Emerson Exchange 365

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the 2016 Emerson Global Users Exchange, welcome to Austin! We’ve come this week to the Live Music Capital of the World to “Accelerate Your Learning.”

Since last year’s conference in Denver, your Board has been hard at work to ensure that we continue to drive improvements in the Exchange experience, advancing a “for users by users” agenda that fosters optimal learning and information sharing among this community of industry leaders. We purposely chose this year’s theme to emphasize how powerfully efficient it can be to learn from one another, and we’ve designed Exchange to make sure you leave here equipped with lessons you can immediately apply back on the job next week. Sitting next to you right now may be the person who’s already gone down a road you’re about to travel—or maybe they’re about to undertake a project similar to one you did last year. I encourage you to “Accelerate Our Learning” by taking full advantage of both the structured sessions and informal networking opportunities that Exchange will make possible this week.

Especially as many of us baby-boomers prepare for retirement, new learning methodologies and technologies play an important role in accelerating knowledge transfer to the next generation of industry professionals. For example, at Exchange this year we’ve added a Blended Learning Laboratory that demonstrates how today’s training programs can leverage digital tools and online connectivity for maximum efficiency and effect, and how they can fill your specific training gaps and requirements.

Our new and improved mobile event app is another next generation technology intended to accelerate your learning here at Exchange. All attendees are encouraged to download the event app so that you can stay up-to-the minute with schedule changes and fully participate in the interactive elements of our time together. Some session presenters—including me, during this morning’s keynote—will be conducting real-time polls of the audience. Ensure that these polls accurately reflect the views of the Exchange community by downloading the app and participating. (See accompanying article for further instructions.) The app will also allow you to find and connect one-on-one with other Exchange attendees throughout the week.

Yet another interactive element of the Exchange experience available only to those who download the app is the ability to submit questions for the popular Meet the Experts sessions that—this year for the first time—will be held on Thursday afternoon. In addition to uploading your questions at any time in advance of those sessions, you can vote on questions submitted by other Exchange attendees and shape the course of those discussions. But perhaps the most important venue for learning from your peers this week are the nearly 300 workshops on offer. We once again received more than twice as many presentation proposals than we were able to accommodate, and on behalf of the Board I would like to thank all of you who submitted abstracts. Even if your abstract was not selected, please remember that your contributions are the essence of the Emerson Exchange experience and we encourage you to submit again for a future conference.

Session schedules have been arranged to afford the maximum number of opportunities to learn and share. We have something for everyone—from plant and operations managers to instrument and maintenance technicians to process and controls engineers. In addition to the 290 workshop sessions, there are a record 21 complementary educational services courses (complete with CEU credits), seven Industry Forums, 13 Product Roadmap sessions, 15 Short Courses, four Technology Roundtables, and 16 Meet the Experts sessions. Not to mention a football field of Technology Exhibits, Thursday night’s networking visit to the Bullock Texas State History Museum and Tuesday night’s Music Jam at The Palm Door on nearby 6^th Street. Also, new to the Exchange schedule this year are early morning Fun Runs on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Emerson Global Users Exchange is intended to provide a full week of ready access to all the accelerated learning you could hope for—all in one place, all at one time. We hope you take advantage of all that Exchange has to offer. A more detailed overview of all there is to experience follows.

Conference Workshops & Short Courses

More than 300 workshops and short courses are scheduled throughout the week on a wide range of engaging subjects. These are an excellent opportunity to learn best practices, see what your colleagues and peers are achieving with automation, and generate new ideas for use on your job at your facility

Industry Forums

Monday’s Industry Forums will provide insight into what your peers are doing to navigate through and compete in today’s dynamic global marketplace.

Product & Service Roadmaps

Product Roadmap sessions, running Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, provide detailed information on products, services and enhancements that Emerson will release in the coming months, along with insights into the strategy and technology guiding future solutions.

Technology Roundtables

Technology Roundtables presented on Tuesday and Wednesday provide the opportunity to catch up on the latest advancements in automation technology. Learn how industry leaders are applying the latest technologies for bottom-line results. Discuss emerging trends, current use cases and practical issues with industry experts and peers.

Certified Training

Courses presented by Emerson’s Educational Services staff on Wednesday and Thursday focus on many of the most prevalent industry technologies and products. Continuing Education Units will be awarded to course attendees.

Meet the Experts

Round out your conference on Thursday afternoon with practical working sessions focused on prevalent issues your operations face and the solutions you can apply. Meet, learn from, and consult with the experts behind the technology in one of several sessions.

Technology Exhibits

This year’s Exhibit Hall encompasses more than a football-field-sized area. Visit with subject matter experts and experience live, hands-on demonstrations of the full range of Emerson Automation Solutions and complementary vendor offerings.