Getting to Connect, Live and In Person

Earlier this year I read Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. At one point, it’s as if Sinek is writing about Connect, our annual EAM user conference. One of Sinek’s main points that stuck with me is his theory of abstraction – why it’s critical to have real, live human interaction.

In the book, Sinek recalls an event he researched in which bloggers discussed what was so great about physically attending an event. He cites a few common themes: “sharing ideas,” “getting to meet so many people,” and “meeting people who do what I do, who are on the same journey.” I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Our progressive, tech-centric society often leads us to believe things like “it’s easier to communicate online,” “it’s cheaper to do a video conference,” or even “it’s acceptable to have a serious conversation over a text message.” But last week our conference showed us that this isn’t always the case!

Connect was focused around the theme “It’s Your Story.” We came together to network – sharing stories, ideas, lessons learned, and struggles overcame. And we have loved hearing that this element of socializing for professional and personal development was a favorite thing for Connect attendees.

I wonder, had we not “connected” last week…

• Would we have heard about PM compliance from a senior director at a Fortune 500 company?

• Would we have shaken the hand of Greenville’s mayor and discussed the challenges surrounding revitalizing a city?

• Would we have seen an email go from a phone directly into an EAM work order?

• Would we have had the chance to ming.le with the Infor EAM product development team?

• Would we have chanted and cheered with EAM jerseys on?

• Would we have drank out of glasses that say “Maintenance isn’t sexy... but we are?”

• Would we have learned about what it means to have grit with your EAM projects?

If you came to the event, I think you would agree that the answers are no. Being together and sharing stories allow us to create a roadmap to drive our journey and achieve our vision of success.

The value of meeting in person is not lost even in 2017, and we hope that you will continue to connect and write the next chapter of your EAM story with us.

For more information about Connect, visit our event website.

Until next time…We are Advoco, make every minute count.

About Mary: Mary Devine is our Director of Marketing and Events and the Queen of Connect. Affectionately referred to as “Make it Happen Mary,” she's been around since the beginning of Connect—making things happen! Whether it's planning exciting surprises for Connect attendees or making sure our speakers stay on track (most of the time!) we're so happy to have Mary as our Connect guru. If you have a question for Mary, please send her an email.