By Jose Rivera

We are on our final stretch toward the 2023 CSIA Executive Conference in New Orleans. Lots ‎of work goes into planning the event by us (CSIA staff) and by all the presenters, panelists, ‎and Expo exhibitors. The conference creates an ideal opportunity for hosting side events ‎before the conference kick-off. Some vendor partners gather with their SI networks, some ‎peer groups meet in-person, and one-on-one meetings are organized leveraging people’s ‎travel.


Worth mentioning for 2023:‎

  • Given the great success of our Speed Networking track at our conference in Denver, ‎we have placed a Speed Networking session for all on the first conference day. If you ‎are new to this, please start practicing your “elevator pitch” and make sure you bring ‎your business cards.‎

Pre-conference Workshops:‎

  • In 2023 we will have our first business value workshop “Investing in Your Most ‎Important Asset – Your Company: Building and Realizing Business Value.” We decided ‎to organize this workshop to address the very active SI market with many investment ‎opportunities for SI company owners. Clint Bundy (Bundy Group), Cathy Durham ‎‎(Capital Valuations Group), and Bryan Powrozek (Clayton & McKervey) will present on ‎Tuesday, May 16 (pre conference start). Workshop requires registration with separate ‎fee. Rush as attendance is capped.‎
  • Our traditional BP Workshop will take place on Monday, May 15, through Tuesday, ‎May 16. This year it will be Exotek delivering the workshop and including BP Revision ‎‎6.0 in the material. For many Sis, attendance to this BP workshop has translated into ‎later certification of their companies or for those already certified, additional ‎company resources familiar with the material. Workshop requires registration with ‎separate fee. Rush as attendance is capped.‎


CSIA Travels

Before we meet in New Orleans, CSIA is busy:‎

  • CSIA LATAM hosted its first post-pandemic in-person event together with Beckhoff in ‎Mexico City on March 14. Carolina Casas (Regional Director) and I leveraged this trip ‎to meet with members in Mexico City. We also traveled to Hermosillo to meet with ‎Electro Controles del Noreste (ECN), the first SI certified in LATAM.‎
  • I also attended ProMat (supply chain, warehouse, and distribution industries) on ‎March 21.‎
  • Lisa Richter (Industry Director) and I represented CSIA at the Manufacturing in ‎America event April 12-13 in Detroit. This is an event organized by Siemens and ‎Electro-Matic. This will be their post pandemic restart, a month later than previously.‎
  • I am presenting at the Mitsubishi National Sales meeting in Naples, Florida ‎this week. ‎


ARC Forum
Last, not least: Early February I attend the ARC Forum in Orlando. This is an event that I try ‎to attend every year as it helps me stay in touch with the reality of end users, the clients of ‎our SI and vendor partners. ‎

My takeaway: Independent of what you think about sustainability, it is something that has ‎been moving our industry and will continue to do so for years. Zero emission and carbon ‎neutrality commitments by 2030-2050 by larger companies will drive many future projects. ‎

Providers (includes SIs) will have to adhere to sustainability requirements. Many SIs will ‎benefit from this. ‎

Some may view these projects as “just another SCADA or MES” project. Others with a ‎broader view may see themselves as “enabling their clients meet their sustainability goals ‎and help save our planet.”‎

See you in New Orleans.‎

Jose Rivera is CEO of Control System Integrators Association.