It's Your Final Call For The Flight To Tech Trailblazers 25
Yes, it’s that time of year again.
No, not the “C” word, though there are only 119 shopping days to Christmas as I type. And yes, it is almost football transfer deadline day but… No – I’m talking Tech Trailblazers 2025. You know, those awards wot I’ve been a judge on since their incarnation (though other evaporated milks are available. Or are they?).
Last year was – of course – the year of AI; even the “Luddite Era Revisited” category entrants made sure they included “AI” at least 20 times in their entries (which, of course, came on chiselled stone blocks). So – what is this year’s big new theme? Well, interestingly, as a judge, it might be the actual judging itself that steals the show. Originally, it was just the “so-called experts” that were involved in the judging process (er, that’s you – Ed), then the great unwashed, sorry – the general public – became involved. And, new for 2025 (drum roll) we have a “secret panel” consisting of 1,000 (no more, no less) “Global IT Leaders” – C-level guys n gals basically – who will help determine the winners and “let’s look at what you could have won” entrants – AKA the runners-up. However, unlike the old footie adage: “no one ever remembers the FA cup runners-up”, Tech Trailblazers runners-up have often done very well for themselves, thank you. So it’s not just about the winning, but – yet another cliché – the taking part that counts. It wasn’t until recently when, bemoaning my lack of lottery wins, that I realised you actually had to buy a ticket in the first place…
Well, in this case, you potential entrants who are pondering, nay, dithering over whether to enter or not (a little like the tourists around where I live this time of year who, as they enter my village, at the TOP of the hill, on their way DOWN to the RIVER ferry, when confronted by a junction with a sign pointing DOWN the hill to the ferry, while their Satnav is, instead, indicating they turn left UPHILL, end up slaloming for a few yards before often giving in to the Satnav which, in using the “as the seagull flies” calculation method – leads them then to a five-foot-wide single track, one-in-four descent, that is technically shorter than going directly DOWN the hill – rather than using eyesight and common sense, but then I digress).
Where was I? Oh yes, if you wonderful tech vendors wish to enter the awards we like to call “TTB” then, while the eClock is ticking, you still have plenty of time – until the 26th September in fact. And there are unlimited tickets available, unlike this summer’s Oasis concerts. I’m pretty sure the entry costs are cheaper too…
It’s also worth noting that the winners don’t just get an award to stick in their trophy cabinet and proudly display at trade shows. Beyond the accolade itself, winners benefit from extensive year-round support, including features on the #FoundersonFire podcast, tailored introductions to leading CIOs, CISOs and analysts, as well as ongoing social media promotion.
So – back to the focal point of this blog: why bring C-level IT folks into the judging chamber? As she of all power and knowledge when it comes to TTB, founder Rose Ross herself notes, it adds “the real-world priorities and perspectives of IT leaders at the forefront of technology adoption” element to the judging. Given that I was, in the dim and distant past, an IT manager, I can only concur here (and that’s not because it means I have less judging to do, sadly that’s not the case 😊). At the end of the day (Brian) we “experts” can use our knowledge of tech past and present, in order to decide on who impresses us most, but we don’t have to then deploy and support that tech. These guys do.
I remember those days. I still have recurring nightmares. Meantime, good luck to all who enter and all those who sail in her. Or something like that…