KMC Controls brought its partners together in Chicago at its semi-annual customer event, the 2018 KMC Genius Summit, on January 18-20. Taking place at the beautiful Langham Luxury Hotel, KMC presented a variety of speakers and topics to equip its customers with product knowledge, best practices training, and a heavy dose of innovation.

“KMC’s commitment and desire to see their partners succeed was put on the forefront,” said an attendee in an anonymous follow-up survey. “The Genius Summit was positioned in a manner to inspire and encourage KMC’s Partners to succeed through better business practices, technology and innovation.”

Day 1 General Session: Michael Abrashoff

Each day’s morning general session featured a prominent keynote speaker. Friday morning’s headliner was Michael Abrashoff, former Naval captain, who took command of the worst-performing ship in the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. Twelve months later it was the best ship in the entire Navy…using the same crew. Having sold nearly one million copies of his book It’s Your Ship, Abrashoff now helps individuals and companies take organizational change head on, without excuses. He spoke of his commitment to company-wide respect – from the top down – as well as openness to new ideas and solutions in problem-solving.

Day 2 General Session: Josh Linkner

Saturday morning was equally as riveting as Josh Linkner joined the event, a two-time New York Times Bestselling author, five-time tech entrepreneur, hyper-growth CEO, and founding-partner of Detroit Venture Partners. To Linkner, creativity and innovation are the lifeblood of all human progress. As such, he’s spent his career harnessing the power of creative disruption – no doubt a relevant topic as Genius Summit attendees dove into the world of IoT. Linkner showcased a variety of real-life issues various businesses have encountered – and how flipping the perspective can help solve them.

“GREAT key note speakers,” said another attendee survey. “Life changers.”

In-Depth Training & Breakout Sessions

The remainder of the event was dedicated to in-depth training and breakout sessions focused on helping move attendees into a world of digital transformation.

“We have built a curriculum of sessions that will help draw our partners into the coming age. IoT is not going away, and we believe our complete line of edge-to-edge solutions is exactly what will help them achieve a firm footing for the future,” said Richard Newberry, CEO for KMC Controls.

Thirteen different breakout sessions occurred over the two-day event, with most repeating each day, allowing attendees to catch more content. As KMC prepares to launch its latest iteration, a number of the sessions focused on the KMC Commander platform.

“When I go out and speak with customers, there’s always a sense of wanting more and looking ahead for what’s next. Our customers are outgoing like that. They want to be the ones at the forefront of new technology in the smart building space,” said KMC Controls’ VP of Sales, Mitch Kehler. “When they come to our Summit, they’ll be able to see how KMC Commander, and our core building automation solutions, will help them achieve that goal and lay a foundation for the future.”

Supporting Partners

Aligning to this vision, KMC garnered the support from many of its top partners for the KMC Genius Summit. Sponsors at the Platinum level included Intel, Dell, Tridium, Cochrane Supply, and Arrow Electronics. Gold level sponsors included Veris Industries, ACI, and Hawken Media.

“We’re fortunate to have the relationships we do. Shared vision for the future is not something we take for granted. Our sponsors are truly partners, and we are all excited for the future,” said Newberry.

Networking & Giveaways

The event wasn’t only about education. Plenty of networking opportunities were available, from the kickoff beer tasting event sponsored by Intel, to Saturday’s whiskey tasting, brought by Tridium. Prizes were given away for the most engaged attendees, determined by an in-app competition.

“I think my networking contacts were my biggest takeaway,” another attendee survey said. “It was nice to talk to my peers from around the country.”

For attendees who would like the revisit the presentations or those who missed the event, KMC is making most sessions available online. Click here to view the videos and presentations.