An unforgettable day so far...

Today didn't exactly turn out the way I thought it would.

First was getting stuck in Philadelphia because the incoming plane was delayed. By more than 90 minutes.

Then, there was the state of arriving in Missouri tired and 'zoned out' from the trip, and finding that it was pouring!!!

Needless to say, I was drenched while trying to make my way between the Stadium stop and the Hilton hotel.

It sure wasn't the most invigorating way to mark my participation in the conference.

But after a quick shower and feeling sufficiently refreshed, I picked up my camera and video recorder and began my first experience in IABD... as a participant, and also as a member of the IABD Press team.

Dr Robert C Camp (Indiana U of PA) presenting his paper at the session.

Dr Hamid Khan (Our Lady of the Lake U, SA, TX) making a response to the presentation.

One of the first full session that I attended was the one on capitalism, and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of rigor and passion in the exchanges and debates. And even though it was about a topic that was clearly not my forte, I found myself getting entrenched in energy of the discussion and the friendly confrontations!

These were people really like a family because many of them have actually been around for the past couple of conferences. I even interviewed Dr Raymond Cox (without knowing his background, and thinking he might be a potential newbie) only to realize he's been attending the past 21 IABD conferences.

Just what keeps them going?

It's the sense of FAMILY - and many of them have known each other for a long time.

And as Dr Shahid Siddiqi told me after the close of the evening, it's vitally important to find your own group of friends or people you know because that's how you'll develop that space to grow and develop.

In a word - RELATIONSHIPS!

Indeed, the social capital is indeed one of the most defining elements of our society today, and this is coming alive in IABD.

I think this is going to be a most intriguing conference after all.

Can't wait for the second day to commence...

So, this is what it's like...

to be a professional. The last few weeks leading up to the conference have been hectic; setting up the press site alone and coordinating with my colleagues, among work and school, was almost too much. But being here on the first day of the conference, I came to a realization. Every professional wishes there were more hours in the day. To be surrounded by so many like-minded, driven scholars and professionals has given me new appreciation for what we all go through - to be here. I look forward to tomorrow and the exciting people we will be interviewing.

Video updates

We are thrilled to have uploaded the first major batch of videos to IABD TV. Please take a look at what you and your colleagues have been saying and enjoy!

Check back frequently as we will be regularly updating this and all other parts of the site during the conference.

A few thoughts at the end of the day

I never wanted to be a journalist. Well, that's not entirely true as I was once enrolled as a journalism major when I was in college. But I was there more because of an interest in the technical aspects of production rather than any fondness for direct interaction as a reporter. Looking back on the first night of my first major academic conference, I am glad that I am here in that capacity. The direct exposure, through my interviews and side conversations, to a variety of interesting, enthusiastic individuals already harbors the promise of fruitful relationships. Further, as a student, I am thrilled to be engaged in a project with clear “real world” application: our process of gathering information and transferring it to the website in real time could easily be used by any kind of organization. I thoroughly look forward to expanding my network and continuing to learn by doing these next two days.

What to expect from IABD Press?

I and Rob will be presenting NCA Press project on Saturday morning. (10.30 am, Laclede Room). NCA Press project took place during NCA 2008 Convention in San Diego.

We will show the following video. I hope seeing the outcomes of this project will give you an idea about what IABD Press is going to do. Here we go:




NCA Press Promo Video for IABD from Efe Sevin on Vimeo.

Time to Go!

Welcome to IABD Press 2009 Website!

I am Efe, a graduate student from Emerson College. I will be one of the five people walking around with flip cameras and audio recorders, trying to interview the participants!

If you cannot make it to St. Louis, or if you miss a session during the convention, don't worry! We are dedicated to cover each and every session of IABD's 21st Annual Convention. This website will be updated regularly, so, whenever you can find time, just visit us!

One more day before the convention starts!

See you in St. Louis...

Efe

IABD Press 2009 is now Tweeting!

Calling all IABD 2009 delegates!!!

Are you, like the more than 7 million others in the United States and around the world, actively leading a double life as a Tweeple? Well, if you are, we've some great news for you. The IABD Press team is on TWITTER and we'll be happily chirping away throughout the duration of this conference and we'd like to invite you to join in the fun!

Wondering what to Tweet about? Here are some ideas (but don't let that limit you, though)...

• New people you've just added to your network

• Old friends you're meeting after a while

• Great ideas that you pick up from the presentations

• If you're about to make a presentation (include the topic if possible)

• Interesting things you see

• Fun things to do

• Words of encouragenment to the IABD Press Team that you'll see all over the conference (I just had to add this in)

Bottomline... have fun, create a buzz and tell the rest of the world what the IABD 2009 conference is all about... in 140 keystrokes. And remember to follow us - @iabdpress - to catch our livestreams.

Happy Tweeting, and have a wonderful conference!