29th Annual RainMaker R2 Conference & User Group
Meeting Has Record Attendance
RainMaker Platinum 8.0, New Product Announcements and Partnerships
Major Focus of Event
RainMaker Software, Inc., a full-service provider of Financial and Practice Management, Business Intelligence Software and Microsoft® SharePoint Portal Integration for law firms, announced that its 29th annual conference had record attendance. Law firm executives from around the country attended the event which was held September 16-18 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This year’s conference, recently re-branded the R2 (RainMaker Revolution) Conference & User Group Meeting for the revolutionary technology the company provides, mainly focused on the revolutionary features in newly released Platinum 8.0 and additional upcoming product releases.
In addition to extensive networking opportunities and knowledge sharing, the R2 Conference provides attendees with a multi-faceted experience that includes meeting with the RM User Group Board to discuss best practices and answer product-related questions, hearing testimonials from RainMaker users during sessions and events, and meeting with conference sponsors to learn more about the pulse of the legal market and the tools available to help grow firms and increase profitability.
First-year conference attendee Christopher Holmes, CFO of Boston-based firm Cooley Manion Jones LLP, commented on his conference experience, "As a new RainMaker client, I attended the conference to meet other people who use the software and learn more about 8.0. I was especially impressed with the good combination of informational meetings and networking events that were offered. As my schedule permits, I plan to attend the conference in coming years."
On Sunday, the Kick-Off Meeting, facilitated by RainMaker President Jim Hammond, and co-sponsored by new RainMaker partner and leading provider of Business Intelligence and Benchmarking Services, Redwood Analytics, commenced with exciting product and new partnership announcements. Redwood also presented both at the Kick-Off and at the tremendously successful "Benchmarking" session on Tuesday. Additionally, new product plans and the strategic product technology road map were discussed as well as the announcement of the 2008 Conference location, Orlando, Florida.
Christine Simpson, Executive Director, Kelley, Kronenberg, Gilmartin, Fichtel & Wander, P.A. said, "The conference this year not only provided a great opportunity to talk with other firms using Platinum 8.0, the sessions also revealed to me where we can increase efficiency. We discovered new RainMaker products, such as Imaging Master, would do just that for our firm." Additionally, John Pitman, Controller for WeirFoulds LLP commented, "RainMaker does a good job of staying at the cusp of industry trends and balancing that with practical application. I learned a lot about the features in Platinum 8.0, but also got an overview of how our firm will use the software to increase profitability."
While the purpose of the R2 Annual Conference is to enable customers and attendees to learn more about the software and network with other users and legal vendors, it is also a great opportunity for RainMaker staff to convey how much clients are appreciated, while helping to facilitate strong leadership within their firms. The choice of keynote session speaker Bryan Dodge verified this objective. Mr. Dodge, a full time professional speaker, author, and radio personality, delivered a rousing speech entitled, "How to Build a Better You". Following his speech, attendees visited conference sponsors, including new partner Billback, the legal market leader in cost-recovery software.
Monday’s events included packed 8.0-based sessions and a Microsoft SharePoint Portal Technology session, a major point of discussion and interest for RainMaker users, co-moderated by a Microsoft consultant. With the inclusion of many of RainMaker’s product development and IT staff, the conference sessions on Monday were technologically-oriented drawing a lot of IT-oriented decision makers. Additionally, on Monday, attendees were invited to take a trolley tour of Philadelphia followed by entrance into the famous "Tutankhamun" (King Tut) exhibit at the Franklin Institute and an amazing dinner at Brazilian Steakhouse, Fogo de Chao.
The remainder of the conference was highlighted by an additional learning track and an emphasis on marketing-based sessions. In addition, clients attended sessions based on other hot-button solutions and services such as Imaging and Benchmarking. "The RainMaker User Conference is an event I look forward to every year," said Director of Special Projects, Stevens & Lee, and RainMaker President’s Council member Rose Lowther. "In addition to learning more about emerging law firm trends, I attend the conference to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the software and to make sure we are fully leveraging the tools available to us."
"The R2 Conference & User Group Meeting offers unique learning opportunities to each individual who attends," said RainMaker President Jim Hammond. "We are delighted with the turnout this year, especially with the excitement surrounding the release of Platinum 8.0. The hard work of all RainMaker staff to produce a highly anticipated release, along with the quality and value of the conference are all contributing factors to stellar attendance. We are confident that our 30th year in 2008 will be just as great, if not better, than this year."
For more information about the annual R2 User Meeting or RainMaker’s products, interested parties can contact Marketing Manager, Leah Bilotta, at 610.567.3409 or via email at lbilotta@rainmakerlegal.com.
