See what I did there? You will! Next week is ILTACON 2023 and here are some of the ILTACON 2023 hot happenings & sessions!

ILTACON 2023 will be conducted August 20 through 24 at the WDW Swan & Dolphin Hotels and Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, FL. It is a fully in-person event this year. For a sense of what’s being covered this year, check out my word cloud from a couple of weeks ago.

If you remember the ILTACON from four years ago in the Swan and Dolphin, it’s even more spread out this year, extending to the Yacht Convention Center. Activities are spread out among the three locations, with the exhibit hall, some demo rooms and educational sessions and a registration desk in the Dolphin, keynotes, more demo rooms and educational sessions in the Yacht Convention Center, and additional demo rooms, G100 & G200 sessions and more in the Swan.

The press guide I received states the walking and transportation times ranging from 6-7 minutes up to 11-13 minutes. What it doesn’t say is how much of that walking time is outdoors in Orlando’s hot and humid climate (highs expected to be 94 degrees Monday through Wednesday next week). See what I mean about ILTACON 2023 hot happenings? 😉

Of course, ILTACON has it’s usual kick-off events on Sunday and the Exhibit Hall Opening Reception – The Ultimate Tailgate Party!, sponsored by KLDiscovery on Monday at 7pm (Dolphin CC 1st Floor, Atlantic And Pacific Hall).

Regardless, here are a few notable sessions to check out next week (including one I’m in!):

Monday, August 21: 11am-Noon:

Science, Not Art:  Information Retrieval in Search and Review (Dolphin CC 5th Floor, Southern Hemisphere I)

Information retrieval (IR) has been an established science for at least 70 years, yet lawyers and legal professionals treat search and review in eDiscovery as if it were an art, failing to adhere to what is empirically established or to properly apply statistical techniques.  This session will address common errors and misunderstandings in search and review as applied in eDiscovery, and particularly with respect to technology-assisted review (TAR), including but not limited to how to correctly assess the quality of a search and review effort as well as checklists of things to look out for.

Speakers: Gordon Cormack, Professor, Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo; Dr. Maura R. Grossman, Research Professor, University of Waterloo; Bruce Hedin, President, Hedin B Consulting.

Picking the Right Tools to Integrate Existing Stack with Cloud Systems (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom West)

Interoperability between cloud systems and existing software stacks are a common concern. When rolling out a new cloud system or application, there are often several choices.  How do you know which solution will best fit your organization’s needs?  How do you best avoid any “gotchas”?  It’s important to look past the shiny sales pitch and take a good look “under the hood” before signing that 3-year contract.  Does the system work with your current APIs? Are your current tools compatible or would you need to purchase new tools? Find out what questions to ask, how to create an assessment, and what red flags to look for when considering a new solution.

Speakers: Ryan Colbert, IT Director, Morgan & Morgan; Wouter Ijgosse, Founder, DecisionVault; Oliver Silva, Director of Enterprise Accounts, Casepoint LLC; Jason Thomas, Chief Information Officer at Cole, Scott & Kissane.

Tuesday, August 22: 3:30pm-4:30pm:

The Multiverse of Metaverse Madness: Preparing Legal for the New Dimension (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom West)

Join this super session to dive head first into the new dimension of the Metaverse with 5 legal tech avengers who have battle scars and war stories to share. Learn about the tools and technology of the Metaverse and how to arm yourself to face all the potential super villains hiding in this brave new world. Marvel at all the strange and amazing aspects of the Metaverse, including recent changes to the Metaverse business model. This session will be a mix of concepts and practical hands-on guidance that will help legal professionals prepare for the Metaverse endgame.

Speakers: Jerry Bui, Managing Director, FTI Consulting; Catherine Casey, Chief Growth Officer, Reveal; Ryan Hemmel, Solutions Engineer, ProSearch Strategies, Inc.; Damir Kahvedzic, Senior Global Data Services Manager, ProSearch Strategies, Inc.; Farrah Pepper, Chief Legal Innovation Counsel, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.

Wednesday, August 23: 3:30pm-4:30pm:

On the Cutting Edge of Short Message Collection, Review, and Production: How Do We Slice and Dice this Challenging Data Source? (Y&B Convention Center, Asbury Hall C/D)

The world of short message communication and collaboration is evolving more rapidly than ever before, and the e-discovery industry is faced with a challenge. What should we be focused on when it comes to short message data (Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, chat, text, emojis, etc.) and how do we collect, review and produce it while maintaining contextual considerations? The panel will discuss these challenges and opportunities to efficiently and effectively manage short message data.

Speakers: Monica Harris, Product Business Manager, Cellebrite; Nordo Nissi, Head of Electronic Discovery and Litigation Technology, Goulston & Storrs, P.C.; Gina Taranto, Director of Applied Sciences, ProSearch Strategies, Inc.; Danielle Davidson, Senior Discovery Analytics Advisor, Ropes & Gray; Michael Deuerling, Senior Product Manager, Relativity ODA LLC.

Thursday, August 24: 1:30pm-3:00pm: Litigation Support Roundtable: The Privilege and Publicity Edition (Y&B Convention Center, Newport Ballroom East)

This ILTACON tradition continues with a new twist for 2023, The Privilege and Publicity Edition.  Continuing the discussion from last year’s Litigation Support Roundtable: The International Edition, this year’s gathering of technologists, paralegals, and lawyers will examine how litigation technology professionals can work through the often thorny issues related to the attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine—especially in high-profile matters with a great deal of publicity.  We’ll have the litigation support director in Carroll v. Trump discussing his experience supporting that case as well as a special video appearance by Justice Tanya R. Kennedy on the effects of privilege and publicity.  We’ll also look at high-profile case law in matters involving Elon Musk and Marvel Comics, and get your thoughts on issues such as:

• What do you do with your privilege log when your data indicate a custodian communicated with her personal lawyer on work email?  
• How do you handle data reproduction after a clawback?  
• What about casual chats on Slack and other platforms that comingle business strategy and legal advice?  
• Are emojis and emoticons an issue?  

We’ll learn about recent case law on these topics, and what makes the Litigation Support Roundtable special is that it’s your opportunity to take the mic and share your experience while learning from your friends and colleagues. Before you celebrate the conclusion of another successful ILTACON at the Closing Reception, stop by the Litigation Support Roundtable, and share your ideas.

NOTE:  This session will not be recorded.

Speakers: Doug Austin, Editor, eDiscovery Today; David Horrigan, Discovery Counsel and Legal Education Director, Relativity ODA LLC; Phil Weldon, Director of eDiscovery and Litigation Support Technology, Kaplan Hecker & Fink LLP; Jessica Tseng Hasen, Senior Counsel, Perkins Coie.

All the sessions are available here and I’ll have a more comprehensive list of notable sessions each day (Monday through Thursday) of the conference next week! Tune in then for more ILTACON 2023 hot happenings! 🙂

So, what do you think? Are you attending ILTACON 2023 this year? If so, what other ILTACON 2023 hot happenings are you excited about? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.