In 2012, Paul McDermott, then Manager of Collision Repair Marketing at Ford Motor Company, spoke positively about his experience at the IBIS 2012 conference. He stated that he was "pleased and pleasantly surprised" by the event, noting that it featured key presenters discussing their businesses and provided a "fantastic networking opportunity" away from daily work. McDermott described the remote setting as offering a chance to meet people he would not typically encounter in his day-to-day role. He also remarked that the conference was convenient for scheduling meetings, saying that when people tried to make appointments with him, he could suggest they talk at IBIS, which he said "saves on time and effort for everyone."