Larry said: "What happened to the CONTENT and the STRUCTURE of the
conference?"

I have been in the Records & Information Management field for 8 years, far
less than most on the listserv. However, I too have struggled with finding
reoccurring value in the CONTENT of the conference. I have tried to
remain open minded and glean as much as possible because I don't pretend to
know all there is about RIM - there is always something more to learn! My
main quip is that much of the content seems to be at a level that could be
found in any RIM textbook, which is far less expensive than the total cost
of attending conference. I did find value in networking, but where I am in
the Utility/Energy sector, I have found the greatest value in network with
this group. I was thinking it would be great if ARMA helped facilitate
"mini"-conferences based on industry...government, utilities, energy,
non-profit, financial, insurance, etc. This could be done over two-days
(possibly no expo) and the sessions would focus specifically on RIM in
these fields. I think more participants would be willing to present with
smaller learning sessions and it would provide a greater opportunity to
facilitate focused networking. I realize this is done on a small scale with
the industry roundtables, I guess the mini-conferences would just expand on
something that seems to be of value and a highlight for many attendees.

Going back to my thoughts about ARMA Conferences in general...Is the
situation one where those with the most knowledge and experience aren't
volunteering to share their knowledge at such a venue or is it a matter of
the topics picked not aligning with the "real world" of RIM? I also noticed
this year's conference (at least the sessions I attended) tended to be
heavy on vendor/consultant presentations. I normally don't have a problem
with this and many presenters try staying "fair and balanced", but there
were plenty of blatant attempts to plug products and services, which I
think should be left to the Expo floor.

Just some thoughts.

Todd P. Johnson, CRM, IGP, CIP, ERMm
Records & Information Manager
Questar Corporation
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801-324-5660

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