We recently hosted the 9th Annual ALK Transportation Technology Summit. Once again, we had record breaking turnout with nearly 260 attendees. Our year-over-year growth continues to prove that the Summit offers educational content and networking unlike any other industry event.
On a personal note, I want to mention a connection to this year’s main venue, the Hyatt Regency Princeton. Over 10 years ago, I stood (and danced) on that same floor on my wedding night. This brought to mind how things have evolved for my family of five. Coincidentally, we will be hosting the 10th Annual Summit next year. This event has certainly evolved from 35 attendees and 5 sponsors in 2005. We are already in planning mode for 2014.
Highlights from this year’s event include when one attendee compared Derek Leathers, the Summit Keynote Speaker, to Elvis! He commented that everyone wanted a chance to introduce themselves and speak with him – he's indeed an industry celebrity! Derek, President and COO of Werner Enterprises, is exactly the type of spokesperson (especially on Capitol Hill) this industry needs. We are grateful that he was able to take two full days out of his schedule to participate in the Summit. Another highlight was the Senior Transportation Executive Panel. This “All Star Roster” provided invaluable insights on the industry’s challenges and trends. If you want to watch this panel video or any other presentation during the event, check out the Summit site. Presentations can be viewed here as well.
We had a lot of social media buzz before, during and after the event - check out our Storify summary. The newest addition to the event was our Mobile Conference App – I was pleased that nearly all of our attendees used the app. I hope you all found it as useful as I did on-site, as well as after the Summit.
I want to reiterate my sentiments throughout the Summit that I truly appreciate every one of our 30 sponsors. Your continued support and participation over the years makes our event possible.
Summit Snapshot…
- More than 1/3 of the thought leaders in attendance were senior management executives, including C-Level, Presidents, GMs, EVPs, and other titles
- Only 1/3 of the attendees were IT, development, engineering, or related technical titles
- 55% were first time attendees
- Nearly 100 golfers played TPC Jasna Polana
Thank you to all of the participants. We hope you came away with new strategies and actionable information. It was rewarding that all attendees who completed the Post-Summit Survey said they would attend next year. Can’t wait to see you in 2014!
Cheers,
Craig Fiander
VP, Marketing | North America
Enterprise Solutions
ALK Technologies, Inc.