Whether you get your 'Spurs' on for the Foxboro Triconex Global User Conference, San Antonio, or swing with the 'Saints' down at the ISA Sales and Marketing Conference in New Orleans. You just can't decide ? Never mind !. Come to both events. Two great industrial automation events in one week. It's tough but it can be done. Automation, once the province of enlightened engineers and university research bodies, now extends to professionals and amateurs in myriads of plants and small enterprises world wide. We've all become part of a global community alike through the ubiquity of the Internet. We all can share information, ideas, translations and comment on progress of ideas daily. Social networking has allowed people like myself in far flung corners of the world to connect and interact immediately with nearly anyone who can speak the language. So how then do user groups and conferences play out in relation to their new online world ?
For one, the user conference allows people to express their ideas and listen critically to he latest product updates in an open and relaxed forum. Side bar conversations with key VPs and product directors allow us all to reach a common understanding. The latest mega-project's and their potential impact will be discussed over dinner and drinks, and of course there is much to and fro between track discussions.
Some of the key things learnt over the years is an avoidance of having people rush around between track topics. I have the good fortune to be able to attend and speak at these conferences, but not as the resident genius, but most importantly to attend and renew friendships with all the people who inhabit the microcosm of Automation worldwide.
Some of the things which seem to go with the territory are overwhelming sets of powerpoint slides which can get a bit out of hand from time to time. I think the Zen of Presentation is gradually coming, a la Steve Jobs, but it may take some time. One thing I note is that presentations tend to be wordy and bullety with little graphics to ensure that nothing is missed. Also the time taken to develop the presentation can impact on it's longevity. The shortest prep time tends to end up with the longest least consise powerpoint presentations. Hopefully now anyone who turns up to my presentations at least can come with a 'I hate Powerpoint' T-shirt on and we can go from there.
What I am looking forward to is presenting good quality entertaining sessions with something Novel and something worth taking away for all who attend. Let's see how it works out.
What I would advocate now is that if at all possible, take some time to see how you can get down to San Antonio, TX and New Orleans,LA for the upcoming september events. Not exactly a rodeo, not exactly a pub crawl[it's genius so hopefully we can find Guinness], not exactly a lecture circuit but exactly what you need to keep current with the latest system offerings from Invensys and ideas about marketing from ISA.
Come and listen to the keynote speakers at both events. On the one hand at 9am on the 10th September in San Antonio at the Foxboro Triconex Global User Conference you can hear Richard Clark..
Richard A. Clarke
Cyber Security Expert, Former Counterterrorism Czar & Best-Selling author
Richard Clarke’s
name is synonymous with both Cyber Security and Counter-terrorism. He literally
“wrote the book” on both subjects, by leading the US Government on both topics
from the White House and then, upon leaving government, by writing the best
recognized books on both topics.
If it is more marketing you game, and you want to get down to New Orleans for some gumbo shrimp, Zydeco or other diversions, stop in at the ISA Sales and Marketing conference at the W and listen to their keynote speaker, Peggy Smedley who will be discussing M2M which appears to be a variation of B2B.
Then if you are quick - you can get down to New Orleans to attend the ISA Sales and Marketing Conference and listen to....
Peggy Smedley
Editorial Director, Connected World, and President, Specialty Publishing
Customer engagement has changed. As such, becoming customer focused is imperative to repeat business and a lasting message in the market. Enter M2M and the Internet of Things. How can these devices and technologies revamp, reinvent, and reinvigorate the way we operate? Peggy Smedley, editorial director of Connected World magazine, leads us down a path where being connected means servicing your customers’ needs before they realize it’s necessary.If you are on Twitter
- keep track of the user conference live with this #EnlightenedPlant.
- keep track of the ISASM conference with #ISASM hashtag
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