In it's 27th year, the CIO 100 Symposium, taking place Aug. 9-11 in Colorado Springs, CO, will bring together the best and brightest CIOs to celebrate the myriad ways in which they are “Innovating in the Digital Economy.” In anticipation of this event, the Enterprisers Project caught up with Adam Dennison, senior vice president/publisher for IDG Enterprise, to find out what makes this nearly three-decade running tradition a must-attend event for CIOs and IT leaders.
The Enterprisers Project (TEP): The CIO 100 has truly stood the test of time, drawing CIOs and senior IT and business executives back year after year. What makes the event unlike any others in the technology field?
Dennison: I think one major differentiator is that we are the CIO 100 – not the CIO 500 or 1,000. It's not easy to make the list, so we are truly honoring the best of the best and showcasing what makes them innovative and ahead of their field.
Another unique aspect of the CIO 100 is that it’s an organizational award, not an individual award. There's certainly a place for individual recognition in the industry, and there's nothing wrong with that; but we've noticed that great CIOs – great leaders in general – are always eager to talk about the accomplishments and successes of their entire team before they get into their personal achievements. The CIO 100 has been giving them a platform to do just that for nearly three decades.
TEP: And why would you say that's so important for IT leaders?
Dennison: Most CIOs are modest. They've come up through the ranks of IT, so, for the most part, they know what it's like to be in the trenches. So even though the CIOs we honor are doing amazing things with digital technology and have made the leap from the trenches to connect with the business or their customers in unique and innovative ways, they still want to share the spotlight with their teams. That's why you'll often see companies with four or five people in attendance. One year Dell brought an entire table full of team members to share in their award win. That “bring your whole team” aspect makes the event really special for us, but more so for the CIOs themselves.
TEP: Can you tell us more about this year's theme: “Innovating in the Digital Economy?”
Dennison: Since I've been on board, the word “innovating” has always been in the theme of the CIO 100, because there hasn't been a time in recent history when innovation hasn't been a very relevant and timely aspect of a CIO's job. This year we wanted to tackle digital transformation head on.
The most important takeaway I want attendees to get from the conference this year is that digital is not a buzzword. I think folks on the media and vendor side of things do a great job of building hype around the buzzword of the year. Cloud, big data, consumerization—there’s a lot of them out there. Some of them are timely and relevant, but some buzzwords often lose meaning in all the hype surrounding them.
But digital is real. It may mean different things to different people, but it's not going away any time soon. There is so much digital transformation happening in every market that if you're not leading in this disruptive age, then you’re going to be the one that gets disrupted. Complacency will be the biggest threat to businesses in the coming years, so learning how to lead in this digital era will be paramount.
TEP: Thank you, Adam. Lastly, could you tell us what you are most looking forward to this year?
Dennison: I'm looking forward to meeting new CIOs and reconnecting with the ones that come back year after year. It really is a community at the CIO 100 events. It’s very rare that you’ll see a CIO sitting by the pool. The rooms are full; everyone is there to learn, to celebrate each other, and to network. But beyond that, many of these folks are friends and enjoy connecting on a personal level, too. When I walk in and see Stuart Kippelman from Covanta, for example, he always asks me how the family is doing.
I, of course, love to hear about the great projects and innovative initiatives these CIOs are tackling, but I’m learning about that stuff all year long. They are also doing fascinating things in their personal lives, and every year I look forward to catching up. I imagine that most of our returning attendees feel the same, and that's what brings them back every year.
Are you going to the CIO 100 Symposium? If so, what are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments, or tweet us at @4enterprisers with the hashtag #CIO100. If you haven't registered yet, it's not too late!
