Search Solutions 2009

Innovations in Web & Enterprise Search

Search Solutions is a special one-day event dedicated to the latest innovations in web & enterprise search. In contrast to other major industry events, Search Solutions aims to be highly interactive and collegial, with attendance limited to 60-80 delegates.

The high quality technical programme includes presentations, panels and case studies in which delegates present and share opinions, insight and expertise.

The event should appeal to designers, developers, end users or indeed anyone interested in the latest developments in web and enterprise search.

Last year's Search Solutions (SSE2008) is online and includes pictures and audio from the day.

Programme

09:30 - 10:00 Registration and coffee

Session 1: (Chair: Tony Russell-Rose)

10:00 Introduction - Alan Pollard, BCS President
10:10 "Thoughts on Learning to Rank" - Mike Taylor, Microsoft
10:35 Accessing Digital Memory: Yahoo! Search Pad - Vivian Lin Dufour, Yahoo - ppt - mov
11:00 "How Google Ads Work" - Richard Russell, Google

11:25 - 11:45 COFFEE BREAK

Session 2: (Chair: Andy MacFarlane)

11:45 "Location-based services: Positioning, Geocontent and Location-aware Applications" - Dave Mountain, Placr - ppt
12:10 "Librarians, metadata, and search" - Alan Oliver, Ex Libris - ppt
12:35 "UI Design Patterns for Search & Information Discovery"- Tony Russell-Rose, Endeca - ppt

13:00 - 14:15 LUNCH

Session 3: (Chair: Leif Azzopardi)

14:15 "Search-Based Applications: the Maturation of Search" - Greg Grefenstette, Exalead - ppt
14:40 "How and why you need to calculate the true value of page 1 natural search engine positions" - David White, WebOptimiser - pps
15:05 "Search as a service with Xapian" - Richard Boulton, Lemur Consulting - ppt

15:30 - 16:00 TEA BREAK

Session 4: (Chair: Alex Bailey)

16:00 "The Benefits of Taxonomy in Content Management", Andrew Maisey, Unified Solutions - ppt
16:25 Panel: "Interactive Information Retrieval"
It has been widely reported that the "Google Generation" is changing our expectations of online information-seeking behaviour, and that impatience in search and navigation and zero tolerance for delay in satisfying information needs are becoming the norm. But should simple keyword search remain the dominant paradigm for information seeking behaviour in the future? Should we not be encouraging users to employ more sophisticated search techniques than simply entering keywords and relying on best-first ranked retrieval algorithms? What prospects are there for developing a more meaningful interaction with end users, providing a constructive dialogue that supports and facilitates search and information discovery in its widest sense?

17:00 - 19:00 DRINKS RECEPTION

The event will also be followed by the IRSG AGM (timing TBD).

Location

Search Solutions is organised by the Information Retrieval Specialist Group of the BCS (British Computer Society), and is held at the BCS Central London Office:

BCS, 1st Floor
The Davidson Building
5 Southampton Street
London, WC2E 7HA Map

Registration

Registration fees are as follows:

Early Bird Rate until the 16th of September
BCS or BCS-IRSG member rate: £119
Non-member rate: £129

Normal Rate
BCS or BCS-IRSG member rate: £139
Non-member rate: £149
Student rate: £99

Registration fees include lunch and a copy of the proceedings. Tea and coffee will also be available throughout the day followed by a drinks reception.

Please register via the BCS Event Registration site. Please contact Rachel Browning rachel.browning [at] hq.bcs.org.uk for assistance with any registration problems.

Contact

If you have any enquiries about the event please contact Tony Russell-Rose: irsg [at] bcs.org

Organizers

Tony Russell-Rose, Endeca
Andy MacFarlane, City University London
Alex Bailey, Google
Leif Azzopardi, Glasgow University

BCS IRSG Search Solutions 2009