InfoComm 2018 was a milestone event for the Global Presence Alliance, celebrating 10 years since the formation of the Alliance at InfoComm 2008.
Our pre-InfoComm 2-days member summit featured over 100 delegates from across the membership, our largest InfoComm summit ever. These summits drive thought leadership, program development, and the validation of and education around strategic GPA organizational goals.
Pre-summit activities started on Sunday night with a welcome reception allowing summit veterans to catch up and first timers to get acquainted with the extended GPA family.
On the opening day of the summit, John Bailey (President-GPA) kick started the summit with his opening address, reminding everyone where our priorities had to lie, and the importance of continuously evaluating what customers actually need, and how to make sure we are consistently innovating in how we deliver this.
Byron Tarry (Executive Director-GPA) then gave us a walk down memory lane of the GPA's origins (including some photos of the 2010 member summit); an outline of the Summit's goals and agenda; as well as updates on general GPA activities, key initiatives, and the priorities being set and driven by the Board.
Monday featured a keynote address from a Canadian startup, followed by a panel discussion with a number of key vendors, each providing their perspectives on the relevant topics given.
After the first day’s business was done, there was a surprise in store as the instructions were provided for our Members Only evening event at Top Golf. Transport to and from the event was to be provided by our very own 40ft #thegreenmachine GPA branded stretch Hummer limo, stocked with Heineken (the GPA’s standard beer) for those needing to quench their thirst from the Vegas heat.
"As part of ensuring maximum impact and visibility of the GPA's 10 Year anniversary milestone, #thegreenmachine became the talk of the show as a driving billboard for the GPA as it ferried members, vendors and guests around to and from the convention centre, and to other events."
The Summit formally concluded on Tuesday afternoon with a Customer panel discussion.
With the summit complete, and the industry as a whole converging on Vegas for the start of the show on Wednesday, it was time for the official #GPA10Years celebration. Held at the rooftop VooDoo lounge venue at the Rio hotel, almost 300 customers, vendors, and other industry VIP's joined 150+ members guests taking in the best views of Vegas, celebrating 10 years of excellence, and sharing their vision (complete with their pair of #GPA10years glasses) of the future. With spectacular views of the Vegas skyline at dusk, it truly was an experience befitting the inspiring organization we have become in the past decade.
"Wednesday saw the GPA hit the Infocomm show in force. Be it arrival in #thegreenmachine, almost 200 members wearing their“GPA Green" golf shirts, or their #GPA10Years Green Glasses,there was no doubt about the scale and presenceof the GPA throughout the show floor."
Formal GPA activities ended with our traditional Customer Roundtable Workshop. Moderated by Ira Weinstein, the session featured more than 70 registered enterprise customers.
Summit attendee survey responses will tell us for sure, but the general feedback seems to reflect this as the most significant and important GPA summit ever, be it the message we sent to the industry about our commitment and focus 10 years in, or through the thought leadership and GPA go forward initiatives driven by the summit delegates.
Attention now shifts to the final GPA summit of the year in Singapore scheduled to take place from the 22nd – 24th of October at Changi Cove Hotel, a dedicated meeting facility that will be secured exclusively for the GPA's summit.