Huh?

Greetings from the IMA Executive Summit, also known as "Watch Pete age 10 years in 10 Minutes".  

The Best and Brightest in the market have gathered in our Nation's Capital to ponder the state of things and how we are working to develop solutions for the ever-changing landscape.  I came here fully ready to teach and learn, but I didn't count on as much learning as I obviously have to do.

First of all, there's the demographics.  I'm officially one of the Old Guys.  There's so much youth here I'm surprised they let me come at all.  And the youth is talking about technology at a level that I can barely grasp as it shoots over my head like an RPG. 

Then there's the familiarity.  I used to know practically everyone who came to the Summit.  This week?  Guess again.  I can see the tables with people I know but they are fewer and further between than I can remember (see the above).

Digital delivery of gift cards (wait--gift cards are still around?  I thought we killed them).  Pinterest, and all varieties of social media (a train that apparently left the station without me).  High percentages of employees not using email?  And by the way--now texting is apparently passe.  I didn't even get to that--whaddya mean it's no longer perceived as helpful?

But I'll show them--I'll put on my Luddite hat and challenge them to tell me "why" some of this is so confounded important.  I'm not interested in the "how"--I can figure that out on YouTube (which, I learned today, is the second-most used search engine--for what?  videos of cats?).  No--what I need to learn is "why"--as in "why do I need this?"  or "why hasn't it been monetized yet?"  Or "why are we so concerned about Millenials when Baby Boomers and Gen X are the decision makers?"

I'll be here for another day and a half.   I'll figure something out and go from there...


Pete