Friday Top 5

My Top 5 Takeaways from this week's ASAE #Tech12:

1. I loved Dave Coriale's IGNITE on technology trends and innovations. If you read this blog at all, you know I'm a huge proponent of MIT's Technology Review. Dave's presentation highlighted why. We all need to be shaken out of the comfort zone of what we know and can see coming on a regular basis. Is your association going to use 3-D printing to make a new kidney for someone? Unlikely, but knowing that that's possible can help you think in new ways.
2. The changing role of IT, or more specifically recognition of the changing role of IT. IT hasn't been "that weird guy down in the server room" for a long time. But it seems like both IT staff and the rest of the organization know that on a conscious level now, and, because of that, are able to focus on how IT supports the entire enterprise and can and should be a strategic partner.
3. "Big data." Curious about what "big data" is? IBM (and they should know) has a free ebook. I would say that it's premature for associations to talk about "big data," though. I don't think we've conquered small data yet. What are we waiting for?
4. Lots of talk about measuring member engagement, what to watch out for, and how to turn engagement into revenue. We're talking a lot about this, but I'm not convinced anyone's doing it well. Yet. One of the key problems I see is that staff assigns the points for various activities, and what *we* think is important may have no bearing on what *members* think is important.
5. Finally, the best statement of the entire conference was the last thing closing keynoter Dion Hinchcliff said: "Become a change agent/revolutionary. You probably won't have your job in its current form for long anyway."

Bonus takeaway: fram. It's my new favorite term - spam from friends and family. I'm looking at you, people who still have aol email accounts.