SIIA: Thoughts at week's end

In the next few posts I’ll try to draw out a handful of key themes from the past week’s SIIA Information Industry Summit, substantially incorporating the “micro-scripts” identified in the Day 1 Morning post (which, on reflection, might more truly be “micro-“ characterized as “21st-century learning,” “no-cost content,” and “measurable benchmarks.”). 

A focus on new and emerging opportunities in the information industry (in the SIIA context, primarily business- and professional publishing markets for digital information content) pervaded the program as well the atmospherics inside Cipriani 42^nd St. –  in contrast to the economic fear and loathing in much of the surrounding environment.

For example, there was hardly a mention of “right-sizing” or other such micro-concepts usually associated with business downturns.   The “creative destruction” and “disruptive technologies” memes made appearances, but no more than usual in similar contexts, and mainly emphasizing paths to successful adaptation. A discussion of providing customers with better means of measuring information content usage (and value) in the context of budget reductions simply underscored an established trend.

Discussions of new innovation-led opportunities were various and plentiful…