It’s a wrap: Illuminate 2022 Conference

Brightly was thrilled to welcome back customers and partners in-person to Illuminate 2022, our bi-annual user conference. We loved having so many of our wonderful clients, partners and prospects come together in Brisbane, Australia on 18-19 May to connect, gain insights and hear the latest updates on asset management best practice.

Sustainability and AI were some of the key themes explored this year, with many attendees interested to learn how they can harness AI to help manage their carbon neutrality and climate resilience in the face of rising natural disasters.

Trend forecaster and best-selling author Michael McQueen spoke about the importance of agility and adaptability in an age of disruption. Drawing insights from his books, he spoke about how the success and survival of any organisation rests on their ability to anticipate, prepare for and pre-empt disruption. McQueen also discussed the key technology trends that will shape the future, including AI, robotics and business automation.

We also heard from an industry leaders panel on building sustainable communities with smarter assets. The panel, which included Craig Grace from the Department of Education Tasmania, Ben Clark from the SA City of Walkerville, David Paine from construction engineering firm Fulton Hogan and Nicola Daaboul from Brightly discussed a range of sustainability issues affecting the asset management industry today. 

Another highlight was hearing from our local and state government clients about their own asset management journeys and insights they uncovered along the way. SA City of Walkerville’s Ben Clark talked about how using predictive modelling has optimised their asset and infrastructure spending, while Victoria City of Melton’s Mike Johnston spoke about the importance of good community engagement in guiding their asset management decisions. SA City of Salisbury’s Leanne Brown and the Department of Education Tasmania’s Craig Grace also spoke about their recent digital transformations and the benefits they’ve since experienced to date, including building a clear case for current and future funding.

Attendees were able to dive deeper into a range of topics at our 12 breakout sessions, from accounting & valuation, cloud migration and maintenance & mobility to storytelling in asset management and best practice project & change management. 

Many commented that the conference was a welcome opportunity to come back together after two years of meeting virtually. Feedback included, ‘The ability to see people face-to-face and network with them – you can’t beat that human engagement’, ‘A good mix of sessions and opportunities to interact with people’ and ‘Most informative, excellent speakers and enjoyable laid-back atmosphere.’

A huge thank you to our clients and partners for working, innovating and growing with us. We hope you enjoyed the event and are able to apply the insights you took away from the experience. We hope to see you next year for Illuminate 2023!