BI Professional

Ever since I became an independent Cognos consultant, I have planned every year to attend IBM Information on Demand and every year there was yet another reason I could not go. Even though there are still lots of reasons not to go this year (mostly to do with clients and money), I am finally doing it. I am going as an investment in my career – to learn about the cutting edge of Cognos technologies and to make new acquaintances in the Cognos universe.

I first thought about going to the annual conference way back in 2006, when it was still called Cognos Forum. My employer at that time was asking for interested candidates to submit their names for possible selection. As a newly minted employee in my first year at the company, I did not put my name forward. Unfortunately, that was the last year my employer sent any technical staff to the Forum.  So it goes.

After going independent, I thought there would be nothing to stop me from attending. Try again. Client schedules. Cash flow. Not to mention my wife’s last pregnancy! Each year there was another insurmountable hurdle. The mantra became “maybe next year…”

But this year I go. The burning question now is “will it be worth it?” I can only hope so! But even if it isn’t I will finally have attended after years of waiting.