Last week, more than 2,000 customers, partners, and prospects from across the globe descended upon the Orlando World Center Marriott (which happens to be the largest Marriott in the world) for IFS Unleashed. It was an action-packed week (and that’s putting it lightly!) with more to recap than could possibly fit into one short article. So here I’ll share my top five moments of the week.
#1: The Future of Field Service Stand Out 50 Leadership Awards Announcement
These aren’t even in a particular order, but of course this had to be number one! This summer, we opened nominations for the Stand Out 50 leadership awards, on a quest to acknowledge not only the incredible work of service leaders, but to reinforce the tremendous importance, value, and potential of service within businesses. On Wednesday, we announced the winners live at the event. I was joined by two of my fellow judges, Dot Mynahan of National Elevator Industry, Inc. and John Carroll, CEO of the Service Council, who spoke with me about why this recognition matters so much. It was an honor to have the opportunity to acknowledge these impactful leaders, some of which were able to join us live for the award. Take a moment to have a look at the winners and stay tuned for some content we’ve collaborated with them on as well.
#2: Mark Moffat’s Opening Keynote
Mark took the reigns as CEO from Darren Roos in January, and it was compelling to see how he addressed the crowd on opening day. His keynote brought what felt like genuine energy and passion around the next phases of IFS’s journey that he’s signed up to lead. He set the stage for Industrial AI as the next Industrial Revolution and spoke enthusiastically about how IFS is positioned to lead as that unfolds. The session set the tone of high energy and excitement for the week! You can watch his keynote here.
#3: Darren Roos’s Closing Interview with Gary Player
I’ve never golfed a day in my life, so while I knew who Gary Player is, I didn’t expect this session to have a markable impact on me. About three minutes in, I found my eyes welling up with tears listening to the 89-year-old legend talk about what’s mattered most in his life, how he takes care of himself, and some of the incredible experiences he’s had. As a bonus, I ran into him in the hallway just after and he was kind as could be – gave me a big hug, a kiss on each cheek, and gladly took a selfie. I won’t be picking up golf clubs as a result, but the interview is one that will stick with me for a long time.
#4: Exelon’s Story of Business-Led Digital Transformation
There were many impressive customer stories shared over the three-day event, so while it’s hard to pick just one, I’ll explain why Exelon’s took the top spot for me. The company’s leaders spoke about the importance of not only replacing outdated technology, but doing so in a business-led, customer-centric manner. To me, this means modernizing the right way – not just layering new technology on top of existing processes but digging in to see what all it will take to become the business it wants to be not only today but into the future.
#5: Making Memories with Wonderful People
I will own that this is a cheat to put on this list, because it isn’t *one* moment but a whole lot of them. But if there’s a true number one, it’s this one – because having the opportunity to spend time in person is a gift. There’s simply no replacement for human connection, and having the chance to share a laugh, give a hug, have a brainstorm session, shake hands, ride a roller coaster (we went to Universal Studios Wednesday night, which was so fun!), or even just smile at across the room are moments that make the hard work we all go back and do different, because we’ve connected (or reconnected) on that human level. It’s special, and it’s an important reminder that it’s always people that matter most.
