The
24th annual MER Conference ended May 25 amid solid growth and
optimism. That refers to both the attendees
and the conference itself. This was a
roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-to-work edition of MER. There was a notable lack of identity-angst,
replaced by a prevailing attitude of, “We know why we’re here,”, “We know what
needs to be done,” and, “We want to learn the tools, strategies, and tactics
that are going to get us where we need to go.”
No
one asked, “What is Information Governance?” (IG). No one described it as a buzz word that would
fade. With minor variations, the
presenters and attendees addressed IG as a strategy of cooperation: the search
for synergy amongst an organization’s stakeholders in information. The quest was for a common vision,
collaboration, and resource sharing that casts out redundancy.
This
was a welcome departure from trade shows where software vendors commercialize
IG and define it to mean their product.
At a recent expo on legal technology, I saw a plethora of signage
trumpeting IG. Closer inspection yielded
little more than tools for eDiscovery, predictive coding, and
technology-assisted review.
This
new found confidence and identity is significant for MER, which started as
Managing Electronic Records when business records were first being digitized in
large numbers. Now, according to several
of this year’s presenters, electronic records management is a tactic under the
strategic umbrella of IG. Of course, both
are essential to organizational success.
While technologists and legal people were in ample attendance, the
majority of registrants came from records management. It may be true (as was often said) that
records officers are uniquely qualified to spearhead IG initiatives in their
organizations.
The
conference itself appears healthier than ever.
Attendance was at or near capacity, and relaxed vendors filled every available
spot. I spoke with several of the
latter, who expressed high satisfaction with their involvement. One told me, “If I could only do one show a
year, it would be MER.”
I
have to note the unusual nature of the vendors:
In contrast to major expos, there were no bullhorns, contests, models,
or magicians. The people staffing the
tables (no booths!) were knowledgeable.
They were not pushy, and there was none of that all-too-familiar
desperation to succeed. How helpful, and
how refreshing!
The
plenary sessions carried forth the roll-up-your-sleeves theme. The breakout sessions, covering a spectrum of
subjects, ranged from good to superb. I
am eager for the forthcoming recordings of the sessions that ran concurrent
with my top choices. [Thoughts on
session content will be in future Blog posts.]
Arguably,
the highest value of MER comes from the networking. About half the attendees were first-timers,
so there was plenty of new perspective.
That expanded my horizons. There
were also the voices of experience, those seminal thinkers who provide
effective answers to vexing questions.
Over
the years, MER’s quality has ranged from helpful to inspiring. I would characterize this year’s edition as
progressively solid, leaving me eager for next year’s edition.
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