Azione Unlimited management, members, and partners recently converged for the Fall Symphystic Synod in Seattle. Without pause, Azione President and Founder Richard Glikes warmly welcomed conference attendees, set expectations, and put the well-orchestrated, three-day agenda in motion.
With camaraderie and thought-provoking discussion a common thread, initial breakouts touched upon hiring concepts, benefits to doing both commercial and custom business, and one-touch automation. Secondary discussion explored the business climate, and “future-proofing” your business. Educational tracks led by notable industry experts further explored: HR and operations, process and business metrics. A lighting track even urged integrators to “own the ceiling.”
Hot-topics, such as the “Ask the Architects” panel discussion moderated by Bryan Mills, President of Mills Technologies, spurred much debate. For one hour, noted local architects—John DeForest, founder of DeForest Architects; Lane Williams, Principal Lane Williams Architects; and Sheri Olson, Principal Sheri Olson Architecture—not only provided candid insight as to the inner workings of an Architectural team and collaborative efforts with general contractors and subcontractors, but also the process, timeline, and inherent accountabilities encountered while navigating architectural projects, custom integration aside.
While this continued, open dialog was encouraged. The panel did reiterate their interest in exploring new ideas, technologies, and the possibilities that might arise from a solid partnership between the two disciplines. Also comforting may be the fact that as building requirements evolve, so too will the role of technology. Consider the convergence of solar electric systems, intelligent energy storage systems, and energy management solutions. While it may not be at the customer’s request, all parties should at least be ready to discuss and explore the topic.
To that point, there is no denying that the concept of Return on Learning, as recently presented by Luke Williams at the CEDIA 2019 Keynote was being fully applied. Experiencing the Azione Unlimited team in action and watching the community grow through the combination of education, business guidance, and purchasing power while sharing ideas, best practices, and having fun is extremely powerful.
And just like that, it was time to say our goodbyes, and get back to pending business. Per Patrick McCarthy, Azione Director of New Business Development & Dealer Services, “The members come for the program and stay for the conference.” Should you wish to know what Azione Unlimited has to offer, there’s always next Spring.
