Silver in the Windy City – ABA TECHSHOW Turns 25 This Week!

07
Apr
2011

Christy Burke

This week marks the 25th Birthday/Silver Anniversary of the ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago which runs from April 11- April 13 at the Chicago Hilton.  TECHSHOW is sponsored by the American Bar Association’s Law Practice Management (LPM) section.  Having gone to the show for about the past 10 years, I have to say this particular event is always one of the highlights of my year.

The educational sessions at TECHSHOW are always good, the Taste of TECHSHOW dinners have introduced me to interesting people and the best Chicago hotspots, and the Expo Hall overflows with buzz and cool new products.  And on St. Patrick’s Day, they do actually dye the river green!

Years ago, when I worked for World Software Corporation at the Worldox booth, we were so busy doing demos at this show that the days totally flew by.  TECHSHOW was definitely one of the strongest shows of the year from a lead-generation standpoint, and my PR clients that choose to exhibit continue to report the same robust level of activity.

Also, the legal technology denizens I know and love are certainly “in the house” at TECHSHOW.  I get to see the wonderful (and tall!) Andy Adkins with his signature cowboy hat, my friends from Affinity Consulting, and my buddies Tom O’Connor from the Gulf Coast Legal Technology Center, Dave Glynn and Mike Loquercio from Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, and Craig Bayer of Law Office Technology.  Since Dave is a local and has solid radar for fun places, he usually tips us off to the best chicken shack, burger joint or Chicago pizza hole-in-the wall for a savory lunch on the run.  And, of course, Buddy Guy’s is just down the street if you want to step out for some great blues!

This year promises to be even more awesome due to TECHSHOW’s 25th birthday festivities which will provide a historical perspective of how far the conference has come, where it is now, and where it’s going.

Wondering about this year’s quarter-century celebration, I spoke with Paul Unger, Esq. of Affinity Consulting who is Chair of the 2011 ABA TECHSHOW.  Unger has been attending TECHSHOW since 1992, when he was a law clerk in Columbus, OH and is very proud to be chairing the show for this commemorative year.

He says, “There’s something for everyone at TECHSHOW.  Whether you’re a lawyer, an IT professional or a consultant, you can get substantive information about end-user applications from front office to back office, mobile devices and eDiscovery.”  Unger said about 50% of TECHSHOW attendees are small and mid-size law firms, 25% are from large firms and 25% are corporate counsel.

The night of Monday, April 11th, there will be a special Silver Jubilee Reception from 5:30-7pm at the Hilton.  The event’s program will feature speakers from the formative days of TECHSHOW, an awards presentation, and a segment called “25 Tips from 25 Years”, a look back at the conference’s history using a format inspired by the popular “60 Tips/60 Sites in 60 Minutes” sessions which always draw big crowds at the show.  Unger notes there will also be a tech museum that will display a collection of hardware through the years, as well as honors for previous speakers and organizers.

Phil Shuey, Esq. will be one of the presenters at the Silver Jubilee Reception.  Still practicing law and legal IT consulting in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Shuey was one of the founders of TECHSHOW when it was called Index:Legal back in the late 1980s.  TECHSHOW was initially based in Dallas, then Dallas/Boston, and then Chicago was chosen as a central destination.

Shuey has chaired five TECHSHOWs and has spoken at 15.  Over the years, he has seen technology impact the legal profession in a major way.  “Lawyers are much more mobile now, and we are either chained to or liberated by mobile devices, depending how you look at it.  In today’s economic environment, we need to respond to clients’ needs quickly.  TECHSHOW helps lawyers to realize how they can use technology as a way of doing things better, cheaper and faster.”

Another TECHSHOW veteran is Andy Adkins, who I mentioned earlier for his memorable height and hat.

Andy is a well-respected figure in the industry and a TECHSHOW veteran.  He chaired TECHSHOW in 2000 and 2001, has been on the planning board for 5 years, and has been a speaker at nearly all of the ones he has attended.

I asked Andy…what makes TECHSHOW special?  He had a long list, of course, but to summarize, he said, “The people that do the planning spend a full year preparing for the show, and they genuinely want to teach people about legal technology.  The organizers keep it fresh by making sure at least one-third of the speaker pool is new each year.  Also, the attendees are more serious about buying products they see or hear about which makes the Expo Hall a very exciting place to be.”

Dennis Kennedy is another fixture at TECHSHOW, having attended the show since the late 90’s.  An attorney in the law department of MasterCard Worldwide, Dennis makes a point of going to the show year in, year out to speak and chart industry trends, and to gather ideas for the LegalTalk Network podcast he does with Tom Mighell, the Kennedy-Mighell Report.

Kennedy notes, “I have always admired the people that run TECHSHOW.  The show is focused on helping practicing lawyers to use technology in a practical way.  Speakers and attendees are open and generous with their time, and the organizers really think about how to get the attendees the best education possible.”

He recalls one year where people from a law firm in Nigeria had scraped together the money to attend TECHSHOW.  Technology was so important to them that they flew across the world to hear the speakers and learn from the experts.

Since TECHSHOW has been around for 25 years now, providing stellar education and great networking opportunities all the while, it’s easy for our industry to take it for granted.  Let’s take our cue from the Nigerians and express appreciation for a show that has helped lawyers of all ages, firms of all sizes, and people from several countries, to understand technology and apply what they have learned to enhance their law practices.

Happy Birthday and congratulations, TECHSHOW!  Let’s raise a glass to another 25 years of excellence, good times and cool technology!