“If you look at some of those big event players out there, they have a lot of events per year. Basically, those events are commoditized. They give them a different title, a bit of a different color logo but, in the end, it’s really a package that they push out and sell. … We need to bring the C-level speakers outside of procurement onto the stage to inspire us.”
The last few years have seen an explosion of new investment and startups to serve leading procurement organizations. While procurement is certainly worthy of such attention and enablement, they are also the ‘innovation gateway’ for the company as a whole. Keeping them inspired is a critical job – one that this week’s guest takes personally.
Matthias Gutzmann founded DPW in 2019 to deliver against an unmet need that he recognized in the procurement community. He didn’t want to host another conference, but rather to create an event, one that would bring together the most diverse community of professionals possible.
In this conversation, Matthias joins host Philip Ideson to share his founder’s story and talk about where his attention is focused right now:
The lengths he and his team go to in their efforts to avoid the ‘same old stuff’ onstage at DPW
The genesis of the ScoutLab initiative and how it is making it possible for innovation to scale within large procurement teams and large organizations
The potential downside of having so many digital options at a time when procurement is facing constant challenges and change
