2026 HLA Conference

The future doesn't arrive all at once. It arrives as signals, trends, and quiet shifts that, if we're not paying attention, can leave us and our communities behind. This interactive session aims to equip information professionals with a practical toolkit to help them scan the horizon, clarify their professional direction, and communicate their vision to stakeholders.

Drawing on the Cone of Plausibility model and the STEEP framework (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political), participants will analyze emerging trends through multiple lenses. Attendees will practice applying STEEP to real trends, draft a personal "Compass Statement" grounded in their professional values, and build a "Beacon": a message that translates their vision into language that funders, patrons, and colleagues can understand and follow.

Attendees will leave with tools they can use immediately and a framework they can bring back to their teams.