ICC 2025 Was Amazing!
Wow. ICC 2025 was something special.
A bigger venue, a stronger community, more technical depth, and a whole new level of polish, this year's Inductive Automation Conference easily goes down as the best ICC I've ever attended.
From the moment I stepped into the new venue, it was clear this wasn't just a step up, it was a Level Up. The layout was more accessible, the energy was high, and the advanced lanyards made connecting with others seamless. Whether you were catching up with familiar faces or starting new conversations, the environment encouraged meaningful, professional connections.
Community & Gratitude
One of the highlights, as always, was reconnecting with industry peers and making valuable new connections throughout the week. A sincere thank you to David Grussenmeyer and Travis Cox for the warm welcome and genuine conversations. Your approachability and support are part of what makes this community truly stand out.
To the entire Inductive Automation team, congratulations. ICC 2025 raised the bar in every way. From logistics to technical content to atmosphere, you produced something truly world-class.
Sessions That Stood Out
The technical sessions were packed with insight and forward-thinking strategy. Here are some key highlights from my experience:
Keynotes: Vision for the Future
"Welcome to the Next Level": The Future is Here with Colby Clegg and Carl Gould opened the event with a bold look at where industrial automation is heading. The message was clear: legacy architectures are fading, and Ignition is the foundation of the future. As the industry shifts toward openness, modularity, and interoperability, this keynote framed the transformation beautifully.
“Technical Keynote: What's Next?” dove deeper into architectural complexity, the evolving role of AI, and new tools on the horizon. The session was packed with value, and the live Q&A gave us a rare look behind the curtain at the direction of the platform's development.
AI in Practice: Real-World Application
“Hello AI, Meet Ignition” was one of the most practically valuable sessions. It showcased how LLMs can be used inside Ignition projects today, even without deep AI expertise — streamlining development, surfacing insights from historical data, automating tasks, and more.
"The ProveIT! Showcase" demonstrated a live, working example of a Unified Namespace in action, powered by live data from a virtual factory. Seeing this level of interoperability in a real-time environment was a strong example of what's possible when Ignition is at the core of a modern digital infrastructure.
Table Talks: Real Conversations, Industry Insight
One of the most valuable parts of ICC 2025, beyond the main stage, was the Table Talks. These roundtable discussions gave everyone a chance to speak openly about challenges, share practical experiences, and dig into what's really happening in the field.
Coming from a recruitment background, I found these sessions especially insightful. They provided a window into:
- What skills are in high demand
- Where the current gaps are
- How organizations are approaching talent development and scaling technical teams
Rather than surface-level conversations, these talks went deep and hearing from integrators, engineers, and team leads across industries helped me better understand where the market is headed and how we can support that growth from a talent and capability standpoint.