• I agree the agenda was ‘safe’. However, as the committee can only work with what they receive as proposals, it’s at least partly to blame on the community as a whole.
• The US summit is undoubtedly more sophisticated, they have a few year’s advantage over “us” when it comes to building a body of IA work.
• I’m a trained IxD and as such see IA as a sister discipline. I too see both as parts of the larger user experience field. As such I recognize your ‘I’m not an IA’-sentiment. I’m not sure about the term EA, which I suspect might be a bit LBi-centric.
• I wouldn’t call taking on (part of the) responsibility of moving the IA / UX field further arrogant. I’d call anyone who takes time and trouble to do so benevolent or maybe generous.
• You were certainly very accessible, unassuming and open during your workshop (which I enjoyed hugely). Slightly less so in your post. Another proof of the value of non-verbal communication I guess.
• I look forward to the next summit too, and hope to be able to speak to you in person on this and other topics. I’m sure we’ll have fun.

Thanks again for engaging in this dialogue, which I greatly appreciate, and apologies for being a bit provocative. I did not mean to offend you in any way, but prefer a discussion to have a bit of spice.

I think its the conference agenda that needs a slap for being to safe, for not providing a soap box for someone to atleast stimulate some reaction from the crowd.

I don’t imply a tighther bond with the US sentiment either, I simply state that the IA Summit is a little more sophisticated in terms of its content.

My point is a simple one, Information Architecture is a slither of the wider discipline fo Experience Architecture. The term IA doesn’t adequately describe the role I play on project or in the relationships I have with my clients or reflect my educational background.

I’m very interested in progressing the European discussion of Experience Architecture but am not arrogant enough to think that its for me to do. I hope it’s something the guys at Euro IA will seek to do.

BTW – I also don’t put myself on a pedestal as you may have noticed when we ran Wicked Workshops, we’re not interested in talking down, more so talking to.

This interchange is what was lacking IMO.

As such, I very much look forward to the next Euro IA in Barcelona and hope to have some more progressive discussions about the roles of the Interaction Designer, Information Architect, Usability Practitioner and Experience Architect.

What is good, is that finally we have some debate over it all.

/Warren