Google is sending developer relations engineer Kathryn Hurley from the Bay Area to demo how Google Fusion Tables can be used for journalistic purposes. RSVP now for two separate but related events at Pivotal Labs, near Union Square:

• Join Hacks/Hackers NYC on March 7 at 6:30 p.m. for an overview of Google Fusion Tables
• Get hands-on training with Kathryn Hurley and Hacks/Hackers NYC on March 8 at 6:30 p.m.

So what exactly is Google Fusion Tables?

Think of it as a spreadsheet on steroids with souped-up visualization capabilities. Google Fusion Tables allows you to manage large collections of tabular data in the cloud and make creating visualizations easy, like tracking homicides in Chicago.

At the March 7 presentation, Kathryn will demo Fusion Tables, showing you how to upload large files, share them with collaborators and make them public. You’ll learn how filters and aggregation can be applied to your data.

Plus you’ll get a taste of the various ways of visualizing data using maps and other charts, merging data from multiple tables, and exporting it to the Web or .csv files.

You’ll also see the social aspect of the Fusion tables, including discussions about the data at several levels of granularity, such as rows, columns and individual cells. Specifically, Kathryn demonstrate how to load your geographic data to FusionTables, share your data with others, and create an interactive map that you can add to a website.

On March 8, get hands-on training with at our limited-seating workshop, led by Kathryn.

RSVP for the March 7 Google Fusion Tables overview ($10, payable in advance)

To go for a deep dive, RSVP for the March 8 Google Fusion Tables hands-on workshop ($25, payable in advance)

Doors and dinner for both events start at 6:30 p.m. Talks begin at 7 p.m.

Send your cuisine and catering suggestions and recommendations to nyc[at]hackshackers[dot]com.

If the registration fees are beyond your budget, please email nyc[at]hackshackers[dot]com to volunteer.

Thanks to our hosts, Pivotal Labs NYC, for providing support and space for these Hacks/Hackers NYC events.