by Berend Booms, Associate Editor, Future of Assets
As I write this, the Netherlands is coated in a fine layer of powdery snow. It’s the kind of snow we get once every decade, and it’s certainly the first time my kids have experienced winter in all of its grandeur. Its impacts are felt nationally, as sub-zero temperatures and constant snowfall have disrupted transport, halting train traffic and causing hundreds of flight cancellations over multiple days. On a personal level, we spent the weekend outdoors, having snowball fights and building snowmen. Watching my kids experience the wonders of winter has been a small but meaningful reminder of how quickly context can change.
Just one month ago, I was sitting on the beach in Florida, enjoying the sunshine and beautiful scenery. The International Maintenance Conference (IMC) unfolded against a backdrop that could not have been further removed from the winter wonderland my kids have come to love. And yet, despite sitting on the beach in the sun, I found myself thoroughly snowed under.
A storm of slides, stories, slogans, and statistics hit Marco Island that early week in December. Keynotes packed with information, learning sessions dense with experience, and an expo floor vying for every last bit of attention, IMC has a way of immersing you completely. In a setting designed for relaxation, the volume and velocity of ideas demand constant focus; a sharp contrast to the quiet of a snowy afternoon at home.
That contrast has moved me to look back on IMC, and much like the early morning precipitation, five takeaways have begun to crystallize. These are the lessons that stayed with me once the venue was closed, its visitors returned home, my suitcases unpacked, and the Florida sun gave way to falling snow.
#1: You Can’t Spell “Maintenance” without AI
There is no way around it: AI is all around us, everywhere we go, and IMC was no exception. It featured prominently in keynotes, learning sessions, and vendor conversations alike. Predictive maintenance, automated insights, and data-driven decision-making are no longer positioned as optional upgrades, but as foundational capabilities.
What stood out was not novelty, but normalization. We have long moved beyond discussing whether AI belongs in maintenance, and are now looking at how it is governed, embedded, and trusted. This reflects a broader shift visible across asset-intensive industries: AI is becoming a fully integrated part of operational and decision-making systems, rather than a standalone analytical tool. With that shift comes a responsibility to think beyond technical accuracy toward accountability, governance, and decision ownership.
#2: Technology Moves Fast; People Move the Industry
Amidst the ever-present AI narrative, IMC reinforced a more enduring truth: the real strength of maintenance and reliability lies with the people who practice it. The one thing I enjoyed most at this event was the opportunity to meet so many industry experts. Some I’ve known for years, and others I hope to engage with for many years to come. It’s incredibly meaningful to me to be in a room with so many people who care deeply about keeping operations safe, reliable, and resilient. Progress in our space is rarely the result of isolated brilliance; it emerges through shared experience and collective learning, and IMC offered the perfect forum for that exchange. The industry moves forward not because of individual parts, but because the whole becomes greater than their sum.
#3: You are Never Too Old or Too Senior to Learn
One of the most valuable reminders at IMC was that learning has no expiration date. I loved how the entire event was set up to facilitate learning and knowledge sharing, and on more than one occasion, I found the industry expert who had just led my session sitting in the very next one I attended. It was great to glean insights and exchange experiences with industry professionals at very different stages, both those at the end of a decade-long career and those at the beginning of their professional journey.
My personal favorite session looked at how Smurfit Westrock boosted paper machine performance. By applying FMECA as a collaborative tool rather than a theoretical exercise, they showed how reliability improves when maintenance and operations align around shared objectives. The session was very compelling and practical, focusing on real examples, real constraints, and real results. My takeaway is that experience is not a substitute for curiosity, and some of the best insights stem from revisiting fundamentals with fresh eyes.
#4: Robots Illustrate Technology’s True Value
On the expo floor, I was really impressed with Boston Dynamics’ Spot. Spot is a great example of technology’s true value: not replacing people, but extending what they can safely and consistently do. Spot is more than a robot. It is a mobile robotic platform that acts as a physical extension of the maintenance team, capable of conducting routine inspections, capturing thermal readings, and operating in hazardous and difficult-to-navigate environments. It performs tasks at speeds, in conditions, and with repeatability that humans simply cannot sustain.
The main reason I love technology like this is because it highlights how human effort can shift toward interpretation, judgment, and improvement. For me, this is technology at its best: amplifying human expertise rather than competing with it or replacing it. I’m all for robotics that help us be more human.
#5: The Smallest Interactions Leave the Longest Impression
Finally, IMC reminded me that the most memorable moments are often the smallest. I had a wonderful conversation about hip-hop with a gentleman I sat next to during a session. Later the same evening, we handed out our surplus drink tickets at a social event and continued some of the conversations that ensued that night at our booth the next morning. And after my acceptance speech during the IMC award ceremony, I had multiple people come up to share their congratulations.
These moments of human connection are easy to overlook, but they are what make it worth it for me to travel across the Atlantic and be away from my family for a week. They are a reminder that behind every asset, system, and dataset are curious, generous, and wonderful people.
IMC offered a snapshot of an industry that’s moving full speed ahead. Technology is accelerating, complexity is increasing, and expectations continue to rise. But the foundations upon which we build remain unchanged: learning matters, collaboration matters, and human connection remains the force that holds everything together. That, more than any single innovation, is what keeps me excited about the future of assets.