Reverse Industry Day Put Vendors in the Driver’s Seat

When the California Department of Technology (CDT) and Department of General Services (DGS) looked to increase interaction with California’s IT vendor community, they decided to try a new approach. As a result, CDT and DGS participated in Reverse Industry Day, a premiere, day-long event held September 23 at DGS in West Sacramento that also included representatives and members of technology associations.

Reverse Industry Day brought together State contracting officers and related officials to learn from the industry about cutting-edge solutions like blockchain and artificial intelligence. It is a growing trend that offers vendors the opportunity to present their products and services by way of in-person presentations before State government IT and procurement officials.

This kind of engagement represents a growing trend within government: forums where speakers are members of industry and the audience is comprised of government representatives. It’s a bit of a role reversal with benefits that include learning about current industry products and practices and working to close communication gaps that may exist between government and the vendor community.