Key resource persons

Conference participants who have access to or who are channels for restricted information in the sense that they have answers and data that others need and do not have.[Advantages]

They can be an effective resource for the opening up of information and the unlocking of answers. Identified in a conference situation they can be sought by those who require access to the information they represent.

[Disadvantages]

They can, like keys, be used not so much to open doors, as to ensure that they remain closed to others.