Earlier this month, folks from all over the country made a trek to Austin, Texas to participate in the Oasys Summit 2024. I was one of them. Only the second such gathering for the newly launched group, it was with great anticipation I joined them in Austin for great music, great food, and really fun and quirky pubs (do they call them pubs in Texas?)
But mostly, I joined them for an incredible industry conference that seemed particularly poignant as the young group feels very much like a true start-up, whose participants really bonded over great conversation, best practice sharing, savvy education from top industry experts, smart impactful keynote speakers, and the forging of iron-clad new friendships.
Learn more about Oasys Summit 2024
I don’t know if this is by coincidence, or by design…but last year, the inaugural Oasys event was held in Nashville, Tennessee – a major hub for the American music industry with rows of clubs lining the streets, each with live music playing all night and into the wee hours of the morning. Then this year the event was in Austin, TX which is known as the “Live Music Capital of the World” – itself a significant center of the universe for great music and inspirational art.
Keeping the Vibe Alive
I’m beginning to think these folks at Oasys and Nationwide really like the creativity and art vibes of these locales as it seems to resonate with the group’s members. And speaking of vibes, this year’s summit, with the tagline “Keeping the Vibe Alive,” had its own distinctly unique feel as well.
As boarded my flight at Newark Liberty Airport to head to Austin, I had the sense that something was different this time. I have been staying in relatively close contact with the organization and their enthusiasm at building a new kind of dealer buying group was palpable. For sure, it would be a challenge – there are a lot of decent groups out there, but the folks at Nationwide were up for the challenge of creating a different kind of group and there was a real sense that the timing was right.
Great Anticipation
So it was with great anticipation that I landed in Austin and took a short Uber ride to the really cool and funky Hotel Van Zandt where the event was going to be held. How unique was the Van Zandt? There was handwritten sheet music framed and hanging in my room. Lots of original art hangs everywhere, on the walls of rooms, in hallways and passageways, in meeting spaces, and lobby—very hip. Hotel staff skewed young and were incredibly helpful and responsive.
The time had come to head to the hotel’s conference center and I found myself unusually antsy in the elevator. What would I find at the Summit this year? Would this time truly be different…or more of the same? Last year’s gathering was a comparatively small but meaningful gathering – would it be the same this year? These questions swirled through my brain as the elevator doors opened.
It Hit Me
Then…BAM…the minute I walked into the hall, it hit me. First impact, the scale of the room, it was quite large, easily multiples of the size of the space the previous year; and second, more importantly, that room was filled with applauding, cheering Oasys members and vendors. It was a full-on sensory experience and I stood there for a moment soaking it in – this group has grown tremendously in just its first year of existence.
Later, group leader Hank Alexander told me that this event set a new attendance record for the young organization – the event had more than 200 attendees from no less than 90 members. Most members sent more than one attendee thanks to the copious educational opportunities, as well as the ability to schmooze with top group vendors. The hall was full and the atmosphere was dynamic. It seems like the more meetings this group has, the greater the sense of unity and teamwork – a kinship really – felt by the members.
Executive Director Hank Alexander Kicks Off the Agenda
As I entered the hall, Hank Alexander was on the stage welcoming all of the attendees to this event and the air was electric. I think everyone could feel the power emanating from this surging group.
Kicking off the meeting’s agenda, Alexander introduced the first presentation of the afternoon for the entire group of attendees. Up first was the popular integration process expert Jason Sayen of I Am Sayen.
Sayen, a Lean Six Sigma black belt is an expert on how to design and apply efficient processes in your integration business such that you are truly running your business…instead of your business running you. His content is slyly multi-dimensional. If you’re an old hand at integration, you can learn things that take your business to the next level. And if you’re a newbie, Jason can help you set up processes for your young company that allow you to do more – at a higher level of professionalism – with less…a benefit you will enjoy over the long haul of your business’s growth trajectory.
Lots of Experts Delivering Lots of Expertise; The Keynote was Key for Me
Earlier in the day, Matt Bernath of Vital conducted an informative seminar for Oasys members on Cash Flow & Inventory Management. These are two topics that are bugaboos that can bedevil the busy integrator. Yet it is critical to your profitability and success as an organization to get a handle on proper processes and benchmarks in these categories.
There was so much great content at this event, including:
KEYNOTE: Tim Costello of Built4F – While all the sessions were excellent and I learned something from all of them, this keynote was far and away my favorite. Costello joins us from the building industry and he is an incredible data nerd. But he’s a data nerd who – unusually – is also a gifted presenter. Costello presented a mountain of data on the housing market, and explained how trends are predictable by watching the flow of data. It was excellent…
Shining the Light on Design
Kaleidolight, Bruce Clark – Clark, aka the Lighting Sherpa, did a Lunch ‘n Learn with members and discussed the finer element of design. This included explaining just what design is and how it is accomplished. As lighting continues to be a significant part of our industry, this concept which helps members move beyond lighting control into lighting design…it was mind-bending.
NMG Connected Services, Eric Sindelar – The Oasys Summit also had topical roundtable sessions including this one from Eric Sindelar, Nationwide Marketing Groups IT guru who conducted a roundtable discussion on a critically important topic in today’s world – Cybersecurity. Oasys’ connection with Nationwide Marketing Group brings tremendous resources to bear, and Sindelar is just one example of that.
Are You Experienced?
Speed Dating – Also on the agenda were several rounds of what Oasys calls Speed Dating – which are one-on-one meetings between members and vendors. Building stronger relationships with vendors is one of the big upsides of membership in buying groups, and the Oasys line card is second to none. Members took full advantage of this opportunity.
Experience Rooms – There were several Experience Rooms set up by vendors that allow a fully immersive experience for attendees. Members could see the product in action and go hands-on for a test drive themselves. These rooms also offered the opportunity for extended discussions with participating vendors.
Relationship Building – In addition to all of the above, the Oasys Summit had several Meet & Greet social interactions, as well as nightly receptions, meals, and even a night out on the town for the entire group.
Bottom Line, This is a Group on the Move
Bottom line, Oasys is a group on the move. How important is this group and its event? Consider some of the prominent attendees. Present at this event was Dean Sottile, Nationwide MG Chief Operating Officer, Andy Orozco, Nationwide MG Senior Vice President of CI, Frank Sterns, Nationwide MG Custom Integration Consultant, and of course, Hank Alexander and the whole Oasys team was present and accounted for.
Think about this…Oasys has grown from a negligible number to now over 300 members. This makes them larger than HTSA, on par with sister group Azione Unlimited, and continuing to grow against all others. This is a remarkable achievement in just one year.
Perhaps this is why just about everyone I met at the Oasys Summit 2024 said the same thing: “What a difference a year makes!”
Learn more about Oasys by visiting oasysgroup.org.
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