Founded in 1996 in Dallas, where the conference was held this year, FSTEC was founded by Accelerate host Rob Grimes with the support of 5 suppliers at the time - PAR, NCR, Micros (Oracle) ReMACS, and IBM. Fast forward to present day, and Rob reflects on his recent attendance of the conference from September 15-17th.

So what were the major subjects and themes this year? Artificial Intelligence could not be avoided, but the underlying conversations really surrounded the ability to do more with data and AI. Generation gaps was also a buzz topic, about how different demographics are using technology and being able to speak to all of them.

There’s also the idea that nuanced technologies in the marketplace will eventually be able to engage cross-industry. Rob notes “I’ve gone to many shows where the coffee, pizza, beverage and equipment areas, are separate from the restaurant section, and we find technology in each. I think moving forward we’ll see more technology that will cut across the board”

If you want to hear about more the macro and micro conversations that took place at FSTEC, and what the role of the technologist is moving forward, you won’t want to miss this episode of Accelerate.