Stu Gavurin, Author at Digital Strategy, Tech, and Trends Blog

NextPoint 2017: Business Networking Where Being Alone Is Not An Option

It’s not easy for a small company like Mission Data to gain valuable time with executives of large and influential enterprises. Often, companies like us rely heavily on referrals from their existing customers or clients. While this is generally a successful approach, the results are often haphazard, opportunistic, and somewhat slow.

For a change of pace, we were drawn to NextPoint 2017, held in Miami earlier this month. The three-day “speed networking” event offers solution providers face-to-face meetings and access to executives and influencers of substantially-sized retailers.

Visiting China’s IoT Manufacturing Scene

Internet of Things (IoT) Trends

Stu GavurinJuly 25, 2017June 28, 2021

We toured suppliers, prototyping facilities, organizations, and more.

What the Amazon-Whole Foods Merger Means for the Rest of the Grocery Industry

Internet of Things (IoT) Retail Strategy

Stu GavurinJuly 10, 2017June 6, 2019

Amazon’s recent announcement that it will buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion sent shockwaves throughout the retail world, and the news is being discussed from just about every possible angle. While some pundits are crying doom and gloom, this is a pivotal moment for grocery retail, and there are practical, strategic steps that stores can make to keep up with the digitization of the industry.

A Tale of Two Conferences, Part II: SpeechTek Talks the Talk

Events Trends

Stu GavurinJune 2, 2017August 16, 2023

As mentioned in my last post, I attended SpeechTek in Washington, DC (April 24-26) followed by Forrester’s Digital Transformation conference in Chicago (May 8-10). To contrast with Forrester, SpeechTek presented depth in its content and practicality in terms of real-life application.

A Tale of Two Conferences, Part I: Forrester Digital Transformation Fizzles

Events Trends

Stu GavurinMay 31, 2017August 16, 2023

I’ve been oddly procrastinating on writing a recap after attending SpeechTek in Washington, DC (April 24-26). I liked the conference and had quite a few takeaways, but prioritized other work. Then, Mission Data was a sponsor Forrester’s Digital Transformation conference in Chicago (May 8-10), so my writer’s block now enables me to contrast a conference focused on tech and one oriented to business.

A Bizarre Bazaar: My 2017 CES Experience

Tech

Stu GavurinFebruary 2, 2017June 6, 2019

On the final day of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017, I was in the elevator at my Las Vegas hotel and noticed a bedraggled man wearing a conference badge. I asked him how he enjoyed the conference. He looked at me with tired eyes and said he was absolutely overwhelmed. Like me, it was his first time to CES and he could only withstand a half day for two consecutive days. He told me that he felt there was just too much of everything and no order to any of it. He slumped in the elevator until we arrived at his floor; then he shuffled out and I assume went to bed.