ILTA Conference Blog

Keynote Filled with Comedy

Don McMillan presents today’s keynote,Lessons from the CCO (Chief Comedy Officer),in Potomac A at 8:30 a.m. Don will use real-world anecdotes to illustrate the ways in which bringing humor into your work life can benefit you, your division and your organization.

Annual Meeting of the Corporation
We’ll gather for our annual “state of the organization” presentation and recognition of our volunteer leadership today during lunch in Potomac A at 12:30 p.m.

Awards Dinner
Please join us for the third annual ILTA’s Distinguished Peer Awards Dinner. This is an elegant sit-down dinner with attendees dressed to the nines. The event is located in Potomac A, and it begins at 6:30 p.m. After dinner, our awards presentation will be emceed by comedienne Don McMillan.

After-Glow Parties
To close out the conference this evening, enjoy two parties –– one will be a jazz club and the other will be a high-energy dance/cocktail room. The festivities begin immediately after the Awards Dinner.

ACT and AFT Sessions
The Advanced Curriculum Track (ACT), targeting those at the “C” level and those who aspire to reach the “C” level, and the Alternative Format Track (AFT), sessions that have a unique format selected to help you get the most out of the session, are wrapping up today. We hope you enjoy these new options!

Last Call for Trivia
It’s your last chance to find those QR codes for trivia! Turn your answer sheet in to the Ask ILTA desk by 10:00 a.m. A winner will be drawn from the submitted sheets and be announced at this evening’s event. You must be present to win. The prize is $500 cash. The trivia game is open to ILTA law firm and law department members only (not exhibitors or consultants).

B-I-N-G-O

Vendor bingo cards should be turned in to the member or vendor registration desk by 10:30 a.m. this morning. Previous newsletters noted that you need 40 stamps to qualify, but you only need 35. The drawing for valuable prizes is at noon in the Exhibit Hall. You must be present to win!

Keep the Evals Comin’!
As always, your feedback on sessions drives the content development for next year. Please complete the session evaluations via the mobile app or on paper. Your input via the mobile app is anonymous.

In addition, evaluations in the mobile app were missing for two sessions (MISC7: Emerging Careers: Preparing Your Firm and Yourself for Tomorrow and LEX1: Social CRM), but they have now been added. If you attended one of these sessions, please take a moment to provide your input.

We’re getting lots of great feedback, so please keep the cards and letters coming in!

Say Goodbye to Your Bag and Badge Holder

On your way out of the conference, feel free to turn in your bag and/or badge holder at either registration desk if you don’t want to keep them.

Who Were Those Crazy Rockers?!

We’d like to thank the opening band from Tuesday night’s event for another entertaining performance! This is the fourth year that Legal Bytes, the world’s only all CIO/ILTA band, has performed at the ILTA annual conference. The band plays original songs about legal technology and hopes, should the consumerization of IT continue, to embark upon a global tour of mid-sized conference rooms. The band members include Frank Gillman (vocals), Scott Christensen (guitar), Judi Flournoy (guitar), Jay Dover (lead guitar), Steve Shock (bass), Scott Preston (drums) and Rachelle Rennagel (vocals). Lyrics to the songs they performed can be found on the Download page of the conference website. We look forward to seeing them take the stage in Vegas!

Recycling at the Gaylord

The Gaylord National is taking mindful steps to minimize their impact on the environment with the GET Green program. During your stay, please place all beverage cans, plastic bottles and newspapers in the recycling bags that they will provide.

Clean the World
ILTA has worked with the Gaylord National to team up with Clean the World. Clean the World will recycle all gently used amenities collected from the hotel during your stay. Approximately 60 days after you’ve checked out, the recycled soap will be in the hands of a child in a developing country.

ac2dc: Abundant Cheers to Dear Colleagues
It’s always bittersweet to bid adieu to our ILTA friends. Many thanks to the entire community for making this event a great success. Expect an online attendee evaluation survey next week. Extend the feeling throughout the year by participating in the many ways that we educate and connect you. We hope to see you in all the old familiar places till we come together again at ILTA 2013. Safe travels as you head home.

Come On Down … You’re the Next Contestant
Well … not exactly, but we’d love for you to be the next member of our conference planning committee. This wonderful group of people coordinates the valuable educational sessions you’ve experienced throughout the week. If you’d like to be a part of the team or involved with any other volunteer opportunities, visit the Members > Get Involved page on ILTA’s website to fill out an application.

Save the Date for 2013

See you next year in Las Vegas at the beautiful Caesars Palace August 18 – 22, 2013.

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A Game-Changing Keynote

Cheryl Cran presents today’s keynote, Leading Change in a Fast-Paced, Technological and Multigenerational Workplace, in Potomac A at 8:30 a.m. Cheryl uses humor, interaction and movie clips to help you harness your inner abilities to manage change and personal leadership in a positive and proactive way.

 You’re on Your Own

There is no planned event for this evening, so you will need to make your own arrangements for dinner. Enjoy the great restaurants in the resort, and have fun at the many vendor networking events that are planned!

 We Have a Winner

Many thanks to our exhibitors for their support at ILTA 2012. And a special thanks to those who got into the spirit of our “reality world” theme by decorating their booths and dressing in costume during our Exhibit Hall networking event on Monday evening. Congratulations to the winners of our booth decorating contest:

First Place: Traveling Coaches in booth 800/802

Second Place: Advanced Legal Systems in booth 1023

Third Place: Mimecast in booth 600/602

ILTA TV Live!

Today’s live Internet broadcast from noon – 2:00 p.m. will focus on Applications/Desktop Management. Topics will include the following and more: 

• The iPad As a Laptop Replacement?
• KM and CIOs
• Attorneys Unplugged: Building a Mobile Office
• The End of Training?
• Mobile Access to Your DMS

Mobile App Issues

Attendees are reporting a timeout problem when trying to submit session evaluations. We are working to resolve this issue, and we encourage you to keep trying. You’ll know if your evaluation was submitted if a checkmark appears by the session title when viewed via the Session Evals icon.

If you’re completing a session poll with more than five questions, the screen might not indicate that you need to scroll to see additional questions. Try scrolling … just in case.

Make sure you save your notes in the “Add a Note” feature before switching away from the screen. That will ensure you don’t lose the information.

Done with Your Badge?

If you are leaving the conference and don’t want to take your badge holder with you, please drop it off at one of the registration desks so it can be recycled. Thank you!

Exhibitors/Consultants Mobile App Login

The My Agenda and My Notes areas of the conference mobile app are unavailable to exhibitors and consultants. A new agenda-sync feature requires a login to make it work, and unfortunately we ran out of development time to further enhance the app to allow nonmembers to access those areas of the app. This was a heavily requested enhancement by members, and we hope to address this in 2013. As an alternative, consider using the Search Sessions link on the conference website. While viewing the session details for any event, you can click the Add to My Calendar link, and this will prompt you to download/open an ICS file for your Outlook calendar.

Play Vendor Bingo

Conference attendees are encouraged to visit each booth in the Exhibit Hall to acquaint themselves with our exhibitors and get their bingo card stamped. Bingo cards will be collected and screened on Thursday morning for having at least 40 squares stamped. The drawing for valuable prizes will be held on Thursday from noon – 12:45 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall. You must be present to win.

A Note About Wireless Access

When you are in the convention center, there are two ILTA wireless choices available.

For laptops, choose the ILTA 2012 SSID.
Username: ilta2012 Password: encoretech

For mobile devices (including iPad tablets), choose the ILTAMobile SSID. 
Password: encoretech

After choosing the “ILTA 2012” wireless SSID on your laptop, you might need to launch your browser (if it doesn’t happen automatically) in order to get the resort’s Web page that prompts for the username/password above. Please note that the resort’s wireless network will timeout after two hours of inactivity, so you will need to relaunch your browser again during your stay to input the wireless password.

A special thanks to EncoreTech, Inc. for sponsoring the free wireless connection!

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A Keynote for the Masses

Tom Koulopoulos, a four-time ILTA keynote speaker and business visionary, presents Beyond Brainstorming: Planning for the Unknown in an Uncertain World in Potomac A at 8:30 a.m. Get ready to roll up your sleeves, challenge your most basic assumptions about problem solving and walk away with an approach that will forever change the way you plan for the future.

Swartworth Leadership Seminars

The annual Sharon Swartworth Leadership Development Seminar returns this year with distinguished presenters providing their insight and experience on the importance of leadership and the skills/traits, both learned and innate, that make a good leader.
 
What Leadership Means to Me

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

National Harbor 12 and 13

Presented by Lieutenant General Dana Chipman of the U.S. Judge Advocate General’s Corps
 
Lieutenant General Dana Chipman will describe the JAG vision as one of providing proactive legal support in a principled manner with a mission of developing, employing and retaining highly qualified legal experts. Join General Chipman as he talks about how his perspective and experience have shaped his leadership style.
 
The “Secret” of Anywhere, Anytime Leadership

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

National Harbor 12 and 13

Presented by multiple retired leaders from the U.S. Judge Advocate General’s Corps
 
Hear from former U.S. Army leaders who have transitioned out of the Army into law firms, corporations and professional organizations where they have continued in leadership positions, moving their respective new organizations forward. Listen to positive proof that leadership skills are not tied to the type of organization you work for, but to the individual’s talent and character.

The Exhibit Hall Opens This Morning!

The grand opening is at 10:00 a.m. in the Prince George’s Exhibition Hall. Enjoy a themed snack break, and get your vendor bingo card stamped!

Have a Ball at Tonight’s Event

This evening’s meal and networking event begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Potomac Ballroom and Foyer. Come sporting your favorite team’s gear as you enjoy great food (buffet dinner), drinks, games, karaoke, live music (including a special performance by Legal Bytes – a band made up of ILTAns), a free-throw contest and more! There will also be areas for quiet networking conversations. Don’t forget the concluding raffle for great prizes! 

Play Vendor Bingo

Each member attendee will be given a bingo card at the grand opening of the Exhibit Hall this morning. Bingo cards have a square corresponding to each booth number. To get the card stamped, you must answer two questions posed by each exhibiting company. Thursday morning, bingo cards will be collected and screened for having at least 40 squares stamped. The drawing for great vendor-donated prizes will be held from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Exhibit Hall. You must be present to win!

Peer Pods

ILTA conference attendance is all about networking and sharing. At ac2dc, we are providing one more opportunity to continue conversations started in educational sessions or in the hallways. Inside the Exhibit Hall, we have some comfortable seating areas where you and up to 10 (or 12, depending on the area) fellow ILTAns can meet. Sign up for one of the Peer Pods at the member registration desk or head straight there and see if one is available.

ILTA TV Live!

Today’s live Internet broadcast from noon – 12:00 p.m. will focus on Information Management. Topics will include the following and more: 

• Can Technology Boost the Adoption of LPM?
• Using Your DMS for Knowledge Management
• An Interview with Army Generals
• Mixing Personal and Professional Systems/Data
• Beyond Extranets! What Clients Really Want
• The Effect of Cloud/SaaS and Web 2.0 on Lawyer Expectations

Demo Educational Rooms

On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., many of our vendors will be conducting educational sessions in their demo rooms. This is another opportunity for you to get information from our vendors in an environment that is far more personal than a session room. The content has been developed by the presenting vendor and is not part of the general conference educational lineup. Find details on the conference mobile app or by using the online Session Search.

Advanced Curriculum Track

The Advanced Curriculum Track (ACT) at this year’s conference aspires to bring “graduate” level content to senior executives in IT, knowledge management, finance and marketing. It targets thought-leaders in these four areas –– those already at the “C” level and those who aspire to reach the “C” level –– and pulls together thoughtful, provocative content that such leaders are unlikely to encounter elsewhere. Check the schedule for these great sessions!

Alternative Format Track

ILTA is offering you more options — more ways to learn. With the Alternative Format Track (AFT), you will be able to choose from among six new sessions that are nothing like traditional panel presentations. Each session has a unique format that has been selected to help you get the most out of the session. Find available AFT sessions on the mobile app or in your conference journal.

Trivia Time

Don’t forget to pick up a trivia card at the member registration desk! Trivia game answers are accessed via QR codes, which will be placed around the property. Complete the trivia card to be entered into the drawing for a $500 cash prize. The trivia game is open to ILTA law firm and law department members only.

Exhibit Hall Lead Retrieval

Attendee name badges may be scanned by vendors in the Exhibit Hall. Data provided to vendors is equivalent to a business card and will include name, firm, phone number, email and postal address. Scanning is optional, completely at the discretion of the attendee and not required for participation in vendor bingo.

Recycling at the Gaylord

The Gaylord National is taking mindful steps to minimize their impact on the environment with the GET Green program. During your stay, please place all beverage cans, plastic bottles and newspapers in the recycling bags that they will provide.

Got Questions?

If you have any problems accessing the ILTA wireless connections or have questions about the mobile app, come see the folks at your friendly “Ask ILTA” desk located in front of the Maryland Ballroom.

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Hit a High Note with Today’s Keynote

Frans Johansson, the best-selling author, shares The Medici Effect: Groundbreaking Innovation at the Intersection of Disciplines and Cultures in Law Firms and Law Departments in Potomac A at 9:00 a.m. Frans will clearly and persuasively show what happens when legal and technology cultures collide and ignite an explosion of extraordinary new ideas and discoveries.

Regional Meetings

At 5:15 p.m., we split up into regions to meet with our neighbors, discuss plans for the year ahead and get ideas for programs of interest to attendees, with a door prize as a bonus! Your region is noted on your name tag. Meeting rooms for each region can be found in the conference journal, digital program guide or on the mobile app.

Exhibit Hall Opening Reception

ILTA’s Vendor Reality World comes alive in the Exhibit Hall (Prince George Exhibit Hall C) at 7:00 p.m. Meet with our exhibitors and get acquainted with their products as you experience their take on famous (or not-so-famous) reality TV shows. Make stops at exhibitors’ booths while enjoying themed food and drinks! A badge is required for entry, and guest tickets are available for purchase.

Free Wireless Connection

Wireless Internet access is available at NO CHARGE to conference attendees. For laptops, choose the ILTA2012 SSID. For all mobile devices, choose the ILTAMobile SSID.

The username for the ILTA2012 SSID is ILTA2012. The password for both SSIDs is encoretech. While staying in a guest room at the Gaylord National, look for the Gaylord Hotel SSID for Internet access.

Your Badge Is Your Ticket

You might notice that you didn’t receive meal/event tickets in your membership registration package. We have engaged a new badge software company, and your conference badge now acts as your ticket to enter meals and events. Tickets for guests and vendors can be purchased at the registration desks. Please wear your badge at all times!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

We recently added a new session: “Emerging Careers: Preparing Your Firm and Yourself for Tomorrow,” which is on Tuesday the 28th at 1:30 p.m. In addition, the LexisNexis Company Update session on Thursday the 30th at 10:30 a.m. has been updated. Check the mobile app or online Session Search for more details!

Peer Award Presentations

Each of the organization award short-list nominees will give a presentation about their accomplishments at sessions today. Attendees will vote for their favorite, so check your schedule to see if you can attend. Winners will be announced at Thursday evening’s Awards Dinner.

ILTA TV Live!

This live Internet broadcast from ILTA 2012 will run from noon – 2:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Interviews will be conducted on a variety of topics covered at the ILTA conference. Message your staff who can’t attend ILTA 2012; it’s a great way to connect!

Today’s focus is on organization management, and some of the topics include: 

• Top Technology Issues for CIOs
• Matter Centricity’s Impact on Lawyer Efficiency
• Why IT Doesn’t Matter and KM Matters Even Less
• Supporting Changes to the Firm’s Business Model
• Focus on High-Impact Projects
• Fixed Fees for E-Discovery

 Find the entire schedule on the conference website or mobile app.           

 Trivia Game

There will be a $500 cash prize for the ILTA member attendee winner of the ILTA 2012 trivia game. A trivia game card and rules were included in your registration materials. Trivia game answers are accessed via QR codes, which will be placed around the property. The game centers around ILTA’s Connected Community. Completed game cards will be collected and verified Thursday afternoon, and a winner will be drawn from qualifying entries at Thursday evening’s social event. You must be present to win.

Mini-Focus Groups

Here’s your opportunity to be involved in the future direction in technology for legal! Various vendors will be leading eight different 60-minute mini-focus group sessions at Peer Pod 3 in the Exhibit Hall. Sign up on the large sign to the right of the member registration desk.

Click-Friendly Zones

There is a click-friendly zone with a few electrical power connections in each session room for tweeting, blogging and taking notes on laptops and mobile devices. Please mute any devices that make sounds while in the session rooms.

Ask ILTA

The “Ask ILTA” desk is located in front of the Maryland Ballrooms. This is a great place to ask questions and explore the benefits of your membership. Your questions can be specific or general; they can be about online services, local meetings or our publications. ILTA staff are here to assist you in finding the answers!

Sweet Tweets

Follow our conference Twitter account at http://twitter.com/ILTconf. Keep up with everyone’s chatter about ILTA 2012 by searching for the conference hashtag #ilta12, and check out the Twitter Board near the member registration desk (sponsored by Traveling Coaches, Inc.). You can even Tweet about each session by using the hashtag specific to the session’s event code (found on the conference mobile app, conference grid and digital program guide).

Speaking of Mobile…

Have you downloaded the free conference mobile app that’s available for iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry devices? Get information on the go with schedule details, a “My Schedule” builder, Twitter integration, session evaluations, the ability to create, edit and email session notes, and much more! You will receive notices within the app that “Updated data is available” each day. These updates include session changes/corrections, speaker updates, news, etc. To ensure you are viewing the most recent information, please OK these data updates. Normally they process quickly, but if you skip the updates for several days, the next update will take longer to process.

CE Credits

Although ILTA will not offer continuing education credit, an ILTA certificate of completion will be offered. Attendees may seek CLE credit or other continuing education credit on their own. To obtain a certificate of attendance following conference, provide a list of all session dates/times/titles to Randi Mayes at randi@iltanet.org.

Play It Back

Can’t make a session? Don’t worry about it! All session recordings will be available for download at no cost to ILTA members following the conference.

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Before we touch on today’s activities, we want to again highlight our ILTA 2012 Mobile App.

The ILTA 2012 Mobile App provides access to the conference agenda, speaker details, Gaylord Resort info, Interactive Exhibit Hall, the latest ILTA news and much more. It’s available for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry and Android devices. Member registrants can access attendee lists. For Apple and Android devices, please visit the App Store from your device and search for ILTA 2012 to download this free app. BlackBerry users, visit http://conference.iltanet.org/mobile from your BlackBerry to download the app. Laptop users and alternate mobile devices can use the mobile web version at http://m.iltanet.org.

Updates! Updates! You will receive notices within the app that “Updated data is available” each day. These data updates include new registrants, session changes or corrections, speaker updates, news updates, etc. To ensure you are viewing the most recent information, please OK these data updates. Normally they process quickly, but if you skip the updates for several days, the next update will take longer to process.

If you have any questions about the ILTA Mobile App, please visit the Ask ILTA desk, located near the Maryland Ballrooms in the convention center.

Events for Sunday, August 26:
Registration takes place in the Gaylord Convention Center, beginning at noon. ILTA members can proceed to the main entrance to the convention center, vendors and consultants register in the lower level (Prince George’s Exhibition Hall). Many staffers are on hand to make the registration process quick and easy.

ILTA members can meet from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. in our “Communities of Interest.” With several hot topics providing the backdrop for this networking opportunity, it’s a great way to start ILTA 2012 and gain even more value from your overall experience. Check your Conference Journal (obtained at check in) or the mobile app for meeting rooms and topic areas.

The Speaker Meet and Greet will take place from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Maryland A. This event is a brief orientation and networking opportunity. This is a must-attend for speakers!

The Conference Orientation for ILTA members will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Maryland C. Navigating conference and maximizing the value of your attendance can be daunting no matter how many times you’ve attended. Let us give you some tips and tricks to make the most of your conference experience — and another great opportunity to meet your peers! 

Our opening reception, ac2dc Takes Flight, runs from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. This traditional kickoff to our conference week will give members and vendors a chance to enjoy connecting informally with ILTA friends.Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and beverages inside and outside the Atrium areas, while enjoying the beautiful view of the Potomac. There will be lively entertainment as well as the opportunity for quiet conversation. Tickets are required for the beverages (tickets are provided with your conference badge available at the conference registration desks).

The registration desks are open till 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening and open at 6:00 a.m. on Monday.

We look forward to seeing you, and please enjoy your week!

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