the next level.

The top 5 features of an EPIC Tableau User Group are 1) passion, 2) exciting viz events, 3) upskilling opportunities, 4) networking and 5) Tableau swag!  Let’s dive into each of these categories for more detail.

Note: If you are looking to start a Tableau User Group, start at Tableau’s User Group Site.

Passion for Tableau

This one might seem implied, but you really need to have a passion for Tableau and all it encompasses. This is a passion for the community, data visualization, the amazing things that people create Tableau.  Planning user group events is not like prepping for a holiday dinner.  Of course, logistics are important, but it’s the passion that adds the fun and excitement which make people want to be a part of it and keep coming back.

And no worries, if you need more passion, just recruit one or more passionate people join your leadership team!  I’m not tackling this aspect here, but leading a Tableau User Group should not be a solo activity. Instead, form a diverse leadership team to ensure you have amazing talent to cover all the key success factors needed. When you do so, recruit people who have a passion for all things Tableau and that will energize the entire group.

Exciting Viz Events

This is a core feature of an epic Tableau User Group!  While upskilling and learning are a big part of the TUG, it’s how you deliver that through the viz events themselves that makes it fun and keeps people coming back.  The hardest part is probably just coming up with the ideas for the events, but fortunately you can learn from already successful events in the community.  Here are a few examples of things we’ve done:

1. Viz Competition: Similar to the Iron Viz competition, we held our own with a few modifications.  It was two rounds, with the top 3 from the first round moving on to the final round.  We used a public data set for each round, and got judges from respected areas in the data visualization space.  The live events were for the judging of each round.
2. Viz Battles:  In Iron Viz, the competitors know what they are building in advance. For this Viz Battle we used Superstore data and didn’t reveal the challenge question until the start of the battle.  Then two competitors would build dashboards live in 40 minutes with voting by the attendee to determine the winner.
3. Makeover Monday and Workout Wednesday:  These are just like the public versions that Tableau runs, but only for the TUG members.

Constant Upskilling

It’s no surprise that a benefit of joining a Tableau User Group is that you will get better at Tableau!  There are a number of different ways to help people with this though. And not everything can be done during the TUG event itself.  Let’s go through a few options to consider:

1. Speed Tipping: Similar to the event held during the annual Tableau Conference, this is a great Viz Event that also provides a learning opportunity. Do something like 20 tips in 20 minutes, and don’t forget to have multiple people giving the tips.
2. Top Tips: It’s good to incorporate something like a top tip of the month where you allocate 5 minutes for a great Tableau tip each session.  That way, at a minimum, you know you are delivering on at least one training item during the session.
3. Achievement Recognition:  Be sure to recognize members who have recently achieved a badge or certification related to Tableau.  It’s a great way to give them credit for their hard work and also inspire others to do the same.
4. Training Sessions: There is not enough time in your core TUG sessions for lengthy training. Nor would you want to alienate part of your audience who might already know the subject.  Instead, set up dedicated time so that members can choose to join those training sessions as needed.
5. Doctor Sessions: Honestly the best way to train people is to help them break through roadblocks in their own dashboard development.  Have an open forum where people can join a virtual Doctor Session and get help solving a problem.  Make them open to all members as some people like to join and follow along to learn more themselves.

Networking Opportunities

This one can be challenging if you are holding virtual events, but it is still very important to give members the chance to meet others in the community. They can use those contacts to get help, share opportunities, get feedback on their work, and so many other things. Let’s cover off on a few ideas that you can leverage to get people connected.

1. Member Spotlights: Have a spotlight on a community member during each session. It can be recognition for something they have done or simply sharing some of their work and a little background.
2. Joint User Group Sessions: Partner up with other, related user groups for a joint session. I did one with the Tableau, Data Science and Alteryx user groups where we showcased how all these disciplines work together, and it brought those communities together as well.
3. Speaker Events: This is another Viz Event which also helps with networking. Invite a Tableau Zen Master, Ambassador or other high-profile individual to speak during a TUG session. This not only introduces your community to a new contact in the visualization space, but if you focus on the Q&A aspect of the event, it gives them a chance to speak up and discuss topics.

Tableau Swag

Who doesn’t want some free Tableau swag, right?! Whether it is a coffee mug, T-shirt or hat, people love the chance to sport the Tableau gear. Make it fun by having a trivia contest or randomly rewarding people with badge and certification achievements. Perhaps it is some kind of raffle where people can put in a dollar for a chance to get the swag.

Of course, the question becomes how do you get the swag in order to give it away. You could certainly buy it yourself, but that can get expensive over time. If you are already have a Tableau sales representative, see if they have budget to support your user group. Tableau has a vested interest in your success and it never hurts to ask! You can reach out to Tableau via their contact page.

So, those are my top 5 features of an epic Tableau User Group! Do you have other ideas on how to make Tableau User Groups epic? Perhaps you participated in one that you thought was pretty awesome, or just have ideas on how to make them better, I would love to hear it! Please enter a comment below, and of course feel free to ask me any questions if anything here needs clarification, thanks!