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VERGE 18 Program

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VERGE Circular Program

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VERGE Transport

Tuesday, October 16th, 2018

8:00am to 12:15pm

Fleet Electrification Summit

Summit

The Fleet Electrification Summit is a half-day, invitation-only working session convening 100 key stakeholders to focus on how to accelerate the electrification of fleets.

Refer to our Fleet Electrification Summit page for more information and to request an invitation.

8:30am to 12:15pm

Self Driving Cars 101: Tech, Regulation & More

Tutorial

This tutorial is now full. Space may become available, so please plan to arrive early on Tuesday, October 16, to join a queue for available seats.

This in-depth tutorial will dive into the technology, regulations, market, urban planning and design and state of the industry for self-driving vehicles. You'll hear from experts that have worked in the emerging sector for years and have witnessed its evolution. You'll learn how computer vision and LiDAR works. And you'll hear about the cities, states and companies ushering in this revolution.

AI and Blockchain for Good: Moving from Ideas to Application

Tutorial

This tutorial is now full. Space may become available, so please plan to arrive early on Tuesday, October 16, to join a queue for available seats.

A hands-on, deep dive discovery session — including corporates, startups, thought leaders and experts — exploring artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain-enabled applications to create more sustainable solutions for our planet.

Creating a Smart City in the Real World

Tutorial

This tutorial is now full. Space may become available, so please plan to arrive early on Tuesday, October 16, to join a queue for available seats.

How can data contribute to the creation of a resilient, vibrant, safe and equitable community? Our experts will discuss how sensors are instrumenting cities around the world — collecting valuable insights about traffic, air quality and more. And they'll offer lessons learned from recent smart city deployments.

Wednesday, October 17th, 2018

8:30am to 9:30am

Why Early Adopters are Electrifying Fleets

Breakout

Certain commercial vehicles will go electric first like delivery vans, and the commercial transportation sector has the potential to electrify much more quickly than the passenger one. In this session you'll hear from fleet managers, vendors and logistics companies about how they envision the electrification of commercial transport, what will be beachheads in this transition, and why early movers are choosing battery power. GreenBiz in conjunction with UPS will be unveiling the results of an innovative research project to help large businesses navigate the technology and policy barriers of fleet and building electrification.

Autonomous Vehicle Planning (Hint: You’re Behind)

Breakout

With potentially lower costs and greater fleet efficiency, autonomous shared vehicles are already attracting investors, urban sustainability planners, and riders. While most fleet operators think autonomous vehicles are a futuristic technology, the truth is that autonomous fleets are already on the roadways and have driven millions of miles this year. The future is here. How should you plan for it?

Innovation and the Last Mile

Breakout

With the explosion of dockless scooters, the bike-sharing arms race, and the proliferation of location-based mobile apps, startups have been developing and growing last-mile mobility services like never before. But the process of launching and managing infrastructure networks isn't for the faint of heart. Hear the lessons learned from entrepreneurs and transit authorities when it comes to using tech and innovation to tackle the last mile.

9:45am to 10:45am

Solutions for Sustainable Urban Goods Delivery

Breakout

The rise of e-commerce and near instant delivery in cities has led to challenges like urban congestion, air pollution and increased greenhouse gas emissions. But some corporate leaders, environmentalists, tech companies and local governments are figuring out solutions. Hear from some of the innovators that are looking to develop sustainable goods delivery plans.

Cities Embrace Slow Moving, Electric & Autonomous

Breakout

Cities are experimenting with how to use slow-moving, electric and autonomous vehicles as a replacement for new city infrastructure. Hear case studies from cities, automakers and tech vendors around projects that led to lower cost, flexible and more sustainable city transportation networks.

11:15am to 12:15pm

Turning Electric Vehicles into Grid Resources

Breakout

What are the policy, regulatory and business model implications of connecting millions of EVs to the power grid? This session will explore the challenges and opportunities from the perspective of utilities, regulators, technology providers and EV infrastructure providers.

Best Practices: Employee, Customer EV Engagement

Breakout

One of the biggest drivers of new electric vehicle ownership is an employer's installation of a workplace charging station. Retailers, offices and fueling centers are taking part in the EV transition in important ways. Discover how and where the opportunities lie.

How Cities & Mobility Providers Share & Use Data

Breakout

The rise of mobility services — from ride hailing to scooter and bike sharing to new apps — are providing major opportunities in cities. But there's also the potential for unforeseen urban effects like congestion and safety concerns. City agencies and companies are working together to more effectively share data and use data in smart ways to tackle problems. This session will examine how cities and mobility companies are collaborating around sharing data and using data in new ways to build sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Designing Cities For Autonomous & On-Demand

Breakout

City infrastructure, land use and even housing will need to be rethought as computers begin driving our cars and vehicles are increasingly used on-demand. Automated, shared vehicles could usher in an era of increased greenhouse gas emissions and congestion or propel a world of cleaner and more efficient transportation. Hear from designers, architects and transportation planners about how they envision the future.

12:30pm to 1:15pm

Guru Lunch: Really!?!? Electric Trucks? - An Insider's, Unbiased View

Lunch

This table discussion will be led by Rick Mihelic, Director Future Technologies Studies for the North American Council for Freight Efficiency — who works to scale technologies for efficiency and is now guiding future change in electric and automated trucks. There are many arguments for and against electric trucks, some very loud and persuasive, but the success of these innovative trucks will occur under the scrutiny of the marketplace who is charged with delivering our goods every day. The benefits and challenges of adoption are broad and difficult to monetize. Rick will facilitate a pragmatic discussion on commercial battery electric trucks.

About VERGE Guru Lunches: Join like minded attendees for interactive moderated lunch discussions around a particular topic. Each table discussion will be led by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants.

Guru Lunch: Electric and Smart Mobility for Your Workplace

Lunch

Mobility is going through its biggest disruption since the personal automobile came into widespread use. From shared electric scooters to electric cars and trucks to innovative new commute management platforms, there are more options than ever before for moving your employees. Come join Jeff Allen, Executive Director at Forth — a nonprofit trade association and advocate for smart mobility — who will provide his unbiased advice about how your business might take advantage of these new technologies by providing workplace charging, electrifying your own vehicles, etc.

Guru Lunch: Urban Mobility Data Sharing — Best Practices & Lessons Learned

Lunch

A further exploration of the breakout session titled "How Mobility Services & Cities Can Share Data" from 11:15-12:15 focused on ways in which cities and mobility companies have found paths for collaborating by sharing data in the rise of various mobility services — from ride hailing to scooter and bike sharing to new apps. These are major opportunities for cities but also unforeseen urban effects like congestion and safety concerns. Mobility data expert Regina Clewlow will talk about what's been working, what hasn't and what might be next.

Guru Lunch: Industries in Transition — Cross-Learnings in the Energy and Mobility Sectors

Lunch

What lessons can the growth of renewable energy teach people working in or interested in the new mobility space? Where are there similarities, and where are there differences? Is it possible that despite a later start, mobility will transition to a sustainable future faster than the electricity sector does?

Guru Lunch: How to Build Clean Energy Policy Coalitions

Lunch

An exploratory discussion led by Sam Jammal, Senior Manager, Governor Relations at BYD North America — one of the world's largest EV makers — about how companies, advocates and individuals can work together to support clean energy before federal, state and local government — focusing on how to build coalitions and identify the different voices to share this message.

Guru Lunch: Scaling Clean Tech Faster Through Buyer-Supplier-Investor Collaborations

Lunch

Innovation is central to sustainable business and it is urgently needed to address the most pressing challenges in energy, transport, and circular economy. But are we fully leveraging the power of collaboration between buyers, suppliers, and investors to ensure solutions address business needs as well as sustainability goals and that technologies are positioned to scale? Nate Springer from BSR leads two buyer-supplier transport clean tech collaborations, Future of Fuels and Clean Cargo Working Group, and he designed the Sustainable Fuel Buyers’ Principles for vehicle fleets as well as supported the team that launched the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance with BSR, WWF, RMI, and WRI.

Guru Lunch: Using Climate Data to Improve Health Equity

Lunch

Climate change is making the places we live somehow simultaneously wetter and drier, as well as hotter, dirtier, and fire-ier(?). The health impacts of these changes are broad and potentially severe. Still, climate change presents the greatest opportunity to radically improve the health of people, communities, and the economy. Join us in this lunch discussion to imagine the potential for emerging business opportunities to improve human health and help us uncover synergies between building resilience and growing your business.

Guru Lunch: Innovative Mobility to Reduce Driving — Road to Redemption or Dead End?

Lunch

Advances in batteries, sharing, and informatics are leading to innovative mobility models that can take cars off the road: “Micro” solutions like bike/scooter-share and individually-owned electric cargo bikes for households and commercial fleets are coming to cities around the U.S. Larger-scale technologies like carpool ride-hailing appear to help cut down on single-occupancy vehicles, and shared car services are giving people real alternatives to owning vehicles s altogether. What is the scale of the opportunity to actually reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) with these technologies? Which entities are most important for making it happen? Where are current trends taking us—and where is there needed a push?

Thursday, October 18th, 2018

8:30am to 9:30am

Who's Winning in Ride-Sharing & Who Isn't?

Breakout

The opportunities of the ride-sharing revolution could be leaving some behind. Are low-income riders being neglected? Are ride sharing companies marginalizing their workforces? How can cities, companies and users address these concerns? A conversation on economics, equity and labor.

Pathways to Accelerating Decarbonization

Breakout

Which are more effective: ambitious strategies that prioritize a carbon-free future vs. those that create low-carbon transition paths? Some policymakers promote a 100 percent renewable vision while others believe there needs to be a better bridge to the future, one that embraces low-carbon options such as nuclear power, natural gas and hydrogen. Perspectives from utilities, cities and the corporate world.

How to Balance Self-Driving Safety & Innovation

Breakout

Accidents and fatalities that involve self-driving vehicles have shaken the automotive industry and the regulators tasked with keeping drivers and pedestrians safe. Everyone agrees safety measures need to be in place, but where's the line between protecting the public and ensuring that this emerging market can innovate and grow?

Transportation Moonshots: It's Not Science Fiction

Breakout

From flying cars to electrified roads to the much-discussed hyperloop, startups and researchers are working on transportation moonshots that seem pretty crazy but might actually become reality some day. Meet entrepreneurs and inventors working on brain-teasing innovations and learn what it will take to get these ideas onto the streets (or into the skies!).

1:30pm to 2:30pm

The Second Life of EV Batteries: Reuse & Recycling

Breakout

The first wave of electric vehicle batteries are just beginning to reach the end of their useful life on the roads, and are now being tested out to store energy for buildings and the power grid. Automakers, utilities, energy storage service providers and battery manufacturers are trying to figure out how to develop a supply chain and system that enables affordable reuse and recycling of electric vehicle batteries at scale. What are the challenges and opportunities for this circular economy of energy storage?

Financing the Clean Economy for All

Breakout

Our experts will discuss ways to promote various financing tools across clean energy and transportation initiatives. Specifically, we'll review challenges and opportunities in providing funding to urban, rural and international communities and discuss ways to engage communities directly via market-based, utility-led and government-based options.

Ports & Airports: Clean Ways to Move Goods, People

Breakout

Some of the most innovative energy efficiency, logistics management and clean energy work is being done at the hubs that move goods and people. In this session you'll learn about the best practices of ports and airports and how they're lowering emissions, setting sustainability goals and embracing the latest computing, storage and renewable energy technologies.

3:00pm to 4:00pm

The Great Electric Vehicle Network Build Out

Breakout

Companies and utilities are spending big money on building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure for the coming rise in EVs. What are the challenges and opportunities facing this major EV infrastructure buildout happening in states across the U.S.

How Sharing Rides & Vehicles Can Cut Emissions

Breakout

Different types of shared mobility services have unique challenges when it comes to making networks cleaner and more efficient. Some are green but struggle to scale, others need to embrace electrification and lower emissions. How can companies, policymakers and users unlock the greenhouse gas reduction potential of these services?