As always, one of the best parts of the events are connecting with attendees. But this year’s agenda line-ups were also particularly strong, and attendees were treated to a variety of meaty topics, hot takes, and maybe even an argument or two. The good news is you can watch or revisit all the sessions in our 2026 video archive here (sorry—the closing keynote by Jacob Ward is only available to registrants).
Recaps of each session will follow in the coming weeks, but we always like to start our reflections by asking the Silverchair team to share their own takes on the week’s activities. Hear from them below, and stay tuned for more resources!
"It's refreshing to work for an organization that cares this much about its customers and about the industry as a whole. You can see it in how people engage at Silverchair events compared to other industry gatherings. We take on hard topics, from industry-wide challenges to the specific commitments we've made to our customers, but the format stays relaxed, collaborative, and fun, and everyone in the room takes part." — Scott Bouchard, Director, Business Development
"Spending the week with our clients and industry friends is so energizing. Not only do we all realize that we experience many of the same disruptions, but we also get to make progress on them together and to surface new ideas to tackle them." — Emilie Delquié, Chief Product & Customer Success Officer
"Yet again, Platform Strategies created a forum for real talk across the industry as it navigates the disrupting forces of technology." — Paul Sanders, Chief Delivery Officer
"I've been to three of these and this year was my favorite, especially the ScholarOne Forum Connect. Engagement was high, conversations were lively, and no one was a passenger. Built months' worth of relationships in a few short (long) days." — Matt Abraham, Regional Director, US, Customer Success
"It is always a joy to reconnect with industry leaders and to be reminded of how passionately invested we all are in the future of our work together. We may not be the fastest movers as an industry, but we are the smartest and the most committed to positive long-term outcomes." — Lily Garcia Walton, Chief People Officer & General Counsel
"We have outdone ourselves this year — the 2026 Platform Strategies and Forum Connect events were the best yet: engaging speakers, energized attendees, thoughtful conversations, and lots of laughs and treasured connections filling the break periods. While our industry speakers, panelists, and client and partner showcases were masterful, I was also entranced by our Strategies keynote speaker. He did a fantastic job providing context to our current AI ecosystem, without really bringing down the room after a day of discussing so many of the possibilities that this new technology unlocks. The programs were thoughtfully timed and the smallest details were considered — I'm already excited for next year!" — Hannah Heckner Swain, VP of Strategic Partnerships & Platforms
"I have attended these events for years, and this one stood out. The discussions were lively. The feedback on Silverchair's direction was honest and thoughtful. The panels and keynotes were excellent, and the best client conversations happened around the conference table and again at dinner, with smart people asking tough but inspiring questions about where we're headed. I left energized, and grateful to be one small part of a broad community that cares this much about the future of scholarly publishing." — Lindsay Jacobik, VP, Client Care
"We spent the week in DC showing that ScholarOne is the Ship of Theseus with a submit button. Every plank has been replaced, it still floats, and the clients are steering our roadmap." — Branimir Bojic, Director of Client Operations
"The people made Forum Connect for me. I loved hearing customers talk about how they actually use Silverchair products, whether it was at the client showcases or over dinner. You can't get that over email." — Sarah James, Senior Program Manager
"Loved getting together with clients and coworkers — there really is something special about being in person. Plus we get to show off our shoes! A lot of people enjoyed (and complimented) people on their shoes." — Julie Schumann, Product Analyst
"It's always great to see our real live clients together, in person, interacting with each other and us. It's really easy to forget, when you don't interact with clients daily, how much what we do at Silverchair matters. How much it impacts other people — the people who are actually in our products, using them every day. As usual, the three events were high quality, which I've come to expect now but don't take for granted!" — Jon Meadows, Chief Technology Operations Officer
"Silverchair knows how to host an event! This year's annual Platform Strategies and Forum(s) Connect were excellent: lively, smart, engaging, informative, and fun. From the presentations to the hallway conversations to the workshops and breakouts to the receptions and meals, these few days let us cover a lot of ground and thoroughly enjoy the process while doing it. I can't wait for next year." — Norma Roberts, Director, Implementation Services
TL;DR? Here's a haiku to sum it all up:
"One room, many mics, / we gather not for the stage / but for each other." — David Nygren, Chief Business Development Officer
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