Inside Knowledge

This magazine should be hitting desks just as KM Europe 2001 gets underway in The Hague, the Netherlands. Last November, the event attracted a total of 2,845 visitors, and this year the number of people attending the combined conference and exhibition looks likely to be even higher, with pre-registrations alone already up by almost a third. A larger venue has also been chosen to accommodate the extra exhibiting companies this year.

KM Europe 2001 has a lot to live up to. KM Europe 2000 featured more than 80 separate presentations, including the keynotes of Larry Prusak, Stephen Denning, Marcus Speh Birkenkrahe, Leif Edvinsson, Ove Rustung Hjelmervik and Ron Young. Ron will once again be making an appearance this year, this time as chairman, but the keynote line-up has totally changed, with Dave Snowden, Bob Buckman, Debra Amidon, Andrew Boyd, Jim Bair and Hubert Saint-Onge continuing the high standard set by last year’s conference.

Despite the difficulties most companies are facing in the current economic climate, it is perhaps surprising that the exhibition side of the event has not suffered. While a handful of IT firms have indeed been forced to pull out, the vast majority are understandably keener than ever to continue business as usual. Logically the cost of not being at such a major event is likely to be far higher than most firms are willing to accept.

Which is good news for you, the practitioner. And as well as a chance to listen to the world’s foremost KM experts totally free of charge, KM Europe 2001 should present you with the perfect opportunity to meet your peers and fellow knowledge management practitioners. For those of you who are unable to make it, look out for a full report in the next issue of Knowledge Management, out at the beginning of January. Until then, I wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous new year.

Simon Lelic