Conventions

Apr. 17-18, 2012. Okay, no-one gets a prize for guessing that Infotec stands for Information Technology.  Sessions covered such topical matters as mobile computing, business process management, data security, cloud-computing, infrastructure and project management.  Biggest demand was for BYOD, or the “Bring Your Own Device” session. The 2012 Technology Celebration Banquet and Awards honored recipients recognized for their outstanding contributions to the region’s thriving and robust information technology landscape. Selection was based on the nominees’ contributions, either through sustained performance or a special notable achievement, to the region’s worldwide reputation for excellence and innovation in information technology.  Oh no, who’s cellphone just interrupted the awards ceremony with a “La Cucaracha” ringtone?

Feb. 28 – Mar. 01, 2012. Big Data is here, and it changes everything, we heard. From startups to the Fortune 500, smart companies have been betting on data-driven insight, taking control of new data opportunity at Strata, and immersing themselves in hands-on training, information-rich sessions, and a sponsor pavilion full of key players and products. This  conference brings together the people, tools, and technologies needed to make data work.  There were practical sessions for both business users and hardcore technologists; success stories (and cautionary tales) from startups making data their business, and also established companies saving millions and creating new revenue streams.  Data, data everywhere…

This one comes to you courtesy of the DMA, the Direct Marketing Association. NCOF is their National Conference on Operations & Fulfillment. Things started getting really complicated when direct marketing graduated from just sending out paper mailings (they hate the term junk-mail, as it ignores the care and effort they put in to targeting products at exactly the right kind of people) and began to colonize the Web. Internet marketing raises the game enormously, but also adds a whole new level to all that Operations & Fulfillment stuff that the convention was convened to talk about. As “an industry run on brainpower”, these guys feel the need to nurture, maintain and grow talent throughout the world of marketing, and even more so in the world of direct and interactive marketing. Hey, what do I do with this offer from the Readers’ Digest?

HDI is the Annual World Conference for IT Service and Technical Support. This service and technical support conference addresses the IT needs of a company’s entire team — from seasoned directors to front-line analysts — and provides insight into how formal procedures, processes, and industry tools can improve service and support performance. A keynote on “How to Win an Unfair Fight” asked “How do you get people to do what you want them to do without looking like a jerk (or a psychopath)? How do you learn how to handle the difficult people you encounter along the way without losing your sanity?” This is need-to-know stuff, you IT people. Okay, okay… Whaddya mean, the screen is still black? Did you try plugging the darn thing in?