Last week, Boston was a buzz with innovation, big announcements, and a shared vision for the future of digital experience at Acquia Engage 2023. Among the myriad of insightful sessions and keynotes, two emerging themes took hold: the evolution of AI and the imperative of accessibility. The event illuminated how these facets shape a more inclusive and impactful digital landscape. To kick off the conference, Acquia’s CEO, Steve Reny, announced the acquisition of Monsido and strategic partnerships with Conductor and VWO to accelerate Acquia’s drive for accessibility and digital experience optimization.

Collaboration for Digital Success

CTO Dries Buytaert and CMO Jennifer Griffin Smith delivered highlights on the imperative need for CTOs and CMOs to collaborate closely. Their presentation shed light on Acquia’s Customer Experience Trends Report, revealing that only 37% of marketers feel capable of creating digital experiences without IT intervention. Together, they highlighted the necessity for alignment between marketing and IT departments in order for organizations to deliver compelling and engaging digital experiences.

AI: Shaping Tomorrow’s Landscape

Paul Roetzer, CEO, and founder of the Marketing AI Institute, ignited minds with his insights on the future of AI. He stressed the importance of organizations embracing education and establishing protocols to harness AI effectively. Roetzer emphasized the need for rules and committees within companies to navigate the AI landscape, signaling a pivotal shift in organizational strategies towards AI adoption.

Throughout the event, innovative discussions revolved around leveraging AI not only for content creation but also for facilitating integrations and automations, exemplifying its potential beyond the surface.

Accessibility: A Universal Imperative and Innovator

Haben Girma, a trailblazer and disability rights advocate, shared her profound insights on accessibility. As the first deafblind graduate from Harvard Law, her keynote underscored how accessibility benefits not only individuals with disabilities but society as a whole. Her example of communities implementing curb cuts into sidewalks to assist people with disabilities also benefiting others such as skateboarders and parents with strollers gave an open perspective to the ability to innovate with digital accessibility. Haben’s compelling narrative urged businesses to embrace accessibility as a cornerstone, unlocking new avenues of innovation and inclusivity.

Over the course of the conference, we learned more about Acquia’s strategic goals to incorporate Monsido into the Acquia platform to provide a comprehensive accessibility solution. Companies will be able to better drive accessibility within their digital channels for a more inclusive digital ecosystem and better engagement with their customers.

Partnerships and Platform Enhancements

Acquia continued the excitement as they unveiled their strategic alliances with Conductor and VWO showcased their dedication to enhancing digital experience optimization. Conductor, focusing on SEO and content marketing support, and VWO, offering advanced optimization testing and personalization capabilities, promise enriched experiences within the Acquia platform.

Moreover, the unveiling of Acquia TV, a bespoke video content platform leveraging Brightcove’s video hosting solution, marks an innovation in disseminating curated video content to customers, prospects, and partners. Acquia TV aims to bring the right content to the right audience to accelerate education and further engagement.

Innovation and Insights Galore

Throughout the event, we delved deeper into industry trends, product use cases, and innovative approaches during breakout sessions led by customers, partners, and Acquia experts. These sessions served as hubs of knowledge exchange, bringing forth insights and experiences to educate and inspire attendees.

Of course, I cannot forget to mention the Acquia Engage Awards! There were 85 submissions from customers and partners highlighting the amazing work and innovation developed on Acquia. I was honored to be able to accept an Engage Award on behalf of the Perficient team. The award highlighted the work we did with our client, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and enhancing their patient experience.

Acquia Engage 2023 was a testament to the pivotal role AI and accessibility play in shaping the future of digital experiences. The event not only celebrated the present strides but also ignited an excitement for continuous innovation and collaboration, paving the way for a more accessible, inclusive, and impactful digital era.

If you would like to setup time to talk more about the insights from Engage, or would like to talk more about accessibility or AI feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendrafluegeman/.