This time of year at PCI is the calm before the storm. The holidays are behind us, the year ahead of us, and the first mountain to climb is just barely visible on the horizon: INFOCUS, PCI’s annual customer conference.
Planning and preparations for INFOCUS Conference 2023 (taking place April 12-14 at the Omni Oklahoma City Hotel) started before the end of last fall’s 2022 INFOCUS in San Diego, and they’ll continue all the way up to the conference itself.
This year is special for me. This Okie is so incredibly excited to invite you to my home state. As we prepare for our annual conference that’s taken place each year since we were founded in 1992, I wanted to walk you through the value the event brings for me, and I hope to you too.
The value of networking
An opportunity to visit the great state of Oklahoma isn’t the best part about INFOCUS, although it is pretty cool. The best aspect of INFOCUS is the unique mix of electricity and software professionals who gather together for a few days each year to celebrate the wins in our rear-view mirror and prepare for our dynamic industry’s upcoming challenges. From profit-motivated traders to reliability-focused operators, from new-hire analysts getting some on-the-job training to experienced energy executives delivering keynote speeches, from the Pacific Northwest to Texas to New York and beyond, the breadth and diversity of energy and technology professionals are impressive. My favorite thing to see is when two customers establish a connection at INFOCUS: the start of a relationship that will produce fruit for years to come.
The value of training
Second, only to networking, training on PCI’s products and industry best practices is a critical value delivery pathway. My first experience with an INFOCUS conference started with training. I was tasked with preparing and delivering the Front Office Product training one year. Not only did I have the opportunity to survey my colleagues and customers to validate the commonalities of Front Office ISO/RTO operations in North American Electricity Generation and Supply Management, but I also gained a deep appreciation of how much work happens behind the scenes so that when game-time hits, it all runs smoothly. As PCI’s product suite has grown, so has our training curriculum.
The value of collaboration
I have helped deliver roughly one-third of PCI’s INFOCUS conferences. Thirty years of history is a lot, especially in what we do. When I talk to the old timers, they often wax poetic about the good ole days, about an era of tackling known problems with advancing technology. That world seems so far off now, almost as far off as a net zero world in our future. We now face a world where we are asked to tackle more and more significant problems with unproven technology, innovation, chemistry, and human ingenuity. With over 100 customers, PCI can collect and aggregate thousands of professionals’ wisdom (and folly) and bake those insights into our robust suite of products and services that automate and optimize your Power Marketing or Reliability operations.
The value of brevity
Now I’m getting long-winded, so I’ll shut it down here. I get so excited about INFOCUS and doubly excited about it being in OKC this year! I appreciate the opportunity to invite you each to my hometown. Please, come to network with hundreds of energy professionals and learn about PCI’s innovative solutions and services. I hope to see you all at the Omni as we Transform the Future of Energy Together!
Visit our INFOCUS Conference 2023 page to learn more and register for the event.
