M5 Forecasting Competition Virtual Awards Ceremony

The latest iteration of the M Competitions featured 100,000 submissions from over 100 countries, making it one of the largest forecasting competitions of all time. Tune in live via the MOFC website, to attend related talks by Google, Walmart and Kaggle executives, and for the Presentation of the Cash Prizes

The M5, the fifth expanded iteration of the highly regarded Makridakis (or M) Competitions that have run since the early 1980s, featured 100,000 submissions from over 100 countries, competing for $100,000 in cash prizes, to deliver the most accurate forecasting method(s).

As always, the competition returned in service of advancing the theory and practice of Forecasting, with Kaggle, Walmart, Google, Uber, the International Institute of Forecasters (IIF), INSEAD and the National Technical University Athens in Greece (NTUA) providing financial or academic support – helping to elevate the M5 into one of the largest forecasting competitions of all time.

Indeed, the M5 was the biggest and most ambitious of all M Competitions to date, opening up new avenues for research and identifying high-caliber methods. It will no doubt further drive the theory and practice of Forecasting with its findings and recommendations.

The upcoming Virtual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 29 October will announce the winners of the M5 and feature welcoming addresses by Professor Maria Michailidis (MOFC), Antonis Polemitis (UNIC), and Professor Spyros Makridakis himself, as well as keynote speeches by Chris Fry (Google), Brian Seaman (Walmart), Addison Howard (Kaggle), and Len Tashman (Foresight).

The full Agenda of the M5 Virtual Awards Ceremony 2020 is available below.

For more information about the M5 Forecasting Competition and to register for the event, please visit the Makridakis Open Forecasting Center at mofc@unic.ac.cy. Please note that pre-registration is required for attending the event.

M5 Virtual Conference Award Ceremony 2020
Thursday, 29 October, 7:00pm – 9:00pm Cyprus time
(GMT +3, 12:00 pm NYC, 9:00 am SF, and 1:00 am Tokyo time)

19:00 – 19:03 Welcome Remarks by Professor Maria Michailidis, Director of the Makridakis Open Forecasting Center (MOFC)
19:03 – 19:10 Opening Remarks by Mr. Antonis Polemitis, CEO of the University of Nicosia
19:10 – 19:20 Welcome Talk by Professor Spyros Makridakis, Founder of the Makridakis Open Forecasting Center (MOFC)
19:20 – 19:35 Keynote Speech – Chris Fry, Google
19:35 – 19:50 Keynote Speech – Brain Seaman, Walmart
19:50 – 20:00 Keynote Speech – Addison Howard, Kaggle
20:00 – 20:10 The Practical Value of M Competitions – Len Tashman, Foresight
20:10 – 20:15 Break
20:15 – 20:50

Presentation of Accuracy Awards by Kaggle
Award 1 – First winner: Accuracy challenge
Award 2 – Second winner: Accuracy challenge
Award 3 – Third winner: Accuracy challenge
Award 4 – Fourth winner: Accuracy challenge
Award 5 – Fifth winner: Accuracy challenge

Presentation of the Uncertainty Awards by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Award 6 – First winner: Uncertainty challenge
Award 7 – Second winner: Uncertainty challenge
Award 8 – Third winner: Uncertainty challenge
Award 9 – Fourth winner: Uncertainty challenge
Award 10 – Fifth winner: Uncertainty challenge

Presentation of the Student Awards by George Athanasopoulos, Institute for the Future, IIF
Award 11 – First student winner: Accuracy challenge
Award 12 – First student winner: Uncertainty challenge

20:50 – 21:00 Closing Remarks and Announcement of the M5 Conference
on 10-11 May 2021 in New York City, USA