Yesterday was one of the busiest days the RIR booth has ever had at a Congress. We’re always pleased to talk #KMb at Congress and over the years we’re experiencing a shift toward a culture of engaged scholarship to which KMb is a central part of. The title may seem odd, and I have not shared my locker combination. Allow me to explain:
3 – Yesterday saw three organizations approach us with strong interest in our services. While this is nothing new, they are national organizations with interests in engaging with academic research (and researchers). Learning more about RIR there are clearly opportunities for us to actively engage these organizations. Making these contacts at Congress are invaluable, as it is always possible that these relationships can flourish across our network into something substantive.
31 – One of our central purposes for exhibiting at Congress is to engage with universities who are not members of RIR. We provide information to help researchers take back to their institution to inform senior research administration around the value proposition of RIR membership. We have an open call for new members. Yesterday, we had 31 distinct universities and colleges approach us seeking information on RIR. So much so we need to print more information packages for others who may drop by over the next three days.
45 – this is how many purposeful conversations we hosted yesterday. And while I can’t confirm it was a record, it was impressive to see faculty, students and interested non-academic organizations seeking to engage around KMb and the services of RIR. People are impressed with the institutional investments our member universities have made in KMb. Many of my colleagues may get an email or call from researchers who have grabbed your card and will be seeking more information on how you can support them.
It was a great day yesterday at University of Calgary. I suspect today will produce more of the same!
