Podcast: The future of reliability — What’s next at the 2025 Leading Reliability conference

Key takeaways

The Leading Reliability conference provides a unique opportunity for industry professionals to collaborate on solving reliability challenges using multiple technologies.
Attendees gain valuable insights from real-world case studies shared by peers, enhancing their understanding of reliability practices and technologies like ultrasound and infrared.
Networking is a key benefit, with a welcoming environment that fosters long-lasting relationships, turning the event into a community for reliability professionals.
Leadership and change management are key focuses, with sessions aimed at inspiring attendees to take on leadership roles, regardless of their formal titles.

In this episode of Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast, Plant Services chief editor Tom Wilk is joined by Maureen Gribble, the sales enablement leader for North America at UE Systems, to preview the upcoming Leading Reliability conference. The event takes place May 12-15 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, with four days of workshops, practitioner sessions, and networking in a gorgeous venue. Anyone interested in attending a conference with like-minded professionals from all kinds of verticals will find people at this event who have lived your experience and have something to say about how they solve problems.

Below is an excerpt from the podcast:

PS: Today we're talking about the Leading Reliability conference coming up in May in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Longtime listeners of the podcast know that Maureen and I get together every year to discuss what's coming up at the show. Normally, we're joined by a couple of other partners, but today, it's just Maureen and me focusing on what people can expect from this conference and how to sign up if they're interested. Let me get one thing out of the way right away, Maureen. For anyone listening, the URL for the website is leadingreliability.com—that's one word, leadingreliability.com.

MG: You got it.

PS: Maureen, for those who haven't been to the conference before, this is a very specific, focused event that originated from the old Ultrasound World conference. We're now on our fifth in-person Leading Reliability show. Tell us a little bit about the partners involved this year.

MG: Yeah, so, like you said, this will be our fifth in-person version. Of course, it started as a virtual conference back in 2020, but we're very happy to be in person now, and in beautiful Clearwater Beach. We have five host companies this year. Obviously, UE Systems is one of them. The others are RDI Technologies, Acoem, Eruditio, and this year, which is fitting for our fifth year, we've added a new host: Flir. We're really excited to have them in the mix. They bring infrared technology, which we haven’t had represented before. We're thrilled to have them join us and see the knowledge and technology they’ll bring to the event.

PS: Every year I’m always impressed with how the companies come together to show how their technologies complement each other to solve very specific problems. I mean, this conference is a tight-knit, four-day event with about 100+ professionals as well as technical teams from the partner companies, all discussing (1) the challenges that arise on the job and (2) which technologies to use to solve them.

MG: Exactly. What’s great is—of course, ultrasound is a great technology, and we want people using it—but technology always works best when you have multiple tools in your toolkit. So, having vibration, infrared, motion amplification, and then having Eruditio there to tie it all together with leadership and the training they offer—it really ties everything together. We aim to provide everything you could need in your toolkit, and not only that but also how to best implement it, how to drive change, and how to be strong leaders throughout that process. The best part? When you look at the agenda this year, it’s packed with actual customers who are using our technologies. These are people who have gone through the training courses offered by Eruditio, and now they're coming to share their knowledge, trials, and, of course, their successes. Hearing from peers really makes a difference. And then, after their presentations, you get to have lunch with them and continue the conversation. That’s awesome.

PS: You know, one conversation I vividly remember— I think it was from the 2021 in-person event—was with someone from Frito-Lay. I asked how business was during the difficulties of COVID, and they said, “Are you kidding? We got the budget we needed to keep the snack line rolling. What do people need during a crisis? Comfort food.” They said they were able to completely drive and accelerate their reliability program. It was one of those hidden insights that you only get when you talk to people at an event like this.

MG: Exactly, and I think that’s where most of the learning takes place—at the lunch tables, the receptions, the beach barbecue, in those conversations. We’ve really stressed from the beginning that we want to build a community of reliability, and I think you see that in the attendees who come back year after year, bringing colleagues along with them. It always feels like a big family reunion every May. We also have a lot of new faces this year, so we can’t wait to get them in the mix, make them feel welcome, and hopefully see them again next year.

You might be coming as an attendee this year, and that’s great, we welcome you. But maybe next year, you might be the one up on stage presenting.
- Maureen Gribble, UE Systems

PG: Yeah, I think you mentioned a crew from Seattle is coming over. They're going to win the award for longest distance traveled—Seattle to Clearwater Beach.

MG: That’s true! We also have a lady joining us who's the global director of maintenance and reliability from L'Oréal, coming all the way from Paris. I’ll have to do a map to see if that’s equal, but yes, definitely some folks are coming from far away, which speaks to the power of this event and what we’ve built over these five years.

PS: I agree. I’m going to drop a few more names of customer companies that have been at the conference over the years: Amazon always sends a team, Tampa Electric and Bridgestone will be there this year, and we’ve also got Lockheed Martin. So, again, anyone interested in attending a conference with like-minded professionals from all kinds of verticals will find people at this event who have lived your experience and have something to say about how they solve problems.

MG: Yep, and what we really love—and we stress this to folks leading up to the event and while we’re there—is, you might be coming as an attendee this year, and that’s great, we welcome you. But maybe next year, you might be the one up on stage presenting. We’ve had speakers who might not feel comfortable speaking at bigger events, but our conference has that intimate vibe, and people have told me it’s a great first-time speaking experience. It’s a welcoming environment with people who have been there and done that, so I think some new attendees this year will find their name on our agenda next year.

PS: It’s funny you say that—I think back to when I was an attendee, pre-COVID, at Ultrasound World. Plant Services is a very proud partner of Leading Reliability, and every year, you’re kind enough to invite me up to host panels, especially the customer presentation panel. I remember one year, there was a reliability lead from Disney, and I asked her, without naming names, what situation on a theme park ride surprised her the most in terms of reliability challenges. I’m not going to spoil the story, but for anyone who wants to hear it. I think they’ll need to come to the conference for that one! I always value my time with the conference and being invited to participate.

MG: We’re always so grateful. Plant Services has been a huge supporter of the conference since day one, and we really appreciate your help promoting it. The best part is that you come and get to write these amazing articles based on what our customers share in front of 100-120 people. It’s great that these stories then get shared with everyone else, and the speakers really appreciate seeing their work in print. It’s pretty cool.

PS: You’re taking me back! We’ve got predictive maintenance case studies coming from your conference every year. Last year, I did a 4,000-word piece on leadership and reliability stories, and we even had a podcast with someone who used RDI Technologies to do quality checks on equipment being used in active military situations. Again, there’s such a wide range of topics covered at this conference.

MG: For sure, for sure.

PS: Let’s talk about the venue, because the venue for this conference is really something special. Tell us about where we’ll be.

MG: Clearwater Beach has been our home. As you mentioned, Ultrasound World started with UE Systems back in 2006, but Clearwater Beach has truly become our home away from home. We absolutely love it there. The Hilton sits right on the beach with beautiful views of the Gulf. One of the best things is that the staff there has become part of the Leading Reliability family.

We’ve been working with them for so many years now, and they feel like family. They’re the ones I text when hurricanes come through to check in on them. The venue is a huge part of what makes this event so great. It’s warm and welcoming, the food is fantastic, the views are unbelievable, and the sunsets—well, it’s hard to beat Clearwater Beach in May. It’s totally worth getting on a plane and joining us down there.

PS: You’ve posted some pictures on the website from the closing beach BBQ dinner. It’s a tradition now. Shon Isenhour will fly his drone camera to capture a picture of all 100+ people who are still there, getting one on the shoreline with the sun setting behind us. It’s really something special. And if you ever need to step away from the sessions and take a business call, there’s nothing quite like sitting in a chair overlooking the beach to just relax while handling a crisis back home.

MG: Exactly! And you hope your boss doesn’t hear the seagulls in the background and question what’s going on. But hey, you took the call, you got the work done.

PS: One more question about the conference: Every year, you get a really fascinating keynote speaker, and some of them I’ve been in touch with for years. Who’s the keynote going to be this year?

MG: We’ve got a really unique experience lined up. We’ve invited a guy named Keith Mercurio, and if you haven’t already, I recommend connecting with him on LinkedIn or Instagram. He shares snippets of his speeches and experiences at other events. I think he’s going to bring something really different to the opening session. His focus will be on leadership and inspiring change—not only within yourself but also bringing that change to others. It’s going to speak to everyone, even those who might think, “I’m not a leader” or “I don’t have a leadership role.” We all know there are ways we can lead even if it’s not part of our job title. I’m told it’ll be interactive, but in a way that doesn’t make anyone feel too nervous. If you’ve been to an event with Shon Isenhour, you know it’s going to be active! Keith is going to bring that same energy, and I’m really excited for it.

PS: I’m really looking forward to it. And boy, if he’s in the same class as Shon when it comes to getting participation going, it’s going to be a really active session.

MG: Yeah, I think so! So everyone, get your coffee ready. We’re going to have some fun!

PS: That brings us to the end of this episode. For anyone interested in attending the conference, again, the website is leadingreliability.com. If you’re looking for flight information, the closest airport is in Tampa, right?

MG: Yep, Tampa. And it’s about a 40-minute drive, beautiful drive, to the Hilton Clearwater Beach.

PG: There are a ton of resources on the website to help you plan your trip, including something I really appreciate: the business justification letter. It helps you explain the return on the time spent at the conference for your company. And if you want to meet up with me, I’m going to be there as well. Maureen, I’m really looking forward to seeing you again and to the entire event.

MG: Thanks, Tom. Always love catching up with you, and we can’t wait to see everyone at Leading Reliability in May!

About the Podcast
Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast offers news and information for the people who make, store and move things and those who manage and maintain the facilities where that work gets done. Manufacturers from chemical producers to automakers to machine shops can listen for critical insights into the technologies, economic conditions and best practices that can influence how to best run facilities to reach operational excellence.