Audience: VERGE 20 convenes more than 4,000 leaders — from the private and public sectors, utilities, solution providers, investors, and startups — who are advancing systemic solutions to address the climate crisis.

Where and When: October 27-29, San Jose, CA

Conferences

VERGE 20 is composed of five concurrent conferences. The community comes together for one shared keynote program each day, and participates in sessions across the distinct conference programs, focused on:

• VERGE Energy — decarbonizing, decentralizing and digitizing global energy systems to be more clean, resilient and equitable 

• VERGE Transport — enabling a clean, electrified transportation system accessible to all

• VERGE Circular — optimizing resource use through systems that are restorative and regenerative by design

• VERGE Carbon — using offsets and new technologies to draw down carbon and restore forests, create new products and rebuild soils 

• VERGE Food — transforming food systems to equitably and profitably feed a more populous planet, while regenerating the natural world

What We Value

• Fresh and Convergent Content: We aim to elevate the latest trends, innovations and approaches to accelerating the clean economy, and prioritize solutions that are systemic and interconnected by nature.

• Creativity and Interactivity: We strive to expand participants’ perspectives, catalyze new ways of thinking and facilitate meaningful interactions among attendees.

• Diversity: We are committed to fostering dialogue among, and elevate the leadership of, speakers with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. This includes maintaining gender parity among speakers and ensuring racial diversity in all programing. 

DEI Commitments

• No all-white panels in sessions with one moderator and more than one speaker
• Increasing the total number of BIPOC speakers across the entire program
• No all-male panels in sessions with one moderator and more than one speaker

Session Formats

• Tutorial — Three- to four-hour sessions (taking place the  morning of Tuesday, Oct. 27) designed to engage participants around a valuable skill, topic or framework that will directly benefit their work. Tutorials must include an interactive component and facilitate peer-to-peer interaction for at least part of the session.

• Workshop — One- to three-hour, highly interactive sessions, offering participants a deep-dive, hands-on approach to learning and skill building. Workshops are intended to engage attendees as participants, not just as a passive audience. We prioritize creativity, peer-to-peer learning and small-group interactions.

• Breakout Panel — One-hour, moderated discussions with no more than five speakers (including the moderator) and with few slides or formal presentations. We prioritize sessions that offer ample time for audience engagement and interactivity.

• VERGE Talk (Plenary) — Short-form, stand-and-deliver, inspirational presentations (à la TED Talks) as part of the plenary program, delivered by visionary leaders, typically featuring a breakthrough idea. We prioritize speakers proven to be both dynamic and engaging. There are very few VERGE Talk opportunities at VERGE 20. 

• Keynote Conversation (Plenary) — Lively, mainstage conversations, 15- to 25-minutes long, among experts about a particular topic, or a one-on-one interview with a high-profile thought leader or C-level executive. These are moderated by a seasoned journalist with no slides or presentations — a “talk show” format. There are very few Keynote Conversation opportunities at VERGE 20.