Matt O'Mara Article

  1. What was the scholarship?  Where did you go and when?

The scholarship provides an absolutely amazing opportunity to attend ARMA International’s InfoCon 2024 Conference which in 2024 was being held in Houston, Texas or Space City as its affectionately known as it’s the home of the Houston Space Centre.  The conference was held in October which was a really interesting time to be in the United States as it was 2 weeks before the elections were being held.  The ARMA International Conference is considered one of the premier events for information professionals to connect, learn and shape the profession.  The 2024 conference attracted over 900 delegates. 

It’s an extremely generous scholarship valued at $8,000 that covers flights, accommodation and full registration.  For me it was both an honour and an absolute career highlight.  After a 13 and half hour direct flight from Auckland to Houston I arrived to a balmy 31 degrees.  When I left my home in New Plymouth it was around 15 degrees, so some slight acclimatization was required on my behalf.  It is a 32 minute drive from Houston Airport to the Hilton Americas which is connected by an air bridge to the George R. Brown Convention Center where ARMA InfoCon 2024 was being held. 

Houston is the largest city in Texas and 4th largest city in the United States.  Something I learned about Houston is that it is considered to have the largest underground tunnel network in the United States.  Downtown Houston can look like a ghost town during warm summer days. This is because just 20 feet below street level, there are more than eight (8) miles (12km) of underground tunnels that encompass Texas' tallest skyscrapers and serve as a corporate playground for a multitude of Fortune 500 companies. This is the most extensive tunnel system in the United States!

  1. What speakers were are highlight for you?

There were so many engaging speakers so it’s a tough question to answer however the opening keynote speaker astronomer Dr Phil Plait was one of many standouts.  As well as working as part of the Hubble Space Telescope team Dr Plait was an engaging and thought provoking speaker.  He made the connection between how space data not only advances our understanding of the cosmos but also drives innovation in data and information management technologies.

Another great speaker was John Montel, CIO at the US Department of the Interior.  He reiterated the importance of formulating a strategy and getting the executive involved along with the critically of effective communication.  He also reflected on the value of education and training especially where you are moving from paper to an electronic way of working. 

There were numerous presentations as you would expect on Copilot, SharePoint and Microsoft Purview which some fantastic insights on how to get the most out of these tools while minimizing risk.  This reflects the move to manage records ‘in place’ versus a traditional ECM approach.  Information governance (IG) was also a key topic and how these tools can be used to enhance and improve IG.

  1. Were there any other highlights that you would say were a highlight at the conference?

I have to say the whole conference was an incredible experience and an absolute career highlight.  Talking to other attendees from the US and finding out that many of our challenges are shared ones was also insightful.  The social events woven into the conference was also a great opportunity to meet and learn from other attendees. 

Also everything in the States is huge.  The George R. Brown Convention Center itself was massive – the sheer size was just mind blowing compared to what we have in New Zealand and Australia. 

I was also lucky enough to take some time before the conference to get out to the Houston Space Centre as I am a big space fan.  I had the opportunity to attend a talk by a NASA astronaut who gave some incredible stories about his time in space and the sheer challenges space presents.  He was extremely engaging and very interesting especially considering he probably has given the same presentation numerous times.

  1. How did winning this scholarship help your career?

A core value of attending InfoCon is staying updated on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices so this has been a fantastic opportunity to do this.  Being able to connect with industry experts and thought leaders as well as building relationships with peers from around the globe has been an amazing opportunity.  

  1. What was your biggest take away from the experience?

While we may work in different countries and jurisdictions the challenges are very similar.  Many organisations are still working in hybrid environments (paper and digital) and this presents both challenges and opportunities.

With the rapid adoption of AI tools (and the associated hype) these present both opportunities and new challenges for information and records management professionals.  Ongoing professional development to ensure we understand these tools from both a risk and benefit perspective will be essential.

  1. What else would you like to say about the conference/ scholarship?

First off a massive thank you to RIMPA and the selection committee.  I couldn’t believe it when I received the call to say I had been selected.  It has certainly been a career highlight and an absolute honour.

Secondly having the opportunity for one of our RIMPA members to attend the InfoCon International Conference has so many benefits associated with it.  From gaining and sharing insights into emerging technologies and trends to acquiring and sharing new skills as well as the opportunity to network with like-minded folk.

Lastly seeing how similar professional associations operate and gaining insights on their views on how the information industry is evolving is an important opportunity for RIMPA as well as how they run their events and how we could learn from this.