Moving Forward to Secure the Future of your DAM: Highlights from Henry Stewart 2023
Tim Mullholland
The Henry Stewart DAM Conference was held in New York last week and members of our Salt Flats team were fortunate to attend again. The event was kicked off by industry stalwart David Lipsey who set the tone with a nostalgic journey back to the 2003 DAM Symposium, reminding us how much the industry has evolved over the past two decades. However, the conference's focus was firmly on the horizon, with cutting-edge sessions delving into metadata, governance, and the latest technological innovations in the field. Although it's impossible to encapsulate all the knowledge exchanged, we'd like to share some standout moments from our experience.
Unlocking the Power of DAM at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center
Dr. Kelisha Graves the Chief Research, Education and Programs Officer at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (The King Center) in Atlanta, GA gave the keynote session. Dr. Graves, who humorously quipped that she "does everything but cut the grass" at the King Center, showcased the center's remarkable digital transformation journey. What stood out was the King Center's profound understanding of DAM's value to the organization and their unwavering commitment to making content accessible. Librarians like me were very excited to hear about the legacy of Coretta Scott King, a trained librarian who, of course, meticulously kept all the family’s records and correspondence that are now being digitized.
Metadata’s Powerful Role
Day one also featured a thought-provoking panel discussion on metadata, featuring industry experts John Horodyski (Salt Flats), Michael Wall (Caesar’s Entertainment), Kelly Manno (Radio Free Asia), Sebastian Bardoz (Wedia), and Brian Bishop (Sitecore). Michael and Kelly provided valuable insights into how metadata fuels their DAM processes, shedding light on the intricacies of managing metadata in sensitive environments. What made this panel especially insightful was the vendor perspective offered by Sebastian and Brian, highlighting how metadata is leveraged in their platforms to complement the real-world case studies presented by Kelly and Michael. The key takeaway here from the panel: metadata is the unsung hero, ensuring content is not only discoverable but also usable.
Best Practices in Governance
Highlights from the second day included a panel discussion on governance. The panel “An A-Z On Managing Governance” led by John Horodyski included Jessica Berlin at Stanley Black and Decker, Santiago Gonzalez at Wayfair, and a New York favorite Kathryn Gronsbell from Carnegie Hall. These professionals shared their wealth of knowledge on best practices in the complex world of governance. The Q&A session proved immensely popular, allowing attendees to take home valuable insights. Jessica Berlin's quote, "Governance secures the future of your DAM," succinctly captured the essence of the discussion.
From Idea to Core Component: The DAM Journey at Pacific Life Insurance
The second day featured a description from Jennifer Cook and Claude Davis from Pacific Life Insurance on their DAM journey and how they have used it to improve marketing operational efficiencies at their organization. This session was very useful for attendees to see how to build out your DAM from a concept to make it the center of the marketing technology stack. Jennifer and Claude provided practical first-hand advice on what to do and even lessons they learned throughout their DAM journey. Jennifer and Claude's session underscored the significance of learning from peers at events like these, as they initially encountered DAM at a conference.
In summary, Henry Stewart 2023 offered a wealth of insights, from best practices in metadata and governance to exciting demonstrations of cutting-edge DAM technology. Attendees left the conference with a clear vision to expand and fortify the future of their marketing technology stack, having been treated to a number of informative and thought-provoking sessions.