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PyData talk 2025-06-08 at 09:15

From Trees to Transformers: Our Journey Towards Deep Learning for Ranking

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Description

GetYourGuide, a global marketplace for travel experiences, reached diminishing returns with its XGBoost-based ranking system. We switched to a Deep Learning pipeline in just nine months, maintaining high throughput and low latency. We iterated on over 50 offline models and conducted more than 10 live A/B tests, ultimately deploying a PyTorch transformer that yielded significant gains. In this talk, we will share our phased approach—from a simple baseline to a high-impact launch—and discuss the key operational and modeling challenges we faced. Learn how to transition from tree-based methods to neural networks and unlock new possibilities for real-time ranking.