The tangible benefits of Big Data analytics are well known. You can read about them in the IT press, and also in business journals and the daily newspaper. Many books have been published about the “why” of Big Data. Conferences devoted to exploring the trends are happening everywhere.

But what about the “how” of Big Data—how to store, search, share and analyze those gigantic data sets? That’s not what you hear, and it’s hard to learn. That’s why I’m excited to chair the new Big Data TechCon, coming to Boston on April 8-10, 2013.

Big Data TechCon isn’t another “why” conference. It’s the HOW-TO conference for Big Data. Practical workshops. Technical classes. Thorough examinations of the real-world choices in storage, processing, analysis and reporting of Big Data information. Strategies for rolling out Big Data projects in your organization.

Come to Big Data TechCon to learn HOW-TO accommodate the terabytes and petabytes of data from your Web logs, social media interactions, scientific research, transactions, sensors and financial records. Learn how to index, search and summarize Big Data. Learn how to empower employees, inform managers, reach out to customers.

Big Data TechCon is technology-agnostic. The workshops and classes apply to Big Data in your data center or in the cloud, from hosted environments to your own servers. The sessions apply to relational databases, NoSQL databases, unstructured data, flat files and data feeds.

The faculty have real-world experience that you can tap into, whether you use Java, C++, .NET or JavaScript; whether you like MySQL, SQL Server, DB2 or Oracle; whether you love or hate Hadoop; and whether you are looking at dozens of terabytes or hundreds of petabytes.

Learn from the smartest, hardest-working faculty in the Big Data universe in a way you never could through reading a book or watching a webinar. Mingle with fellow attendees. Talk shop during meals and receptions. Be inspired by keynotes, be informed by general sessions, be impressed by the hottest Big Data tools in the Expo Hall. It’s all waiting for you.

The Call for Speakers is open for Big Data TechCon through Sept. 26. Stay tuned to learn more in the weeks ahead.

Alan Zeichick is editorial director of SD Times. Read his blog at ztrek.blogspot.com.