15th Annual Cargas Energy Summit Draws Largest Attendance Yet
Lancaster, Pennsylvania – September 28, 2023 – This year’s Cargas Energy Summit was the largest one yet, with more than/almost 300 energy industry professionals coming together at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square from September 19 through 21.
The event invites all Cargas Energy users—including service technicians, back-office employees, and owners and executives—to gather for educational sessions, sneak peeks at upcoming product enhancements, and opportunities to connect.
A grand total of 277 professionals from 92 organizations made it to downtown Lancaster for this year’s in-person Cargas Energy Summit.
This Year’s Theme: Growth and Improvement
Cargas President and CEO Nate Scott kicked off the opening presentation on Wednesday, September 20th, sharing a slew of statistics regarding Cargas Energy’s growth since 2022. On the software side, Cargas Energy saw 67 new features released over the course of 24 main and beta version releases. And on the personnel side, 26 new team members brought unique perspectives and skills to the Cargas Energy team.
Scott went on to highlight the importance of these numbers, describing Cargas’ software philosophy as “proactive evolution” inspired by the company’s dedication to employee ownership, personal development, and innovative success.
Cargas Energy Summit creates opportunities for this proactive evolution, Scott explained, with this year’s purpose being to work together and improve. The approach is three-pronged:
- Cargas wants feedback from customers
- Cargas wants to educate customers
- Cargas wants to empower customers to forge new connections
“I just want to say thank you to everybody for making the trip to Lancaster,” Scott said to attendees at the end of his presentation. “It means the world to us. This is such a special event for us, and we gain so much valuable feedback from you.”
Human vs. Artificial Intelligence – A Balancing Act
After Scott wrapped up his opening remarks, Cargas Energy Vice Presidents Aaron Cargas and Dennis DiSabatino took to the stage and discussed a buzzword that has the energy industry talking—artificial intelligence. They revealed that Cargas Energy will be implementing AI in new ways, and customers should be excited about this, not worried.
Cargas and DiSabatino took turns sharing stories from Cargas Energy customers that use human ingenuity to creatively problem-solve and develop powerful, positive relationships with customers. They then shared a humorous look at a sci-fi future in which fuel delivery drivers are artificial, not human, illustrated by an AI-generated image of a robotic technician named the PROPANATOR.
As the audience laughed at the idea of AI taking over the jobs of drivers, Cargas alleviated any lingering concerns in the room.
“AI can generate amazing images,” Cargas said, “but it cannot deliver propane.”
He further explained that human intelligence is necessary for situations requiring high levels of motivation and self-awareness, while artificial intelligence performs tasks that normally require human intelligence. Cargas and DiSabatino continued to highlight the role of real people in creating a successful fuel delivery company. And while artificial intelligence can aid in business growth and productivity, it can’t replace the people behind the business.
See You in Two Years
As Cargas Energy has grown, so has its Summit. To provide the best possible experience for customers, Cargas is transitioning the event to a biannual schedule. The next Cargas Energy Summit will be held September 16–18 in 2025.
The Cargas team wants to thank all the customers who attended the event, the local venues that hosted us, and all our partners and sponsors who participated. None of this would be possible without your enthusiasm and support!