PRISM International, NAID Europe Offer Fourth Annual Joint European Conference

Athens was the location for the latest collaborative effort between PRISM International and the National Association for Information Destruction (NAID). The Westin Astir Palace hotel hosted the conference, which was the first to be held in southeastern Europe. (Complete conference information can be accessed from the PRISM International website at http://prismintl.org/events/2010/09/joint-european-region-conference.)

One of the special features of the 2010 event was the opening keynote presentation by Elton Potts, CEO of Recall Corp. This was the first time Potts has appeared before the groups. His speech focused on the new, hard realities of business management in an atmosphere of nearly constant change, risks inherent in a more stringent regulatory environment and the management challenges of dealing with complex factors like safety, security and culture to achieve business and financial sustainability.

We were also pleased to welcome Bill Saffady, Ph.D., who is a prolific writer (he has authored more than 30 books and studies on the subject of records and information management), consultant and a highly sought-after presenter on records and information topics. Saffady had not appeared in Europe since the PRISM International conference in Berlin and used his allotted time to discuss the future of records and information management in Europe and how organizations can seize new business opportunities that are being created through changes in information management. An exhibition area featuring numerous industry vendors was a centerpiece of the conference. This year more than 20 exhibiting companies displayed in the trade show and answered questions about the latest in products and services.

The Joint European Conference remains the premiere European event to forge new business relationships, renew friendships and facilitate informal and essential learning through networking events and casual conversation. The value of this type of attendee interaction is difficult to quantify in advance of a conference; however, attendees consistently report that informal networking is one of the key benefits they receive by attending this event.

Membership in PRISM International or NAID was not required to attend the event.

Jim Booth is executive director of PRISM International, Garner, N.C., and can be contacted at jim@prismintl.org.