Tips for Attending the 2016 CSIA Executive Conference

Next week, several of us are headed to the CSIA conference in Puerto Rico. Sam, our CEO has attended every conference since 1996.  So we thought we’d share a few tips from our team members who have been there a time or twenty.

Network, Network, Network.

Attend all of the networking events, especially the Partner Industry Expo and Reception on Wednesday. Even after the official events, go to the conference bar and have a cocktail with a fellow integrator.  Embrace the competitive, but collective team environment and be candid and open to sharing (good and bad) with other integrators. For every nugget of information you give out, you will receive 10 back.   This is a great opportunity for strategically focused conversation, rather than bits and bytes, as the actual engineers that execute projects are often not in attendance.

Be a Good Student

• If you are new to CSIA, learn about and embrace the Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual and ask questions about it at the conference.
• Attend all of the sessions that you can.  We’re looking forward to many of them and we’ll be part of the discussion on a few panels, as well.  Here’s where you’ll find us:

Wednesday

2:30-3:30 The Great Debate: Who Needs to Adjust? Discussing challenges and opportunities of a multigenerational workforce

Thursday

11:15 – 12:15 Digital Marketing in Action Tips and thoughts for upgrading your digital presence and how to break down silos between marketing, sales, and engineering.

1:30- 3:00 Lessons from Touching a Hot Stove Our hot stove was the Cyber Breach at Patti Engineering last fall that almost cost us a lot of money!

• Friday Morning’s session by Alan Beaulieu is a can’t-miss presentation.  “He my absolute favorite economist.” – Sam Hoff

Don’t Bring it All Home

Definitely make a concrete plan to share what you’ve learned with the rest of your company.  However, you will be flooded with great information; do not try to do everything.   Prioritize the top 3 most influential changes you can implement in your business to get the best bang for your buck.

Have Fun!

We’re looking forward to seeing you there.  If you see us on a panel or at the hotel bar, make sure you stop and say hi!