SLA 2015 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO

Finding that key piece of information regarding a person, place or thing may looks simple from the outside, but how difficult is this to do in real life? Our speaker, an internationally recognized expert in online open sources intelligence gathering and investigations, will discuss how they use social media and other little-known cyber tools to locate this type of information quickly and efficiently. Emphasis will be placed on resources, tips and techniques that you can add to your research toolkit.

Program Takeaways

1. How to conduct reverse image lookups


2. How to link people, place and things using a variety of available information 


3. How to find content that has been altered or removed from the web


4. How to utilize geofencing tools to locate live streamed and historical social media information 


5. Increased awareness around online privacy and security

Session Presentation

Building on the sold- out CE courses for the last three years on the basics of Competitive Intelligence (CI), this course will move beyond the question of what CI is, and will instead focus on both strategic and tactical elements of the profession. This course introduces and builds on practical techniques info pros can use in support of many typical CI projects throughout a company life/product cycle and daily operation. Strategic and Tactical approaches will be shared on an alternating basis with in-session exercises, "take-away" templates, and lots of time reserved for discussions/questions.

Program Takeaways

1. An understanding of why and how CI is BOTH strategic and tactical


2. Several templates for use in their daily work


3. A better understanding of the business framework in which decisions are being made and how their work can influence those decisions and increase their value


4. Confidence to provide management with distilled and analyzed data/research. 

We all get them. Last minute, off the cuff research requests. Always with little information to go on and always in a rush. Usually for someone high up in the company who’s running for a plane and will be incommunicado for 6+ hours. Take 15 minutes at SLA 2015 and hear the CI Division’s @KnowledgeMama list her top tricks for not freaking out and getting your client an awesome quick “Everything” overview!

Program Takeaways

• Tips and tricks for tackling rush research requests.


• Tips for packaging your rush research into a high level, concise, "everything" overview. 

Whether you’re new to CI or a seasoned expert, you’ll find a wealth of information in this session designed to address various stages of establishing an effective CI function.

• Fred Wergeles, president of Fred Wergeles & Associates, will kick off the discussion as he reveals best practices regarding CI function start-up.  Learn about the skills, strategies and resources you need to set yourself up for success!

• Emily Cunningham Rushing, competitive intelligence manager at Haynes Boone LLP, will keep the ball rolling with suggestions for those who are ready to take the next step as she shares insights in providing CI services: obtaining buy-in, proving value-add, and solidly establishing your CI function.

• Finally, Arjan Singh, lecturer of strategy at UC Irvine, will discuss how established practitioners “take the growing CI function home” with practical tips on working with executives, using CI to advise on strategic initiatives, and other compelling CI services advice that will create win-win situations for both your career and your company’s success.

From beginning to end, our well-versed panel of experts will engage info pros no matter where they are on the CI spectrum! #CIfunctions

Program Takeaways

• Best practices for setting-up a CI function


• Strategies for getting buy-in for your function and proving its value-add


• Practical tips on working with executives and using CI to provide strategic advantage

Session Presentation - Rushing

 

Researching privately held companies can sometimes be frustrating, fruitless, and at the least time-consuming. Our speaker, an expert in this important topic, will provide quick, practical, and timely tips including structuring your search, identifying new sources, and using search techniques and social media to amp up collection. Grab a few revolutionary ideas on the go and be more successful providing intelligence on privately held organizations.

Program Takeaways

• Tips for structuring private company searches.


• Techniques for identifying new information sources and utilizing social media to amp up private company research.

Session Presentation

This interactive Q&A style session will walk attendees through the process of needs analysis to system selection to answering all the questions related to aggregation and knowledge sharing systems design, with a focus on intelligence systems.  Join several industry experts to learn what a system can do for you, from tracking social media to current awareness monitoring to lead identification and human intelligence collection. This session will not review specific platforms but will provide a high level overview of the role of systems in information collection, dissemination and analysis.  The session is geared to those thinking about a system for their organization but who are not quite sure of the benefits, capabilities or even why they need a system in the first place! Leave this session with all the tools you need to evaluate any system and choose the one that's right for you. #knowledgesharing

Program Takeaways

• A high level overview of what aggregation and knowledge sharing systems are able to do, and the role they can play in information collection, dissemination, and analysis.


• An understanding of the process of needs analysis for the selection of aggregation and knowledge sharing systems. 

A new edition in our series of successful analytics sessions from 2012, 2013 and 2014, all of which taught a new set of useful and interesting methods of analyzing information. This year’s session will take attendees through one of the most valuable and strategic tools an intelligence practitioner can utilize, War Gaming. War Gaming is often taught to CEOs and senor CI executives, and this is your chance to learn this advanced technique. This session will cover:

1) The basics necessary for considering a wargame. Issues such as the level of wargame required for the given situation, respective formats, typical purposes and objectives, etc.

2) Key Steps in Preparing a Wargame such as the essential phases required in preparing for and conducting a wargame. We will begin with the initial discussions with a potential sponsor; is a wargame the appropriate strategic planning tool for meeting the needs of your sponsor? What are the initial objectives that the wargame must fulfill? What is the scope of the project, what level of wargame will be needed to meet the objectives?

3) War Game Examples - Four or five examples of representative wargames (several Pharma examples) so that the participants get a feel for what a wargame is capable of addressing. For each we will discuss the background situation where we discuss the merits of running a wargame for this particular situation. Finally, we will talk about the outcomes, and how each wargame helped the client to meet their objectives.

Program Takeaways

• A high level understanding of wargamming as an analytical tool, what it can offer, how to approach it, and when to execute.


• An understanding of the process of and key steps in preparing for and undertaking a wargame.


• Representative examples of wargames, including how each wargame helped clients achieve their goals. 

The dictionary defines a leader as someone who guides or directs a group. There are many attributes that make a good leader, principal among them is talent management. A leader's commitment to recruit, train and retain superior talent is critical to success.

This session will explore some of the key factors involved in successful talent management:

(1) An inventory of talent and competencies;
(2) Goal setting;
(3) Development plans; and
(4) Measurement systems to track progress of individuals.

This session is designed for mid-level managers. #globaltalent

Join the Competitive Intelligence Division for a fabulous evening of apps, cocktails, and networking at the Chart House!

The pride of Long Wharf, Chart House Boston is renowned for its location and its menu. As Long Wharf's oldest surviving structure, formerly the John Hancock Counting House, the restaurant is a fusion of history and modern style.

Program Takeaways

• A fabulous evening of fun and networking. 

The renowned IT dance party continues! Join us for a revolutionary good time.

Considering a career change? Considering expanding your repertoire of skills to include prospect research? Curious about what exactly prospect research is and whether or not it would be a good fit for you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is the session for you! This two part session will feature two professional prospect researchers.

• Maureen Festa, senior research analyst, Office of Development Services at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will address the skills and proficiencies librarians bring to the role, and highlight why prospect research is a vibrant and viable career choice for information professionals. She will also discuss other academic and professional backgrounds that are found among prospect researchers, and how one can move from traditional or non-traditional library work into this type of development work.

• Margaret King, founder and president of InfoRich Group, Inc., will provide a practical run-down on how prospect research is actually conducted, including an overview of fundamental techniques. This will include real world examples of prospect research in action and the role information professionals play in the process.

You'll leave this session with a fundamental understanding of prospect research and tips on how to incorporate it into your career path.

Program Takeaways

• An understanding of prospect research as a viable career option for librarians and info pros, as well as the skills and proficiencies required to move into this type of work


• A practical overview of how prospect research is actually conducted, including an overview of fundamental techniques.

Session Presentation

Information professionals do great work.  However, when it comes to  gaining traction, visibility and influence with senior executives, we can fall woefully short.  We do not fully  capitalize on opportunities to sell to senior management our value, and convince them of our strategies.  While there are a myriad of reasons for these difficulties, through proper preparation, planning and patience we can successfully navigate the rocky shoals of the corner office.  This session examines why we fail and what we can do to establish credibility and sway within the C-suite. It  is designed for information professionals of all levels who interact with senior executives.

Program Takeaways

1. Participants will learn how to identify common communication pitfalls.


2. Participants will develop strategies to better persuade the  C-suite to listen and agree to your proposals.


3. Participants will learn new processes and frameworks to influence senior executives.

Session Presentation

Competitive intelligence resources are constantly evolving. This session will explore places to start as well as best practices and tools to make that start. We’ll cover a variety of resources, free and fee, to help you determine the good from the bad and the just plain ugly.

Session Presentation - Lapachet
Session Information - Form (Lapachet)
Session Presentation - Yanchak

There is a big difference between what many of us would consider “excellent customer service” and what defines truly meaningful, differentiating and sustainable professional engagement. Come to this session to hear two members of the research team at Analysis Group, Inc. describe how their work helps drive business development within that firm. Despite challenges, which the presenters will review, the service provided has proven increasingly popular and is highly valued by the senior leadership of the firm. One key reason: they are seen as “information partners” by their internal clients, which is the result of a concerted effort to develop relationships focused on individual needs and interests.

A senior partner from the company will speak to management’s perspective on these services and their impact on lead generation and new business development at the firm. Commentary will also be provided by the Dean of the Simmons School of Library and Information Science on the curriculum needed to prepare students for these sorts of corporate environments. Panelists will also discuss how professional degree programs can encourage a greater emphasis on those competencies that will help information professionals to develop the skills necessary to form these kinds of partnerships.
This session will have time allocated for input from the audience and Q&A.

Program Takeaways 

1. Participants will learn how researchers embedded within the Marketing Department of an economics consulting firm collaborate with their consulting clients to drive business development.


2. Participants will hear the perspective of a Library School Dean on how library science students need to prepare for an ever-evolving information industry and which core competencies will prove most valuable. 

In this tour we will visit and learn about four major business libraries in the city of Boston.  It will include the Pardee library at Boston University, the Kirstein Business Library as part of the Boston Public Library which is currently undergoing an exciting renovation, Dewey Library at MIT and Baker Library at the Harvard Business School.  Before visiting Baker Library we will take a break in Harvard Square for lunch.  Bus pick-up and drop off will be at the Westin Waterfront Hotel, D Street entrance, which is located on the concourse level where the grand ballroom and grand ballroom foyers are located.  The motor coach has a luggage bay underneath where suitcases can be stored, for those leaving Boston after the tour.

Please arrive to board the motor coach by 7:45am.  The bus will leave promptly at 8am.

Program Takeaways

• Participants will learn about four amazing business libraries in the Boston area.