Carrie speaking at IEEE Wed, Sept 23, 6pm

September 21, 2015

Carrie Vanston presents Five Keys to the Innovative and Engaged and 5 Keys opening lock 7-21-15 new keys & tall letters smallerInnovative Culture IEEE Central Texas Consultants Network Wednesday, September 23, 6-8:30 pm PoK-e-Jo’s Smokehouse 2121 West Parmer Lane at Lamplight Village Avenue Austin, Texas 78727

Carrie Vanston, VP Communications at TFI, provides individuals and organizations five keys to create and grow engaged and innovative cultures that are cutting-edge, with strong purpose and the inclusion of all stakeholders. Such cultures are essential to succeed and thrive in the rapidly changing world we live in. Attendees will learn practical ways for staying ahead of the latest industry trends and creating caring environments that encourage high quality recruits, retainment of employees, happy customers, and greater productivity and profit.

Everyone is invited to attend! There is a $5 restaurant charge. No reservations necessary. Guests are encouraged to have a bite to eat at this excellent barbeque spot!

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Carrie Vanston photoCarrie Vanston, is VP of Communications at Technology Futures, Inc. and the MiniTrends Project. She excels at helping clients create and grow cultures that encourage better retention, happier customers, and higher productivity and profit. She is co-author of the award-winning book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends. Recent articles by Carrie have appeared in Texas CEO Magazine and the Austin Business Journal.

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John & Carrie on BOSS-Talks — Free Webinar – Mon., Nov 10, 12-1 CST

November 7, 2014

BOSS-Talks: Tech Tools Free Webinar:

“MiniTrends: Trends Inside Trends”

with Dr. John H. Vanston and Carrie Vanston

Monday, November 10, 2014, 12-1 pm CST
In this one-hour online webinar, award-winning authors Dr. John H. Vanston, and Carrie Vanston discuss the MiniTrends Concept and how you can find and act on significant minitrends — trends that smaller firms can run with and medium to large companies can use to stay innovative by engaging their leadership’s and employees’ creativity and imagination.
Participants learn:
  • How and where to search for MiniTrends.
  • How to evaluate the business attractiveness of a MiniTrend.
  • How to develop an effective MiniTrend Strategy.
  • How to turn the strategy into profitable business opportunities…
  • RSVP Blue Button You should participate if you are:
    • A Corporate Intrapreneur seeking strategies to keep your organization on the cutting edge of business and technology.
    • An Entrepreneur wishing to identify, assess, and exploit attractive new business opportunities.
    • An Innovative Thinker interested in gaining recognition for originality and perceptiveness.
    • An Investor interested in uncovering attractive new investment opportunities.
    • A Job Seeker wishing to define emerging employment possibilities.
    Participants will recieve a solid basis for developing their own “MiniTrends Mindset.”
The session is based on John’s and Carrie’s experience in identifying and applying technical, social, and business trends and their award-winning book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends.
Business Success Center logo

 Tech Tools Webinar Host: BOSS-Talks’ Dr. Jan Triplett and Business Success Center provide ramp up assistance for new businesses and scaling for growing businesses.

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MiniTrends 2014: Thank You, Slides & More

October 29, 2014

Thank you to everyone who had a part in making MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy such a huge success! The speakers were fantastic, the synergy between attendees exciting, and the overall response great. Now let’s build on the connections we made and all we learned!

We want to give special thanks to our Keynotes David Pearce Snyder, Brett Hurt, and Dr. John Vanston. They brought to life our theme of the importance of foresight and culture for the success of organizations. Ditto to Dr. Jani Byrne, Joyce Gioia, and our distinguished panel.

We also greatly appreciate our wonderful Sponsors and Partners, as well as our Planning Committee and Advisory Board for their integral role in making this such a valuable and fun event.

Conference slides are up! We will post conference pictures of the sessions, meals, and reception on our MiniTrends Facebook soon. We are also preparing a video of the proceedings for purchase.

Thank you to those attendees who turned in an Evaluation Sheet. If you didn’t, please fill it our now by clicking here. We take your comments very seriously for future planning.

Join our LinkedIn MiniTrends Group and/or guest blog on our MiniTrends Blog to share thoughts about the conference and your own minitrends, experiences, and resources. Twitter is @MiniTrendsBook, #minitrends.

We welcome feedback on the book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends that attendees received at the conference. (A quick read of the Preface (Page xxi) and Chapter 10 (Pg 185-186) gives a good overall theme of the book.) MINITRENDS also available on Amazon.

Please keep us in the loop on your activities and how you are applying methods and ideas you picked up at the conference and in the book. We use examples in our talks, blogs, and/or they may be speaking subjects for you next year.

Also please let us know if we might bring a MiniTrends Mindset to your organization through a presentation, workshop, and/or other in-house services. We want to know the direction you are heading and how we and the MiniTrends Community can help you get to where you want to be. We look forward to continuing the conversation.

TFI Communications Technology Asset Valuation Conference – Jan. 28-29, 2015 – Austin, TX

October 22, 2014

The preliminary schedule for MiniTrends’ parent company’s 10th Annual TFI Communications Technology Asset Valuation Conference is now posted! The conference is Wednesday-Thursday, January 28-29, 2015, at the Radisson Hotel in Austin, Texas. The Pre-Conference Seminar: TFI Technology Forecasting for Valuation is on Tuesday, January 27. 

The conference is geared to tax, depreciation, and valuation professionals, but should be attended by anyone with a strong policy or business interest in future of the communications network. The program includes featured outside speakers specializing in technology areas, TFI speakers reviewing their latest forecasts, and people from the consulting, industry and appraisal community sharing their knowledge in presentations and on panels.

Distinguished Keynotes are:

Dub Dublin
IoT Pioneer, Serial CTO and Entrepreneur
“The Internet of Things: Overview & Outlook

 

Iain Gillott
President and Founder, iGR (iGillottResearch, Inc.)
“Small Cells and Het-Nets, The Wave of the Future”

 

 

August (Augie) Grant
Professor, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of South Carolina; Co-Editor, Communications Technology Update & Fundamentals
“Future of Television and Video”

 

Speakers and panelists to date are from Comcast, Deloitte, CostQuest, TFI, CorrelationAdvisors, Duff & Phelps, Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T, and T-Mobile, with more to be announced soon.

 

Lawrence K. Vanston, Ph.D. is Conference Director and also leads the Pre-Conference Seminar: TFI Technology Forecasting for Valuation


Start 2015 with the latest knowledge and insights on the
key forces impacting communications assets!

Sponsors
 

Obtaining Credentials for Continuing Professional Education credits again this year is in progress.

=====================

Further information: Please see links above or contact Helen Mary Marek at (512) 258-8898(512) 258-8898 or info@tfi.com.

Communication Assets Outlook Website and Blog document trends and developments that impact the technology assets of the communications industry. Produced by TFI and, in part, sponsored by the CTFG and the TFI Conference. — See slides and videos from TFI Communications Technology Asset Valuation Conference 2014!

IBM’s Dr. Jani Byrne joins MiniTrends 2014 (Sept 26) – Special $150 rate ends Noon Monday Sept 22

September 19, 2014

Minitrends 2014 -- Jani Byrne, IBM  http://minitrends.com/minitrends-2014/

Dr. Jani Byrne
Director of Marketing, Cloud, IBM

We are delighted that Dr. Jani Byrne, Director of Marketing, Cloud, at IBM has joined the program for our 3rd annual MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy. Jani will be sharing her experiences as corporate innovator in her talk “Musings of a Wild Duck in a Big Pond.”

Jani is responsible for Content Marketing globally for Cloud, one of IBMs leading strategic initiatives, creating and distributing consumable, relevant content to drive client acquisition and purchase. Previously she served as IBM’s Director, Marketing Strategy for Global Mid-Markets MSPs and Director, Strategy.

Jani is on the Boards of The Seton Fund at the Seton Family of Hospitals’ and Austin Chamber of Commerce Technology Partnership.

Register Now for special price for full conference of only $150 until noon, Monday, September 22.

Our Keynotes are Austin Tech Leader and Bazaarvoice Founder Brett Hurt, top D.C. Futurist David Pearce Snyder, and award-winning author Dr. John Vanston. Also headlining is USA TODAY’s Road Warrior of the Year Joyce Gioia.

Minitrends 2014 Keynotes

MiniTrends 2014 SpeakersWe have an excellent applications panel on how to turbo-charge your success and profit by combining MiniTrends methods with your innovation strategy. Panelists include Raj Asava, Jeffrey Fry, Steve Pearson, Carrie Vanston, and Larry Vanston.

The breadth and depth of the speaking talent and schedule for this awesome event it exceptional. In addition we have incredible attendees who are thought-leaders in their own right. (See what our past attendees say.) We hope you, too, will be part of the this year’s amazing event.

MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy.

Friday, September 26, 2014
8:30 am – 5:30 pm followed by “Power Hour” Reception
Holiday Inn Lady Bird Lake, Austin, TX
Full Conference for Only $150

(Special ends Noon, Monday, Sept. 22)
All attendees receive Continental Breakfast, Breaks,
and Lunch followed by a Networking Reception!

Please share offer with your friends, colleagues & networks.

 

2 Weeks Until MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy – Sign Up Now at Special Rate

September 12, 2014

MiniTrends Conference Promo Video

See what all the excitement is about! MiniTrends 2014, September 26, Austin, TX

Why attend MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy on Friday, September 26, in Austin, Texas? Because it’s all about how YOU can…

1) Do More with Less.

2) Work Smarter, Not Harder.

3) Game the System.

4) Become that Rock Star!

How, you ask? Becoming adept at discerning MiniTrends will first give you insights into innovation. This ability to understand people’s wants and needs, and the underlying causes of change will allow you to see how to achieve a high return on effort, essentially letting you see a path of doing more with less, and in turn working smarter not harder.

With these new insights on possible innovations, you can begin to act on and process these new ideas in the development of new products or methodologies, thus allowing you to get a competitive advantage or as VCs like to say, “game the system.”

Finally, combining these new, undiscovered insights with derived innovations, you can increase your acumen in making or carrying out plans of action to achieve your new strategic goals. In other words, by attending MiniTrends you can become that “Rock Star” everyone talks about!

From the development of the printing press, to the photocopier, to the PC, to the Internet, and the cell phone, each one of the these now “common” inventions began when one individual was able to see an emerging trend way before the rest of crowd.

If you ever wonder how they were able to see that far into the future, you first need to have the ability to recognize what you are looking at. This conference will start you on your way to doing so.

MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy

8:30 am – 5:30 pm followed by “Power Hour” Reception
Friday, September 26, 2014
Holiday Inn Lady Bird Lake, Austin, TXA limited number of MiniTrends Community spots are available for $150 for this all-day premier event with code Special150-2014 (until Sun Sept 21). Student rate also available.

Registration for MiniTrends 2014

Contact TFI at info@tfi.com or (512)-8898 or visit www.minitrends.com/minitrends-2014 for more information.

Meet John & Carrie at WorldFuture 2014 in Orlando

June 17, 2014

WorldFuture 2014, July 11-13, Orlando, FLMiniTrends’ leaders Dr. John Vanston and Carrie Vanston are excited to be conducting a day-long Pre-Conference Master Course at the World Future Society’s annual conference WorldFuture 2014: What If? Our Master Course, MiniTrends and Macro-Change: Turbo-Charging Your Future, also includes our co-presenter and long-time partner, the highly-esteemed futurist David Pearce Snyder and will be held on Thursday, July 10 from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Mintirends Keynote Speaker: David Pearce Snyder, Futurist and Contributing Editor, The FuturistThis inspring day begins with David describing the changing world and the forces driving it. He helps you see the future through a matrix of many emerging trends – MiniTrends – that reflect the macro-changes that you must anticipate to be successful as the future unfolds.

Dr. John Vanston, Author, MINITRENDS, Carrie Vanston, Co-Author, MINITRENDS

Dr. John Vanston & Carrie Vanston
presenting Pre-Conference
Master Course at WorldFuture 2014

John and Carrie, authors of the award-winning book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends, then provide you with the foundation for a strong MiniTrends process with seven ways for you to find, analyze, and profit from important minitrends and their potential business opportunities.

Participants will leave this course with an understanding of:

  • How predictable forces are rapidly reshaping our demography, economic structure, productive technologies, and decision-making processes.
  • How monitoring these forces can enable participants to identify and profit from emerging trends and attractive business opportunities.
  • How participants can apply the information, ideas, and insights presented in this course to guide their business, cause-related, personal, and investment decisions.

We hope you will join us in Orlando for WorldFuture 2014: What If? and our Pre-Conference Master Course: MiniTrends and Macro-Change: Turbo-Charging Your Future.

Register Now! MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy – Sep 26, Austin, TX

May 31, 2014

Minitrends-2014: Insight, Innovation & StrategyWe cordially invite you to attend the premier event for innovators, futurists, technologists, trendsetters, and blue sky thinkers, the 3rd Annual MiniTrends conference, MiniTrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & Strategy.

Dr. John H. Vanston, Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.; MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology TrendsScheduled for September 26th, 2014, in beautiful downtown Austin, TX, this unique conference is in its third successful year of leading the conversation about innovation. Hosted by award winning author and renowned futurist, Dr. John Vanston, this one day event gives you the insight you need to stay innovative and to thrive in a rapidly changing business environment.

Mintirends Keynote Speaker: David Pearce Snyder, Futurist and Contributing Editor, The FuturistThe day begins with an inspiring keynote by highly regarded futurist David Pearce  Snyder describing the forces driving that environment, followed by keynote and feature presentations and expert panelists. All speakers are focused on getting you up to speed with the concept of minitrends and how you can use that knowledge to skyrocket your success into the future.

You’ll be provided lunch as well as have the opportunity to mix and mingle with conference attendees and speakers in an after-conference reception.

Minitrends 2014: Insight, Innovation & StrategyYou Will Gain:

INSIGHT: Discover what is coming up for your industry; be open to new ways of looking at things, and find strategies to innovate within your company!

CULTURE: See how in creating and nurturing a supportive culture for innovators to discover and apply innovative ideas, can be your “secret sauce” in seizing new markets and opportunities, and ultimately improving your bottom line.

STATEGY: Get the advantage of a MiniTrend Mindset and Strategy by attending this unique conference in innovative hot-spot Austin, Texas with direct interaction with Industry experts. 

If This is You, This Conference Is A MUST!

    • Analysts: Business, Marketing, Competitive, Market Acceptance
    • Development Managers: Technology, Strategy, Product, Delivery
    • Strategists: Technology, Business, Product, Partnerships, Channel
    • Research Managers: New Product, Technology, Science, Materials, Methodologies

Register now for MiniTrends 2014 and leave with a Concrete Strategy to
keep your organization innovative and successful!

 MiniTrends 2014 Conference - Eventbrite Registration

Take Advantage of Early Bird Rates!

Attendance includes Continental Breakfast, Breaks, Lunch followed by Reception!

Oct. 2-3: MiniTrends 2013: The Integration of Profit & Social Responsibility

June 21, 2013

MiniTrends 2013 Conference: The Integration of Profit & Social Responsibility


Second Annual MiniTrends Conference

MiniTrends 2013: The Integration of Profit & Social Responsibility

October 2-3, Holiday Inn Town Lake, Austin, Texas

Discover, Profit, Do Good!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013
8:30 am – 5:30 pm, Reception 5:30 – 7:15 pm

You CAN be profitable and socially responsible. This event exposes that sweet spot where new and established businesses can find the tools and directional choices to profit and inspire themselves and their employees in whatever their line of business.

Join us in Austin, the place Forbes’ calls the “Best Big City for Jobs,” to listen and participate as all-star business leaders and forward thinkers reveal how to start new ventures and grow established organizations leveraging MiniTrends.

MiniTrends ConferenceBy understanding MiniTrends—emerging trends that will soon become important, but not yet widely recognized—you will discover effective ways to balance capitalism with complementary social values and philanthropy in your business.

Find out what future trends and convergences are on the horizon and, of equal importance, how you can find profitable emerging trends of your own integrated with socially responsible values.

Austin is an exciting, growing entrepreneurial hub that offers a culture built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and caring. What better place to find out how you, too, can develop a Minitrends Mindset!

You Should Attend if You are a Value-Driven:

  • Entrepreneur wishing to identify, assess, and exploit attractive new business opportunities
  • Decision Making Executive, Director, Manager, or in a Small or Mid-Size Business wanting to gain advantage by recognizing and utilizing emerging trends
  • Innovative Thinking Executive, Director, Manager, or Professional in a Larger Business aspiring to distinguish yourself by your special insights and perceptiveness
  • Investor interested in uncovering attractive new investment opportunities
  • Job Seeker wishing to define employment opportunities

What You will Gain:

  • MiniTrends Conference LuncheonA creative mind-set and resources for finding and taking advantage of emerging trends and opportunities relating to your own area of expertise and interest.
  • An understanding of how to integrate profit and socially responsible purpose and value in your business.
  • A preview of MiniTrends that thought leaders see developing.
  • Experience from innovative leaders sharing how they use emerging trends to start new ventures or grow established organizations for profit with attention to all stakeholders.
  • Tactics to identify untapped business opportunities from converging trends in the business and social arenas.
  • Interaction with speakers and fellow participants to learn, mix, and share ideas.
  • Strategy and insights to create or grow your organization and, in the process, find your bliss.
  • An opportunity to enjoy the Live Music Capital of the World!

What Attendees Say

Speakers:

Conference Chair: Dr. John H. VanstonChairman, Technology Futures, Inc.

MiniTrends 2012 Conference Chair - Dr. John H. Vanston, Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.John founded TFI in 1978, building the Austin, Texas-based company into a leading authority in custom research and technology forecasting. His MiniTrends concept, designed to increase creativity, innovation, and success, is summarized in MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends. The book has received several Best Business Book awards and excellent reviews and endorsements.

Minitrends Seminar Director - Carrie Vanston, Media and Mkt. Dir., Technology Futures, Inc.Conference Director: Carrie VanstonMedia and Marketing Director, Technology Futures, Inc.
Carrie has many years of experience in public relations, marketing, and sales at TFI and in the entertainment industry. As co-author of MINITRENDS: How Entrepreneurs & Innovators Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trendsshe brings a distinct real-world quality to MiniTrends activities, particularly in the media communications and social media areas.

MiniTrends 2013 Conference Speaker - Andre Angel, Tango TabAndre AngelCo-founder/CEO at TangoTab; Co-Founder/Chairman, WorkMeter; Co-founder, Servoyant, LLC; Co-Founder/Chairman, CODEKKO Software
Based in Dallas, Andre is a serial entrepreneur with global experience. His latest venture, TangoTab, is a real-time, online social enterprise business that offers diners discounts at participating restaurants, and donates a meal to the community each time you use the service. “When you eat, they eat.” Prior to Tango Tab, he co-founded, grew and sold numerous high-tech companies including CODEKKO, Experticity, NTR, Elastic Edge, and WorkMeter. Earlier, he was Global Vice President of Sales at Nortel Networks.

MIniTrends 2013 Conference Speaker - Jeffrey Fry, Principal, Help Find CareJeffrey FryPrincipal, Help Find Care; Chief Executive, Profit Prophet; Director/CMO, MainGain; Board Member, baqpak; Executive Director, Firefly Funds; Executive Director, SHINE Night; President, SEDA RICO, LLC;
Jeffrey has launched a new type of in-home healthcare service that empowers healthcare service professionals to go into business for themselves while better connecting in-home healthcare needs. Riding the minitrend of baby boomer parents needing innovative ways to care for their parents, this model empowers all stakeholders and drives the cost of home healthcare down. Jeffrey also has been involved in several startups and plays roles in several civic programs.

MiniTrends 2013 Conference Advisory Board Member - Bijoy Goswami, Cofounder & Evangelist at ATX EquationBijoy GoswamiCofounder & Evangelist at ATX Equation, The Bootstrap, Aviri Consulting; Founder, Organizer, Bootstrap Network; CEO, Aviri Inc.
Bijoy Goswami deeply interested in how we steward unique journeys for individuals, organizations, communities and beyond. He sees our unique human capability of building mental models as a vital part of this endeavor. He loves building and sharing simple, yet powerful models, including MREyouPlusU and Bootstrap.

MiniTrends 2012 Conference - Christopher Justice, Chief Executive Officer at Sparksight, Inc.Christopher JusticeChief Executive Officer at Sparksight, Inc.; Founder, Justice Pest Services
Christopher co-founded Sparksight®  in 2006 and has built the company into a well-respected design agency that specializes in event management, high definition video production and digital marketing. Combining wisdom and humor with common sense, Chris is a master at building better businesses through a combination of face-to-face and online marketing techniques. Christopher is a conscious leader that works hard to have a company that benefits all involved.

Minitrends Expert Panelist Joy Miller, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, City of Austin Small Business Development ProgramJoy MillerMarketing and Outreach Coordinator, City of Austin Small Business Development Program
Joy is a marketing and outreach professional with over 20 years of leadership experience in process improvement, human resources, and operations. She communicates with and counsels aspiring and existing small business owners in presentations and in personal communications to ensure understanding of City of Austin resources and assistance available to them.

MiniTrends 2013 Conference Advisory Board - Steve Pearson, Lead Strategist, Founder, Visionex Solutions, LLCSteve Pearson, Lead Strategist, Founder, Visionex Solutions, LLC
Steve’s passion is accelerating innovation and R&D by identifying emerging, adjacent and disruptive technologies. Companies ranging from Fortune 500s to small startups rely on Steve and his analysts to provide Competitive Intelligence, Innovation Support and Informed Strategic Development. He works with high-tech, electrical, mechanical, energy, construction and transportation industries.

MiniTrends 2013 Conference Speaker Eve Richter,

Eve RichterVP of Community & Partnerships, door64
Door64 is a huge group  community of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) industries influencers serving more than 30,000 STEM professionals in the Austin Area. Previous to door64, Eve served as the Emerging Technologies Coordinator in the Economic Development Division at the City of Austin, helping businesses, startups, entrepreneurs and individuals in the tech (and other) sectors to grow and be successful in the Austin community.

Minitrends 2013 Conference Speaker - Dr. Lawrence VanstonDr. Lawrence VanstonPresident, Technology Futures, Inc.
Larry is an expert on the future of telecommunications and its significance to organizations and people. Since 1985, he has been the director and principal author of ongoing reports commissioned by the Telecommunications Technology Forecasting Group (TTFG), presently comprised of AT&T, CenturyLink, Verizon, and Windstream. Larry directs TFI’s popular TFI Communications Technology Asset Valuation Conference, now in its 9th year.

More speakers to be announced soon!

Preliminary Schedule

___________________

Post-Conference Methods MiniTrends Workshop (Optional)

MiniTrends Workshop: How to Discover & Profit From Emerging Trends

Thursday, October 3, 2013, 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

Go the next step to starting your own MiniTrends Adventure by attending this excellent applications workshop. In this session, we discuss basic MiniTrends principles and participants have hands-on opportunities to find, analyze, and profit from emerging trends that also offer a socially responsible aspect. Participants leave with a solid basis for developing their own “Minitrends Mindset.”

MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology TrendsMiniTrends Workshop BONUS!! Copy of award-winning book MINITRENDS: How Innovators & Entrepreneurs Discover & Profit From Business & Technology Trends.

To encourage you to attend this valuable post-conference half-day workshop, we are offering it at an exceptionally low price! Only $75 early bird for general admission attendees! ($100 after Sept. 1.)

___________________

Venue:

The Holiday Inn Austin Town Lake Hotel is a wonderful location to experience Austin’s major attractions. Located on beautiful Lady Bird Lake, the hotel has direct access to the lake’s hike & bike trails and is a mile from Austin’s famous 6th Street entertainment district. It’s also near the State Capitol, University of Texas, South Congress Bridge (home to Austin’s famous Mexican free-tail bats), and the Governor’s Mansion. The hotel offers complimentary shuttles to Austin Bergstrom International Airport and to 6th Street. Book online or call the hotel directly to book very reasonably-priced sleeping rooms. 800-593-5676. For more information about Austin, visit Austin 360 or Austin Chamber of Commerce.

 ___________________


Registration:

General Admission: Wed., Oct. 2, 8:30 am-5:30 pm followed by reception. Early Bird $395 (after Sept. 1, $495).

Non-Profit/Government/Academic Admission: Wed., Oct. 2,
8:30 am-5:30 pm followed by reception. Early Bird $295 (after Sept. 1, $395).

Student Admission: Wed., Oct. 2, 8:30 am-5:30 pm followed by
reception. $90.00.

Post-Conference MiniTrends Methods Workshop General
Admission
 (Optional): Thurs., Oct. 3, 8:30 am-12:00 noon. Early Bird $75 (after Sept. 1, $100). (Conference registration required.)

Post-Conference MiniTrends Methods Workshop Student
Admission 
(Optional): Thurs., Oct. 3, 8:30 am-12:00 noon. $15.00. (Conference registration required.)

Eventbrite - MINITRENDS 2013: The Integration of Profit & Social Responsibility

 

Please contact TFI at info@tfi.com or (512) 258-8898 or
visit MiniTrends 2013 with any conference questions.

 

Turn on Automated Alerts to Tune Out Information Overload When Monitoring Trends

December 12, 2012

Photo Credit: http://technorati.com: http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/12/12/58393/alert.gif?t=20111212034429

Photo Credit: http://technorati.com: http://scm-l3.technorati.com/11/12/12/58393/alert.gif?t=20111212034429

Part Two of a Two-Part Series by Guest Blogger Steve Pearson, Visionex Solutions, LLC

Automated alerts can help you stay competitive with real-time data about very specific subjects, technologies, authors and/or companies. Customizing state-of-the-art reports and automated alerts based on client-specified criteria are essential elements of my business, but there are some out-of-the box resources you may find useful.

Automated alerts can reduce your scanning time by notifying you about newly published information. For example, Google Alerts monitors a large portion of the web and emails you anything it considers relevant. Of course, you may not agree with Google’s version of “relevant” and you‘ll still spend valuable time scanning and sorting.

Fortunately, there are other many automated alerts. Setting each one up to deliver quality information and avoid overload is important.

Technical Alerts deliver bibliographic information regarding newly published research papers, dissertations and conference proceedings – if it meets your specified criteria. The data for these alerts originate from databases such as Compendex, which is one of the largest in the scientific field, currently indexing 1,031 journals from around the world. These alerts use the bibliographic information to provide tailored results.

Patent Alerts are keyed to patent and patent application information from around the world. For example, many companies like to know when a key competitor files patent applications or receives a granted patent.

RSS Alerts are different from RSS Readers because they allow you to “mine” the RSS streams of your choice for keywords that you consider important.

Web Page Alerts are simple in concept but they are extremely useful since they monitor a specific url for changes. Anytime the page changes you will receive a notification and that notification will allow you to view the new page changes highlighted. These alerts are especially valuable for monitoring product announcements from competitors, really long governmental pages or working groups.

Table of Contents (TOC) Alerts send you the TOC information for specific publications, typically weeks or months in advance of the publication date. These alerts are valuable not only for their speed but also because you can quickly glance through each TOC and purchase only those publications that are appealing. (And save money on subscriptions and/or memberships.)

Social Alerts typically monitor sites like Facebook, blogs and Twitter for keywords.

Government Alerts help keep you apprised of recently published research sponsored by the Federal Government and announcements of new solicitations of bids.

Business and Market Alerts are great because companies are constantly marketing themselves by making product announcements. Further, most market research companies will announce their newest reports covering specific industries or companies.

Trademark Alerts allow monitoring of specific company’s applications, monitoring your own trademarks for potential infringement or monitoring for key terms that you define.

Domain Alerts monitor new domain name registrations so that you can learn about new and potentially problematic names.

Many companies find that the best way to control their time and expense with Alerts is to hire an intermediary that not only has access to the services that charge money but also knows how to set them up properly.

Guest blogger Steve Pearson is a consultant helping companies accelerate innovation and product development. Through his firm Visionex Solutions, LLC, he delivers competitor-busting research with tools and reports he has developed over his career as an engineer, trainer and analyst.

Steve specializes in intellectual property management, technology identification and market assessment and takes pride in applying lessons from his broad background to help those in the electrical, mechanical, energy, construction or transportation industries. Visit  his site  for more information.

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