How Technology User Conferences Can Impact Change Through Connection

As tech boomed in the 90s, so did the tech user conference.

These gatherings enabled users to learn how to execute complex processes associated with specific products and technology.

These days, user conferences have evolved, offering attendees benefits that go well beyond practical execution.

In fact, today’s technology user conferences don’t simply serve as a call-and-response question and answer session, but rather enable attendees to define the future of their industries, improving end-user experience with every handshake.

To learn more about the personal impact of the professional gathering, I sat down with PointClickCare Champion Garri Ann Hearn to learn more about how technology user conferences drive innovation year after year.

Build a Better User Experience

For Garri Ann, the biggest benefit of attending user conferences is experiencing commonality of purpose.

“You meet other people who speak the same language and understand the challenges of day-to-day life,” she explained. “You get to know others and how they handle different tools.”

This mutual purpose enables attendees to collaborate and share experiences that can result in a better user experience across organizations. Garri Ann particularly emphasizes the importance of new users attending user conferences, pointing to the ability to learn tips and tricks from seasoned users that can allow everyone to work smarter, not harder.

Ultimately, this collaboration among users yields a better user experience, one that is fine-tuned by the individuals who interact with the software daily.

Network for Knowledge

For Garri Ann, once the closing remarks are given, the networking is only getting started.

After a week of sharing business cards, LinkedIn profiles, and email addresses, attendees continue conversations with new connections. The contacts made at the event are varied, allowing for different perspectives to gain traction within conversation and drive progress.

Garri Ann also notes how important role diversity is to networking success, advocating for attendance for individuals in both clinical and financial positions. “We do things so differently,” she says of the two roles, “but we are so integrated.”  With representation of a variety of roles, better understanding of what and why can be achieved, as well as process optimization.

Gain Personalized Assistance

User conferences like CONNECT@SUMMIT offer attendees one-on-one time with product experts and engineers to solve issues or explain functionality.

This approach to personalized assistance extends well beyond the solution teams, as every employee is committed to connecting with attending users.

Garri Ann experienced this commitment first-hand in Austin, Texas as she stood in front of a what-can-we-do-better kiosk. As she penned her answer on a green post-it, PointClickCare Chief Executive Officer Dave Wessinger approached and asked what she was writing.

After Gari Ann expressed her functionality desire, Dave signed the post-it and tacked it to the wall. Weeks later, as Gari Ann scrolled her inbox messages, she received a release note that reflected the Dave-approved change.

This year, PointClickCare is bringing that same commitment to experience and innovation to Las Vegas, driving innovation and change one connection at a time.