In my last post I was talking about how I was hoping that positivity would reign at the Henry Stewart DAM conference in New York, and you know what, I think it did actually prevail. The mood of attendees and vendors alike appeared to be moving away from what have been the ongoing messages and battles with stakeholders and users alike in terms of education and use of some form of digital asset management tool. Of course there were still the same war stories that I think we will always hear from those new to the world of DAM, but this year rather than the answer being a sympathetic look and a shrug of the shoulders followed by a cold beer of consolation, there came instead tangible answers to questions, real case studies with positive outcomes and what went well stories. Admittedly my answer in Stump the DAM Consultant of using a unicorn parade to win over the uneducated business exec may not have been the best answer to a question I have ever given, but I will stand by it if only for the positive spin it can give to DAM.
So what were my highlights? Well here are a few
- Lots of talk of system integration, though from users and not vendors selling a one system fits all solution.
- Some vendors realising that they need to focus on what they do well and instead create great APIs.
- Moderating my first all female panel, YAY
- Finally talk of user testing and tangible metrics for the ROI of a DAM
- Success stories! Speakers talking about what went well and how they overcame the obstacles put in front of them.
- Theresa Reglis DAM orchestration presentation. I urge you to watch that online, its genius.
- My first Stump the DAM Consultant Panel. Yes, I was stumped.
So next up will be DAM EU in London at the end of June, though before then it’s off to New Zealand to talk at the Magazine Publishers Association annual conference with its theme Convergence, http://www.mpa.org.nz and to see how the publishers out there are dealing with forays from print to digital, their struggles with multichannel publishing, and of course the benefits that DAM can offer. If you want to see what I will be covering then there are some highlights here, http://stoppress.co.nz/news/former-net-porter-head-publishing-romney-whitehead-value-print-evolution-publishing-and-importance-data-management
And if I do find any unicorn parades whilst I’m out there I will be sure to let you know.
DAM Consulting 