Innovatix + Essensa National Meeting & Expo

Keynotes, Awards, and Networking Events

The meeting kicked off with an inspiring welcome address from John Sganga, Premier’s Senior Vice President, Alternate Site Programs. John’s address focused on why leaders are pivotal for positive change. Anchoring his remarks around the evolving healthcare and business markets—as well as pulling from his own career journey—John discussed the importance of leading from within and offered attendees practical advice on how to enhance their leadership skills.

After John concluded his remarks, we honored the winners of this year’s Innovatix and Essensa member awards. Presented in five categories, these awards recognize members who make use of all available resources to lower their supply chain costs through extensive participation the Innovatix and Essensa purchasing programs. This year’s winners are:

• Home Infusion Provider: BioScrip, Inc.
• Long-Term Care Pharmacy: Pharmcare USA
• Assisted Living: Brookdale Senior Living
• Skilled Nursing: Catholic Health Services
• Business and Industry: Bright Horizons Family Solutions

At the awards ceremony’s conclusion, our special guest keynote speaker, NASA Space Mission Commander and American Hero Captain Mark Kelly, took center stage. Captain Kelly inspired attendees with his “Endeavor to Succeed” presentation. The speech highlighted events and experiences that influenced his life and career, including his determination to become a naval aviator and a NASA astronaut despite several setbacks, and his wife Gabrielle Giffords’ undaunted will to recover from her injuries following an assassination attempt. Captain Kelly also spoke about his responsibilities as a primary caregiver and drew parallels to the day-to-day decisions that business owners make.

The meeting’s two evening networking events, held the first day onsite and the next day at the Field Museum, were both enjoyable and productive for all in attendance. The events offered participants the opportunity to get to know each other while exploring the museum and its exhibitions. Suppliers used the events to make connections with members and gain valuable insight into their specific needs, while members were also able to network with each other.

Both Thursday and Friday kicked off with renowned keynote speakers. At Thursday’s government affairs keynote breakfast, RealClearPolitics co-founder and executive editor Tom Bevan provided a preview of the upcoming midterm elections. We were fortunate to have Tom share his expertise so close to Election Day. Friday morning’s advisory group breakfast was highlighted by Seth Mattison, co-founder and chief movement officer of Luminate Labs. Seth’s engaging style and personal reflections forged a connection with members, while his lessons about leading a “next-generation” workplace clearly resonated with the corporate leaders in the audience.

Feedback from our 2018 attendees and exhibitors