It’s been just a week since wrapping up the Exchange19 conference in New Orleans, and we’re still reeling from the sheer amount of knowledge, networking and new experiences involved in the event.
Exchange19 brought together more than 325 emergency management and health prep and response professionals from numerous federal, state and local agencies as well as some from a number of agencies from across the globe. Participants came from some 30 states across the U.S. and from locations as far away as the UK, Lithuania, Australia, New Zealand, India and United Arab Emirates, just to name a few.
The vibrant energy of one of the world’s most unique and colorful cities – New Orleans – set the tone for this year’s conference, which was full of fun, friendliness, excitement and enthusiasm, to learn from the experiences of veteran presenters, keynote speakers, and each other.
Among the highlights were:
- Inspirational Keynote Speakers: Todd Stalbaum and Rorke Denver shared powerful and motivating stories from their experiences. A veteran emergency health manager in Orlando, Stalbaum’s recounting of the Pulse Nightclub shooting was extremely moving. Commander Denver, a former Navy SEALs instructor, inspired the audience to incrementally improve and “find another inch” as well as to always “advance your position” in terms of preparedness.
- The Guru Lounges were hoppin’: Our “Guru Lounges,” where participants get one-on-one time with solutions experts, have always been a favorite feature. This year, Exchange19 included twice as many Guru Lounges than ever before; and judging from the activity throughout the week, they continue to be a very popular part of the event.
- Great partnerships with amazing sponsors: Exchange19 was fortunate to have several sponsors who are leading the way in Incident Management technology, including Rave Mobile Safety, ESRI, PCM and CodeRED from OnSolve. We heard from many participants how much they appreciated the opportunity to learn more about these companies’ cutting-edge technologies, which integrate with Juvare’s solutions.
- New Solutions for Incident Management: Juvare unveiled the upcoming release of the Juvare Exchange (JX), a first-of-its-kind real-time collaborative incident management network which will revolutionize how incident management is done. JX connects public, private and healthcare organizations and agencies across borders and jurisdictions to provide a new standard for real-time comprehensive situational awareness.
- Big fun in The Big Easy: Just the physical location in New Orleans seemed to create an energetic and relaxed vibe throughout the week. We enjoyed great food and music, including a surprise performance from a traditional New Orleans Second Line Band, the Kinfolk Brass Band.
Participants enjoyed seeing behind the scenes workings specific to the New Orleans area, like the New Orleans Real Time Crime Center, which came into being as a result of Hurricane Katrina, as well as seeing how Mardi Gras activities come together throughout the year at Mardi Gras World.
Because the work that our participants do often involves serious and sometimes dire circumstances, it’s important to have the opportunity to come together to learn up-to-date best practices in an environment that’s relaxed and inviting.
Juvare’s Exchange conference, more than ever, is the event of the year for Emergency Management and Planning Professionals to gather and gain effective methodologies and innovative solutions in an open and collaborative environment from some of the industry’s top practitioners.
Stay tuned for announcements about Exchange20 – we hope you will make plans to join us next year!
Didn’t make it to New Orleans this year? Check out our other training opportunities offered year round in our Training Center!
