Conference Dashes to a Quick Start

It was the kind of morning you might expect in Seattle; the fog rolling in off of the bay and a light mist making it impossible to stay dry. But when it comes to the Dental Dash at the NADP Annual Conference, a small group of about 20 intrepid runners and dedicated walkers showed up to run, jog or walk their way into NADP Conference lore.

Among the runners Brandon Rosner and Joe Zons of Wonderbox Technologies were the first men to cross the finish line and Amie McGraham was the first woman to finish the 5K run along the scenic bayfront route that ran by the Seattle Aquarium down to the Seattle Art Museum.

After the run, participants received a lovely Conference t-shirt and a sense of accomplishment in their trek.

Getting in the Swing of Annual Conference

The hearty bunch of golfers that braved the early hours morning mist and cool tempareatures were rewarded with amazing vistas and feats.

Ryan North with PPO USA and Mark Moticik of Healthation (the event sponsors) both drove par 4 greens.  The winning foursome included Joe Zons (Wonderbox) Ryan North (PPO USA) Juliane Brooks (MVA) and Doyle Williams— posting a strong 58!

Terry Young (Ameritas) took ‘closest to the pin’ honors, while Ryan North had the longest drive (of course) and NADP’s own Evelyn Ireland posted the straight-shot drive.

The event ended with lunch and a golf trivia quiz for even more prizes and best of all – shopping at the pro shop - courtesy of our sponsor Healthation. 

There are some surprises for you at conference!

It’s the don’t miss event of the year and NADP has some surprises up their sleeves just for you. Expect the unexpected! Prepare to be “wowed.” It’s all designed with you in mind!

Thoughts On Innovation

By Opening General Session Speaker Scott Klososky
Innovation gets tossed around as a popular trait that companies need to have. It is much easier to say we are innovative, than to actually be innovative. I have a personal belief that if one if going to talk about innovation, one should actually have something innovative to say, and even a new way to say it. I practice what I preach when on stage because I always have innovative ways of delivering my keynotes. For the purposes of this screed, I will leave the innovation to the idea…

Technology is a difference maker – that statement attracts little debate. What might attract more of a debate is whether building it is an art or a science. I have a strong belief that technology is art. The evidence of this is the fact that there are 1,000 different ways to build any piece of software, or assemble a network. In fact, if you asked 100 artists to paint a potato, you would get every variation under the sun. Including the smart alec that would literally paint a real potato blue and hand it to you. In the same vein, if you asked 100 programmers to develop and accounts receivable application, you would get 100 very different applications, written on many different platforms. Some high quality, and some ghetto quality.

Let’s go further, ask 100 network engineers to assemble a network and you will get a wide array of configurations, with varying throughput and security levels. The difference between art and engineering is the amount of tools that can be used to achieve a goal, and the performance level of the final product. A bridge must absolutely handle cars and trucks going over it, and must last for 100 years. A software program built to handle A/R might not even be able to print the report you need. So why is this important?

If you understand that technology is art, you will do two important things differently. The first is that you will pay much more attention to the people you hire to do the art. You would look more for talent and at past experience, then at the price tag. No one wants a portrait done by a $20 novice because it would be ugly and would never get hung. Yet we hire junior tech people thinking we are saving money. The second is we would spend more time on the strategy behind our digital plumbing. Once an executive has a vision of how their technology plumbing should function, they would get much more interested in driving results. Believe me, there is a reason that programmers dress like they do at work. There is a reason they do not like to work regular hours. There is a reason that they can be really emotional, and that it is hard to make software that is bug proof. Technology is art, and as such, needs to be built by masters – or it will look like a velvet painting of dogs playing poker…

So what are your thoughts about innovation, technology as art and technology as the difference maker? Post them here and well discuss them more at the Opening General Session “Driving Innovation: Insights To Help Your Organization Breakthrough” on September 26 at 10:30 am!

Welcome to NADP’s Annual Conference 2007 Weblog

Welcome to NADP’s Annual Conference 2007 Weblog. Going to the 2007 Annual Conference in Seattle September 26-28 and want the inside scoop of which classes to take? Curious about any special announcements that NADP may make during the conference? Want some insider’s information from speakers? Or perhaps you can’t attend and want to be one of the first “in the know” at your office? Check back here often. We’ll have posts from speakers and attendees. It’s all about giving you more information to use at your fingertips