ebic, 1-3 October 2008, Berlin imagine ... connecting with the future After the success of ebic 2008 we are looking forward to planning the next ebic imagine…. Participants at this year's conference heard thought provoking speakers who lived up to expectations and stimulated thinking. They worked through scenario planning sessions which provided a great framework for KIM conversations and sharing of experiences. Thanks to our facilitators and ebic Fellows, delegates also found the Social Impact Awards evening both informative and rewarding. Everyone enjoyed the conference dinner in exquisite surroundings, which had to be experienced! They all took away ideas and contacts and will shortly receive a copy of the KIM Proposition – the outcome of the scenario planning session. The positive feedback during the conference and since our return confirmed that participants enjoyed and valued the event. Our thanks go to the speakers, delegates, sponsors and ebic Fellows who created the success by participating fully in the programme. They made ebic valuable – and fun - a very important part of a successful conference. We hope to see you at the next ebic. Darron Chapman MD, TFPL Connecting with the future Esmerk - sponsors of the ebic delegate packs Berlin was the venue for the 17th ebic. Between 1-3 October 2008, outstanding speakers and facilitators worked with knowledge and information management (KIM) leaders and influencers to explore the trends and drivers that are determining the future of our organisations, market places and societies. They 'imagined' how the KIM community can play a significant and positive role in this future. The theme of the conference was 'Connecting with the future' and the underlying focus was innovation. The conference Chair was Peter Chivers, formerly CKO of KPMG in the UK. The keynote speaker, Paul Saffo, is an internationally acclaimed futurologist and Consulting Associate Professor at Stanford University. The themes he presented in 'Untangling the Future' were picked up and explored by Bill Parsons, Executive VP, Human Resources, ARM Holdings, Ewan McIntosh from Learning & Teaching Scotland and Melanie Goody from TFPL. Alun Davies, Director of Knowledge Management at Lovells completed the first day by demonstrating how KIM can have a positive impact on the goals of an organisation. SLA - sponsors of the second day drinks reception Alacra - sponsors of the sight-seeing coaches prior to Conference Dinner and the entertainment during the conference dinner. The second day featured four KIM leaders who have developed innovative KIM strategies for their organisations. They reflected on their planning, their successes, what they may have done differently and what they would like to do in the future. The presenters, Tony Sheehan, Learning Services Director, Ashridge Business School, Formerly Chief Knowledge Office, Arup; Di Martin, Dean and Chief Information Officer, University of Hertfordshire; and Jessica Frankel, Director, Library and Information Services (LIS) at Credit Suisse then joined the delegates in an interactive scenario planning session. On the final day, Jeremy Bentley of Smartlogic, Mark Bootherstone of Dow Jones and Lynne Collier of Hitatchi Data Systems reviewed future business models for the information industry. Julian Birkinshaw of London Business School then invited us all to re-invent management. Julian is a Professor in the Department of Strategic and International Management at the London Business School, and Deputy Dean of Programmes. View the full ebic 2008 programme and speaker profiles. Social Impact Awards ebic 2008 introduced the ebic Social Impact Awards - a recognition of the innovative use of knowledge and information management (KIM) in the charity and voluntary sectors. Five conference places were offered to the finalists (ebic Fellows) of an innovation competition held in the run up to ebic. On the first day of the conference there was a 'social impact evening' during which the Fellows presented their proposals to the conference delegates who selected the recipient for the final award – a prize sponsored by Nokia. If you have any queries about ebic 2008 or future ebic events, please contact: Cathie Pringle tel: +44 (0)141 574 1906 email: ebic@tfpl.com Darron Chapman tel: +44 (0)20 7332 6000 email: darron.chapman@tfpl.com