Things look a bit different this year...

As this year (finally) comes to a close, it's hard to not look back and think of what could have been. Whether it's family gatherings, travel plans, career moves, or even just going to your favorite bar, 2020 feels like a bit of a lost year.

Personally, something I always look forward to are the trips I'm able to go on for my job. I love nothing more than hopping on a plane to somewhere new, getting to see my colleagues in person, meeting customers and partners, and seeing all of the hard work we put into an event pay off.

But, this year, that was not to be. The first flight I had to cancel was back in April. I was supposed to be heading to Hannover, Germany for the Hannover Messe conference, and I couldn't have been more excited to go. I'd just started my new role on a new team that I was finally going to get to meet in person,andI'd be going to Germany for the first time. When I clicked that "cancel" button, I remember thinking, "it's okay, it's only for a few months."

Or so we all thought.

Live from home

By the time Rockwell Automation Fair rolled around, it was undeniably clear that an in-person event would not happen. And although I'd accepted that, I can't deny how different it was trying to plan an event that I'd never attended where I wouldn't be able to see in person all of the months of hard work the team did.

All things considered, it was a great event. And, in the midst of it all, I got the opportunity to speak to Johannes zu Eltz, a VP from our partner, Rockwell, based in Munich, Germany and Steve Gansen, a manufacturing sales lead at Cisco, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

With a collective distance of 5,200 miles between the three of us, this is definitely one of the better traveled episodes of Manufacturing Leaders. Hopefully, one day soon we'll be able to hop on a plane and cover that mileage ourselves.

But, until then, I hope you enjoy our latest episode!

Take a listen...

Listen now toLive from home: Cisco x Rockwell Automation (Rockwell Automation Fair 2020), the latest episode of our Manufacturing Leaders podcast, available now!

Listen online

Like what you hear? For more information, check out the resources below:

• Cisco at Rockwell Automation Fair at Home 2020 Official Cisco Event page
• Cisco + Rockwell Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE)
• Rockwell Automation + Cisco partnership
• Cisco Manufacturing