By Chris Capuano
They say jazz and industrial automation go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Or maybe they don’t. But after a week in New Orleans at the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA)’s 2023 Executive Conference, you might be hard pressed to find someone who disagreed with the sentiment.
In the middle of May, attendees of the conference congregated on Canal Street in the New Orleans Marriott for five days of education, exposition, and elucidation from four keynote speakers and over a dozen educational sessions and workshops.
Kicking Things Off
First time attendees and seasoned veterans of CSIA alike were impressed with and engaged in the event, beginning from the first two days when a select few participants took part in two pre-conference workshops.
“It’s been great to see participants actively involved. Hands have been up all day,” said Bryan Powrozek, Senior Manager at Clayton & McKervey, who directed the inaugural Business Value Workshop along with Cathy Durham, President of Capital Valuation Group, Inc., and Clint Bundy, Managing Director at Bundy Group.
Jack Barber, a member of the team at Exotek leading the Best Practices Workshop, shared a similar feeling. “We’ve seen a lot of engagement, especially when we’ve broken the workshop out into small discussion groups,” he said.
As the pre-conference workshops wrapped up and hundreds of attendees of the conference proper arrived in droves, a Tuesday evening welcome reception set the tone of collaboration and conviviality that would mark the following three days. With a room full of system integrators and a live jazz band filling the airwaves, CSIA’s CEO Jose Rivera couldn’t help but smile as he looked around. “We’re off to a great start!”
The Conference Begins
By the time Wednesday morning arrived, attendees new and returning were ready to learn, network and experience all the conference had to offer. The day began with a welcome address from Rivera, followed by keynote speakers Mike Maddock and J.P. Dinnell, who each shared their unique perspective on leadership and overcoming hardship to find success. Each speech concluded with thunderous applause. As he exited Dinnell’s presentation, John Weber of Software Toolbox was grinning. “CSIA has knocked it out of the park with these speakers,” he said.
Unbeknownst to John and his fellow listeners, the Kinfolk Brass Band awaited attendees as they exited the keynotes to guide them to the floor below, where the annual Industry Expo & Reception was set to begin. The second line entered the expo hall, horns blaring and drums drumming, and following close behind were nearly three hours of networking, conversation and exposition. With so much to see and discuss — over 50 exhibitors filled the hall with booths and presentations — it was rare to see anyone stay in the same place for more than a few minutes, and it was abundantly evident that the exposition was a success.
As the expo concluded, participants dispersed for the evening, with a full day of education awaiting them the next day.
Education & Awards
Thursday began with attendees congregating for breakfast, and following a successful first day there was a buzz of excitement in the air.
“It’s been awesome so far,” said Michael Jacobus of Sauer Group, Inc., a first-time attendee who had participated in the Best Practices Workshop. “I got a lot out of the workshop, and I’m looking forward to the rest of the conference!”
Said rest of the conference got underway with an economic update and forecast from Alex Chausovsky, VP of Analytics and Consulting at Miller Resource Group, which set the stage for the rest of the educational sessions that would occupy the afternoon. Topics ranged from onboarding new engineers to cybersecurity for system integrators to leveraging LinkedIn to drive talent and sales acquisition, and though subject matter varied greatly, there was a noticeable throughline of note taking, head nodding and hands clapping as each session concluded.
Tim Nolan, Vice President, Engineering & Innovation at Data Science Automation (left); Mike Azevedo, Director of the Automation Business Unit at ESCO Group (middle); and Danielle Crough, Vice President of People & Culture at Interstates, shared their experiences during the Emerging Leaders panel.
Many newcomers to CSIA attended the Emerging Leaders Panel, led by John Sullivan, who also chaired the Emerging Leaders Special Interest Group. Following the panel, John was excited about the progress the group has made. “We’ve been working to develop and grow emerging leaders… it’s been really successful so far for those who’ve engaged, and we’re always looking to expand and add more people who can value from it.” (Head to the Emerging Leaders SIG page for more information).
Overall, the second day of the conference continued and expanded on the success of the first, and after the day of education came to a close, many attendees gathered once again in the evening for an Awards Dinner at which a select few members of the Association were recognized for their outstanding contributions to system integration and CSIA.
Following the Awards Dinner, attendees once again dispersed before gathering again one last time on Friday morning for the final day of the 2023 Executive Conference.
Wrapping Up
As the final day in New Orleans began, the energy from the previous days (and perhaps a little energy from Bourbon Street) continued and panelists took the stage for Lessons from the Hot Stove. It’s hardly a secret that automation projects rarely go according to plan, and the discussion centered on combatting the unforeseen yet seemingly inevitable issues that tend to arise during projects.
Following the panel, Lisa Ryan presented her closing keynote address, capping things off by exploring strategies to retain talent.
And suddenly, the 2023 Executive Conference had concluded. After a hugely successful week, attendees departed the Big Easy chock-full of connections made, lessons learned and time enjoyed with some of the best and brightest minds in system integration.
So maybe jazz and industrial automation are less like peanut butter and jelly and more like French fries in a milkshake. It might not make sense at first, but take some time to try it out — you might just be surprised at how well they go together.
Want to see more from #CSIA2023? Explore the full photo gallery here.
___________________________________
Chris Capuano is the communications director for the Control Systems Integrators Association. He can be reached at ccapuano@kellencompany.com.
