Crawford Technologies, provider of innovative document solutions that streamline, improve and manage customer communications, reports on the success of its sixth annual Industry Summit held April 3-4 in Chicago. The event, tailored for professionals from industries such as healthcare, finance, insurance, telecommunications, government and the service providers that serve those industries, offered valuable insights into groundbreaking solutions for transforming the customer experience.
Crawford Technologies reports that 84 people from 37 companies attended the in-person event. The Summit featured 26 speakers, including executive and technical team members from Crawford Technologies, presenting a wide range of topics relevant to the evolving document strategies landscape. Ernie Crawford, president and CEO of Crawford Technologies, welcomed attendees with a keynote address highlighting the strategic advantage of thinking beyond limits, meeting the expectations of customers by having their preferences met and the company’s advanced, scalable solutions that support this shift by leveraging automation, easy integration and AI.
The event offered a strategic mix of thought leadership sessions, live demonstrations and case studies across two tracks: Customer Experience and Accessibility. Topics included the evolution and future of customer communications, implementing AI as a driver of innovation and growth, workflow automation solutions and migration efficiency, transactional accessibility challenges and best practices for meeting the enterprise accessibility journey.
“The energy at the event was palpable, with attendees, speakers and partners all commenting on the positive, forward-looking atmosphere.” Kemal Carr, president of Madison Advisors, said, “A good attitude can take a meeting a long way. The vibe at this in-person event was one of aspiration and proof that we are all ready to move beyond Zoom. People craved the face-to-face connection and the sessions did not disappoint. They were well attended and engaging. The industry, having survived the death of two prominent industry events, found its soul in Chicago. With this Industry Summit, Crawford Technologies threw the industry the lifeline it needed.”
Industry leaders sharing their expertise on these topics and more included: Craig Boassaly, president of Eliquo Training; Taylor Bockrath, sales executive at Flatirons Digital Innovations; Kemal Carr, president of Madison Advisors; Tom Chapleau, VP client services at Quantum; Rich Huff, senior analyst at Madison Advisors; Bill Jaworski, assistant vice president of Enterprise Automation, Lincoln Financial Group; Lori Joyner-Swetlin, postal solutions leader at GrayHair Software; Andy Keller, technical domain architect for Operational Messaging at USAA; Lisa Lipowski, IT supervisor at RR Donnelley; Mia Papanicolaou, customer communications strategist/marketing expert at Chameleon Collective; Marty Pavlik, executive vice president at Doculabs; Lois Ritarossi, president of High Rock Strategies LLC; Elizabeth Stephen, customer communications strategist/digital adoption expert at Chameleon Collective; Jamie Strawbridge, partner, Brown, Goldstein & Levy; Tess Venhoff, product evangelist at Hyland and Andy Young, founder and principal analyst at Treeline Research.
Additionally, Crawford Technologies’ partners and event sponsors had the opportunity to showcase their latest tools, technologies and industry insights. Sponsors included Canon, Flatirons Digital Innovations, GrayHair Software, Eliquo Training and Hyland. The event also provided valuable networking opportunities, allowing time for attendees to connect with industry leaders and peers, including a closing rooftop reception on Navy Pier with breathtaking views of downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan.
“Hosting our first in-person Industry Summit was an exciting milestone. It allowed us to bring together customers and industry experts to dive deep into the current and future state of document strategies in customer communications,” said Crawford. “The event provided an invaluable forum to explore the trends, opportunities and challenges shaping how organizations communicate and engage. We are pleased it proved to be a successful experience for everyone involved.”
Crawford Technologies’ 2026 Industry Summit will be held April 6-10, 2026, at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida.
