Ken's Notes

Front Page		Ken's Notes Against All Odds Despite fear, the economy, the threat of a new terror attack and a potential impending hurricane, several thousand people STILL converged in Orlando for the 2001 Xplor Global Conference. Though attendance seemed anywhere from one-third to one-half last year, it was amazing to see the transition of awareness through the week. On Sunday, there was a noticeably smaller group than past years for both the regional meetings and the opening ceremonies. Monday showed much smaller session attendance and Tuesday revealed a MUCH smaller exhibit floor. All of these led to a sense of impending doom. Had Xplor lost its edge? Was Xplor important anymore? Where were the people? But on Wednesday something was different with the mood and by Thursday there was sheer excitement. Both Xplor members AND conference vendors were elated with this year’s Global. Both sides seemed to recognize that this was the year that Xplor returned to its roots. Over and over, from vendors and members I heard people express, "This is what Xplor USED to be like." This is what happened: Vendors had MORE BUYERS coming to their booths. The quality of the conversation was higher than last year. People attending were the actual buyers, looking for honest answers and had a budget. Gone were the "tire kickers" and "booth trinket collectors." The vendors realized that this year, if someone overcame the obstacles to come to Orlando, then they truly had a mission. By Thursday afternoon, literally every single one of the 20 or so vendors I talked to found a greater value this year than last. All claimed their attendance more than paid for itself. Members got MORE out of the sessions, and had better access to get questions answered on the exhibit floor. Smaller attendance at the sessions meant more attention for them to elicit information from the industry’s leading experts. Most importantly for all the attendees was the access to the cutting edge. There have been many new developments in technology and tactics (and buzzwords too, "customer touch point" was the big one this year.) The people who attended Xplor Global returned to their companies armed with intelligence on the future of technology. This intelligence will be what allows them to take or maintain the lead on their competitors. And for those armed with the intelligence, it will mean job security as well. Jobs Jobs Jobs??? I had many pals attending Xplor seeking new opportunities. Xplor had a corkboard Job board in the main lobby of the convention center. All week it sat there bare. Not a single company posted a position. This is because networking - particularly on the exhibit floor - was where all of the interviewing and hiring was being done. I had strategic staffing reviews with several of our clients and other vendors who gave me commitments for over 20 new positions this quarter. Yes, the economy is slowing, but the strategic need for top talent is not. It’s Official Yep, I am now "officially" an EDP, along with 23 others in the Class of 2001. They even gave us a big, heavy plaque to tote home to prove it. The real pleasure for me was the EDP Breakfast. There I spent time with a hundred other EDP’s who represent the best the industry has to offer. Looking around the room, I recognized many people who had become friends over the years. It dawned on me that these people truly were the industry leaders, the shakers and movers who are designing where the technology and industry is going in the future. What a privilege to be in this company. The hard work it took to earn my own EDP was worth it for this privilege alone. At the breakfast, we recognized 12 people re-certified from the class of 1995, David Beeson, Kevin Craine, Betty Clewis, Fred Harris, John Mellen, Daniel O’Connor, Brenda Peterson, Anders Rylow, Donald Scrima, Cheryl Simerson, Janet Winther, Joel Can Arman. An additional six people from the class of 1990 were re-certified this year for the SECOND time. Congrats go to Debbie Cannon, Toby Cobrin, Tim Coleman, John Cox, Richard Mallet and Louise Wilhelm. One of the presentations I gave at Global covered the value of Certifications to one’s career. To encourage those attending to overcome procrastination, SSC made an offer to refund the initial application fee once they submit the work portfolio by June. Of the 20 attending the session, 11 signed up for this offer. I am working to get them plugged into mentors now. We will track their progress for you this year, as we did mine last year. Truly, if you are reading this, you are in our industry and this certification is one you must have! On the Side Each show has it’s own highlights. Here, on the lighter side are some of the best lines and highlights: "There is Adobe’s GUI, WYSIWATY….What you see is what Adobe tells you. " Paul Gerelle "Keith Davidson is a TransTextite"- Frank Romano,EDP "The new mark up language is SGML….Sounds Good, Maybe Later" (Not sure) And of course, Amber ‘Vanna" Bristow looking lovely presenting the awards at the banquet. Special Goes to all of the Xplor staff who did a remarkable job under trying conditions this year. On behalf of all of us attending, thank you so much for all of your hard work!
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	December 2001	Volume V, Issue XII

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