When I last addressed you here, OATUG was excited to be preparing for our COLLABORATE 20 conference in Las Vegas. We had planned our parties. We were excited about the connections we would have with one another. We had lined up our education sessions.

We were preparing to celebrate 30 years of OATUG.

Then, the world changed, in the most unexpected and unprecedented ways imagined. I am writing these words to you in early May, at a time when it is difficult to anticipate what our life on the job is going to look like five days from now, let alone five months.

Whether your job is in the public or private sector, we all leverage in some way technology we have become familiar with and want to master. While every individual is facing uncertainty in how to manage, maneuver, tread water, or move forward, we are the ones behind the scenes making it happen.

This is the reason why, when OATUG had to announce the cancellation of its in-person event in April, the board of directors felt impassioned about continuing to provide access to the time-critical education users would have experienced at COLLABORATE 20.

OATUG saw the need to put the information in your hands immediately, not wait. It was time to rethink, repackage and reorganize what an event would look like, how the user experience would feel, and what kind of access our members would need. Our support staff at OATUG rose to the occasion as we moved forward with OATUG Forum Online: 200+ speakers from across the world to offer insight in how to navigate our global condition in the now.

From the survey respondents, the feedback indicates this was a job well done. It allowed OATUG the opportunity to thoughtfully consider, “What comes next?” We faced a juncture where we could provide a refreshed, re-imagined conference platform. COVID 19 created an occasion for OATUG to consider a new methodology for delivering content in a variety of ways, and to expand its reach to individuals who aren’t able to attend in-person events.

With so much in a state of flux, will your organization move forward in its strategy to move to a new product line? An upgrade? Or is this the time to re-examine how to optimize and consolidate? These are the questions we have to navigate now, and OATUG can be a resource like never before.

Through challenges there are opportunities, and I truly hope you continue to be a part of the opportunities offered through this organization. To be dynamic, flexible, and relevant – this is the value we aim to present to OATUG members.

It is my hope that by the time this is published, the world will have begun to right itself. We hope the tasks at hand will feel less burdensome to all. Regardless, I am proud to be part of an organization that will be there to support our efforts in the field.

I look forward to seeing you December 6-9, back in Las Vegas at the Aria. Until then, don’t hesitate to let me know how the OATUG can better be there for you and your organization!