We were treated to some seasoned management insight from Robert Crescenzi, Dr. John Daly and Jon Minerich, who shared their skills and experiences to help us identify, plan for, advocate and successfully win senior management support to implement proven and emerging technologies to save time and money, to improve bottom line productivity, and minimize waste.

We came together as industry “families” in the Industry Forums, and shared new ideas with our peers. Throughout the week, we have been able take advantage of well over 300 technical presentations, and the power and pervasive quality of Emerson’s PlantWeb architecture was evident as we witnessed the wide range of equipment, instruments, systems and analysis tools that were seamlessly integrated on the Technology Exhibits floor.

Captain Larry Brudnicki captivated the group on Wednesday as he recounted the reality of the decisions he faced while rescuing stranded sailors during “The Perfect Storm.” He encouraged each of us to effectively use every experience to learn and to prepare for the inevitable technical and operational storms that we will all face in the future.

Yesterday, we honored the best of the best by presenting the Best in Track kudos at our awards ceremony during lunch. Last night, we all had a chance to unwind a bit and network at the National Air and Space Museum, where we were surrounded by a long history of great ideas that became solutions.

As the Exchange winds down today, we are confident that our more than 2,700 attendees will be able to look back and see the value of their investment. It has been a great week, and in just a few days, the Board will begin preparations for next year's event. It has been a great ride—I hope to see you all in Orlando next September.

Greg Stephens
Chairman, Emerson Global Users Exchange