This episode of Behind the Docs is coming straight from the conference floor at ConVEx 2025 in Pittsburgh — a collection of candid conversations with the people who make this community what it is.

From first-timers to veterans with decades in the field, the throughline is clear: this industry is in the middle of something real, and the people here are figuring it out together.

They also dig into:

• why metadata keeps coming up in every single conversation — and why it matters more than ever for AI
• how well-structured content is already separating teams that are succeeding with AI from teams that are struggling
• what it actually feels like to show up to a TechCom conference as a newcomer (spoiler: everyone becomes an extrovert)
• the best real-world example of faceted search you've probably never thought to look at (hint: it's a knitting website)
• and why "garbage in, garbage out" is just as relevant today as its always been

If you care about where this profession is headed — and you want to hear it from the people actually doing the work — this one's for you.

Big, big thank you to the team at the Center for Information-Development Management (CIDM) for putting on another great conference. Looking forward to doing it again next year!