Executive Connection Summit 2026: A Strategic Pulse on Innovation, AI, and Industry Growth

DX, leadership, and plenty more at another successful ECS

Sign up for The Key Point of View, our weekly newsletter of blogs, podcasts, and videos!

Last week, Scottsdale, Arizona once again played host to the office equipment industry’s premier leadership event: the Executive Connection Summit (ECS) brings together executives, innovators, and channel decision-makers for three days of strategic dialogue, cutting-edge insights, and high-value networking. Held February 8-11 at the Scottsdale Resort & Spa, ECS continued its tradition as a catalyst for industry transformation and collaboration.

Some estimated 340 senior leaders and executives from across the office technology, imaging, and managed services channels attended, reinforcing ECS’s status as a must-attend event. Founded by Mike Stramaglio and managed by Stramaglio Consulting, ECS has become a think-tank focusing on collaboration and innovation within the imaging channel.

Agenda Highlights: Forward-Looking Topics, Deep Insights

The 2026 program was thoughtfully structured around the critical trends shaping today’s competitive landscape. Core themes included:

• Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation: AI was front and center, with sessions exploring practical integration strategies, competitive use cases, and how AI-driven business models are reshaping services beyond traditional print and managed services.
• Leadership and Growth Strategies: Executive panels examined what it takes to lead in an era of rapid change, with a focus on agile decision-making and cultivating future leaders.
• Industry Evolution and Strategic Diversification: Discussions highlighted opportunities to expand service portfolios, embrace new technologies, and stay ahead of market inflection points from robotics to cybersecurity to cloud-based services, including a panel of industry “youngsters” and their opinions.

Sessions were delivered through keynote presentations, expert panels, interactive workshops, and structured networking time, ensuring participants left with insight as well as actionable takeaways.

What Attendees Valued Most

Feedback from attendees underscored several consistent themes:

• Relevance of the Content: Many executives noted that the quality of the presentations, particularly on AI and transformational leadership, was directly applicable to their organizational strategies, helping them prioritize investments and prepare for future market shifts.
• Networking and Community: Beyond the sessions, leaders valued the depth of connection possible at ECS, from peer discussions to one-on-one conversations with solution providers and partners. These interactions continue to fuel strategic partnerships long after the event ends. The special guest Jim “Doc” McCloughan, a Medal of Honor Recipient, moved many attendees to tears with his perspective on leadership and valor when navigating tough times.
• Actionable Insights: For many, the practical nature of the insights—especially around implementing AI, diversifying service offerings, and leading through disruption—made this year’s summit especially impactful. The keynote speech by Sharon Chen, Chair & Professor at Arizona State University, highlighted the strategic advantage this industry holds in building the intelligent workplace by “owning the edge.”

Why ECS Matters

In a mature industry, grappling with the decline of its legacy, ECS serves as a vital compass to look outside of the box. It goes way beyond print and brings fresh perspectives and real-world examples. It provides C-level executives from the OEMs, thru distribution, and the reseller community and many other stakeholders along the way, with a forum to benchmark strategies, explore emerging technologies, and collaborate on solving shared challenges. The unique mix of thought leadership and peer engagement ensures that attendees return to their organizations not just with ideas, but with a roadmap for execution.

For Keypoint Intelligence and the broader community, ECS remains an essential venue, one where visionary thinking meets practical execution, and where the collective intelligence of the industry advances the marketplace as a whole.

Looking ahead, the connections made and the insights gained at ECS 2026 will continue to shape strategies throughout the year, reinforcing the summit’s role as a cornerstone event for leadership and innovation in the channel.

Stay ahead in the ever-evolving print industry by browsing our Industry Reports page for the latest insights. Log in to the InfoCenter to view research and studies through our Workplace- and Production-based Advisory Services. Not a subscriber? Contact us for more information.