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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>[Apologies for cross-posting]<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>There is still time to submit your entries for VAST Challenge 2013. </b>See <a href="http://vacommunity.org/VASTchallenge2013"><span style='color:windowtext'>http://vacommunity.org/VASTchallenge2013</span></a> for details.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNoSpacing style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>This year’s challenge presents three distinct mini-challenges to test your skills. These challenges are open to participation by individuals and teams in industry, government, and academia. Creative approaches to visual analytics are encouraged.<strong><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></strong></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b>Submissions are due July 31 for</b> Mini-Challenge 1. Mini-Challenge 1 focuses on predictive analytics for movie openings. It will challenge your ability to use visual analytics for predictive analysis, as well as your ability to manage large data and to make decisions in a short timeframe. Using data we specify, you will use your interactive visualization tools to predict upcoming movies’ opening weekend box office successes and viewer ratings. It is decidedly different from previous VAST Challenges in that it will be continuous and iterative with reviewing and recognition being presented from now until the final judging session. Please visit boxofficevast.org for more information and to register.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b>Submissions are due July 8 for Mini-Challenge 2. </b>Mini-Challenge 2 tests your skills in visual design. The fictitious Big Enterprise is searching for a design for their future situation awareness display. The company’s intrepid network operations team will use this display to understand the health, security, and performance of their entire computer network. This challenge is also very different from previous VAST Challenges, because there is no data to process and no questions to answer. Instead, the challenge is to show off your design talents by producing a creative new design for situation awareness. Please visit VAST Challenge 2013: Mini-Challenge 2 for more information.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><b>Submissions are due July 8 for Mini-Challenge 3. </b>Mini-Challenge 3 focuses on unusual happenings on the computer network of a marketing company. Can you identify what looks amiss on the network using the network flow and network health data provided? And can you ask the right questions to help you piece together the timeline of events? Please visit <a href="http://www.vacommunity.org/VASTchallenge2013MC3"><span style='color:windowtext'>http://www.vacommunity.org/VASTchallenge2013MC3</span></a> for more details. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For more information, please contact <a href="mailto:vast_challenge@ieeevis.org"><span style='color:windowtext'>vast_challenge@ieeevis.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We look forward to seeing your creative solutions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Kris Cook, Georges Grinstein, and Mark Whiting <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>VAST Challenge Committee co-chairs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>