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How to Make the Most of ABA TECHSHOW
March 2006
There is no doubt ABA TECHSHOW can be overwhelming. It is a huge conference with more than 60 CLE sessions spread over three days, and 100 exhibitors. It attracts more than 1,400 attendees from all over the world. It is no accident that there is so much going on simultaneously. ABA TECHSHOW is designed to give a lot of choices to a broad range of attendees. To make the most of ABA TECHSHOW, follow the steps outlined in this article.
1. Where to start?
Sessions are organized by theme into 16 tracks, including: Advanced IT, Applications, Back to the Future, Digital Dollars, E-Discovery, E-Lawyering, Extreme Makeover, Hot Topics, Internet, Roundtables, Litigation, Law Practice Management Tips, Malpractice Prevention, Solo and Small Firm, Support Staff, and the Vendor Track. There are eight concurrent tracks running over the two and a half days of the conference. This means that there are eight sessions to pick from in any given time slot, so you will sometimes find yourself wanting to attend more than one session.
2. How do you pick the sessions that will most interest you?
Go to www.techshow.com and download a copy of the show grid. Lay it out to get an overview of the entire conference, and then highlight the sessions you are interested in. Inevitably you will find yourself wanting to attend two concurrent sessions, and will have to make some choices. But remember, there are materials for every session on the CD, so you will still be able to review content from any session you were unable to attend.
3. Registration - there's gold in that registration bag!
You can register for ABA TECHSHOW on Wednesday night or Thursday morning and pick up your ABA TECHSHOW registration bag. Be sure you go through all the papers in that bag – you will find invitations to dinners, receptions, free educational sessions, and all manner of other wonderful things as well.
4. Go to the opening session
First thing on Thursday ABA TECHSHOW Chair Sharon Nelson will make some introductions, highlight important information and schedule changes, and give you some practical tips on how to make the most of your ABA TECHSHOW experience. You can grab a quick breakfast and hit the ground running. This session is a useful orientation for both new attendees and ABA TECHSHOW regulars.
5. Go to the keynote and other plenary sessions
The Keynote speech is always a special event at ABA TECHSHOW and this year we are fortunate to welcome the brilliant and very witty Burgess Allison as our keynoter. Burgess has been a visionary leader of the legal tech community for more than 20 years. His presentation, "Technology Eye for the Curmudgeon Guy," promises to be entertaining and enlightening.
Year after year, the 60 Tips in 60 Minutes presentation is the most popular session at ABA TECHSHOW. Why? Quite simply because there is no better place to learn dozens of amazing and practical technology tips. So this year, in conjunction with the joint ABA TECHSHOW 2006 and LPM Section meeting, we are presenting a special all tips track with four separate tips sessions. 60 tips in each of four sessions translate to 240 of the best practical tips for doing things better with technology. Wow!! Each tips session will focus on one of the four core areas of law practice management: finance, marketing, management and technology. Don’t miss this tips extravaganza.
Closing out ABA TECHSHOW this year is the also popular 60 Sites in 60 Minutes. This session is a fast-paced and often irreverent look at web sites that are of interest to lawyers. There are always some surprises, and loads of good laughs at this session. Check out The 60 Sites in 60 Minutes Hall of Fame which showcases the best sites highlighted over the years at this session.
6. Talk to the faculty
We are extremely proud of the very distinguished group of speakers we bring together for ABA TECHSHOW. Our faculty members include subject-matter experts from many areas of legal technology, including practicing lawyers, legal IT personnel, legal technology consultants, and bar association advisors, among others. All our speakers are extremely approachable and will welcome questions and comments from show attendees. Faculty members are easy to spot - just look for the speaker ribbons on their name badges. You will see speakers on the show and exhibit floor, and at the many social and networking events. ABA TECHSHOW Board members are equally approachable and welcome your feedback.
Returning again this year is the very popular Roundtable Track. These small intimate sessions are another great opportunity for informal one-on-one exchanges with ABA TECHSHOW speakers and other interested show attendees.
I can say, without reservation, that the most valuable thing by far that I got from my attendances at ABA TECHSHOW were the names of like-minded legal technologists and lawyers. The wealth of knowledge in the network of people I have come to know is immeasurable. Take time to meet and speak with the speakers and other attendees.
Please note that representatives of commercial vendors are rarely included in the CLE faculty. ABA TECHSHOW's focus on education is the reason many attendees return again and again. This distinguishes ABA TECHSHOW from many other legal technology conferences. Note, however, that you can see company or product-specific sessions in the Vendor Track.
7. Visit the Exhibitors
Every year, ABA TECHSHOW assembles an outstanding group of more than 100 legal technology vendors in the Exhibit Hall. The schedule is structured to give attendees time to roam the hall leisurely. The vendors are uniformly happy to talk to you at length and answer all your questions about their products and services. With the knowledge you have gained from the CLE sessions, this is a wonderful way to explore in a more informed way all the legal support products and services that are available, and to have the opportunity to explore them hands-on.
8. Get to know the ABA Law Practice Management Section
Look for the Law Practice Management booth in the Exhibit Hall. There you can see the amazing collection of books that LPM Section publishes. And if a title catches your eye, don’t forget to spend your $20 “Book Bucks” (in your registration bag).
9. Go to the social activities
For veterans and first-time attendees alike, there are numerous social activities that allow you to meet old friends and make new ones. These include the post-keynote reception, and the breakfasts and lunches on Thursday and Friday. Continental breakfasts and boxed lunches are complimentary with your registration for both days.
For dinner Thursday and Friday night, consider attending the “dinner bashes." These are led by speakers and are ABA TECHSHOW's best networking events. Simply sign up on the sheets that are posted outside the Exhibit Hall. Everyone goes dutch to a modestly priced nearby restaurant. It is a great way to get to talk to the speakers and make friends over good food and a low key informal setting. After dinner, you will find loads of attendees enjoying a drink in the lobby lounge.
10. Keep in touch
Again this year, Intel will provide a WiFi cloud on the conference floor. Bring your wireless enabled laptop so you can stay in touch with the office. There is also an Internet Café on the exhibitor floor.
11. Read the materials
You will receive a CD with materials from every session in the show. The materials on the CD are expansive and excellent. We require speakers to submit materials for the sessions they speak on, and urge strongly that they be more than just PowerPoint slides. Attendees also have access to a private website after the show where they can download copies of actual presentation slides and other materials that were not available at the time the CD was produced.
12. Earn CLE credits
Our sessions will teach you how you can work better, faster and cheaper with technology. And we go to great lengths to make as many of our sessions as possible qualify for CLE credits.
Come again! After three days of ABA TECHSHOW, you will go home utterly exhausted, especially if you have tried to take advantage of all this wonderful conference has to offer. Our attendees tell us there is no other conference like it, and many come back year after year. We hope to see you in Chicago!