Momentum Issue #156 – Countdown to World Congress 2025

COUNTDOWN TO ATL: #ITSWC25

298 days seems like a long time but trust us… it’s closer than you think. With the call for Congress contributions closing in just one month, outreach happening for sponsors and partners, tours being confirmed, exhibit floor space quickly selling out, and other opportunities underway – we’re in the thick of planning, and can’t wait to welcome thousands of intelligent transportation professionals to the Peach State next August for Deploying Today, Empowering Tomorrow. 

Engaging with #ITSWC2025 

Your first step: visit the 2025 ITS World Congress website. The ITS America Events team provides vital information online to prospective and longtime World Congress Participants, including details on:

  • ITSWC25 Program – The 2025 ITS World Congress Conference program will feature industry leaders and introduce cutting-edge technologies that contribute to a safer, greener, and smarter world, including Vehicle Automation, Connected Transportation and Transportation Systems, Managing and Utilizing Data, and much more. Read more about this year’s theme here.
  • Sponsors and Partners – the World Congress allows your organization to develop new partnerships, enhance brand awareness, and showcase innovative solutions. There are a variety of sponsorship opportunities from extensive brand exposure, education sponsorships, and digital opportunities. Dive into the conference media kit to learn about ways your company can sponsor this year.
  • Demonstrations – Have you started thinking about showcasing your innovative solutions at the 2025 World Congress? Don’t wait – submit now! We are actively accepting applications for static and on-road demonstrations. Present your solutions to ITS decision-makers and influencers on the global stage. These live, first-hand demonstrations provide an exclusive platform to capture the attention of ITS professionals and position your company as a leader in the transportation space.
  • Call for Contributions – Papers and Sessions are due December 6th! If you have not yet crafted your session ideas or finalized your papers, don’t wait!  Need some guidelines or inspiration? Take a look at our helpful “do’s and don’ts” for submitting your session ideas and set yourself up for ITSWC25 contribution success!
    • DO – Get creative and challenge the norm
    • DO – Bring new voices into the conversation
    • DO – Ensure your panel has diversity
    • DO – Invite your partners to collaborate
    • DON’T – Submit multiple panels to the same sessions
    • DON’T – Set up your session as a sales pitch
    • DON’T – Submit incomplete sessions
  • Previous Congress Highlights – Pictures tell a story. Visit ITS World Congress photos galleries from past years to familiarize yourself with Congress exhibit floors, technical sessions, mainstage plenaries, social events, and more.

 ATL is on the Move  

Atlanta is a vibrant and diverse metropolitan area, with thriving and creative communities in the downtown area and extending into the suburbs. There’s much for visitors to enjoy in the region: music, arts, history and museums, sports, restaurants, and outdoor activities galore. As the 6th largest metro area in the United States, Atlanta is deeply committed to developing and deploying innovative ways to safely and efficiently move its residents.  For example:

  • The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the metro Atlanta, Georgia, USA region, defined as the 10-county area of Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties. ARC is developing the Metro Atlanta Climate Action Plan, or MACAP, the region’s roadmap to create a more sustainable and healthier future for all of us, while identifying steps needed to move toward the federal target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This means more options for people to walk, bike, or take public transportation, making buildings more energy efficient, increasing use of renewable energy sources like solar, and protecting and restoring natural lands.
  • ARC has also developed a bicycle/pedestrian mapping tool, called the Regional Active Transportation Inventory, which makes it easy for residents and visitors to find existing trails and see what paths are in the planning stages.
  • In July, the ARC and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) hosted the Connect ATL Summit. This event covered the EV transition from all angles, exploring the issue from the federal, state, and local levels.  Want to read about the Summit’s key takeaways on EV development and deployment? Visit ConnectATL Summit Explores the EV Transition – ARC 
  • On-going projects are one of the ways the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) helps to create a better, more connected city and region. Whether it’s an improvement to MARTA’s service capacity or an expansion of a mixed-use development, many current initiatives aim to connect communities all across Atlanta via public transportation. Learn more about “MARTA 20240” here.   

 There is much more to learn about transportation initiatives and tech deployments happening in the Atlanta region – we encourage you to join us next August. and see for yourself.

Technology Feature: Peachtree Corners  

Just 30 minutes northeast of Atlanta, Peachtree Corners is Gwinnett County’s newest city. Founded on July 1, 2012, it’s considered one of the first ever smart cities in the US; its 42,000 residents live amongst groundbreaking transportation and infrastructure models powered by real-world, next-generation technology. 

The Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is a 5G enabled living laboratory for startups and established companies to deploy and prove out developing technologies in a real-world testing environment… with no roadblocks. Curiosity Lab is located in the 500-acre Technology Park, with a three-mile public autonomous and advanced vehicle roadway leveraging cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) technologies. Additional infrastructure includes dedicated fiber, intelligent traffic cameras and traffic signals, smart streetlights, and more. 

The Innovation Center is the ecosystem hub of Curiosity Lab. Early-stage startups, tech companies testing new ideas, and corporate innovation teams utilize the Lab’s test track and smart city laboratory. Testing Infrastructure is open to all technology companies from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 at no cost. Congress attendees will be given the unique opportunity to experience this immersive technology campus first-hand.

Ready to see more? There’s lots to do in these upcoming months; Preparing for such an important annual event takes lots of time, effort, and attention to detail to ensure an unbeatable event. Make sure your paper and session submissions are in before December 6th, and stay tuned for registration closer to the event!

And remember, deadlines always come up faster than you think, so keep Georgia on your mind!

For contribution submissions, contact: dana.stange@rxglobal.com.