February 3, 2020
ATTENDEE REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2020 ITS WORLD CONGRESS IN LOS ANGELES –
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT PAPERS AND SESSIONS EXTENDED
Let the countdown begin – today is the first day to register to attend this year’s ITS World Congress (ITSWC20), October 4-8 in Los Angeles, California.
ITS America is thrilled to bring this preeminent event back to the United States for the first time since 2014. We are particularly excited to host #ITSWC20 in Los Angeles, a city that truly embodies the theme “The New Age of Mobility.”
We are currently planning plenary sessions on safety and equity, sustainability, and smarter mobility that will anchor our full technical programming. Also of note – the deadline for submitting papers and sessions has been extended through February 12! If you are interested and haven’t yet made your submission, please visit the Call for Contributions portal. ITS America is partnering with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) for this year’s program – if you are interested in submitting a full paper for consideration and peer review, you can indicate that when you submit. Authors of scientific papers accepted for presentation at the World Congress will be invited by ITS America to re-submit their accepted scientific paper directly to the TRB to be considered for possible publication in the Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board (TRR).
Even though the Congress is eight months away, there are several ways to get involved now:
ITS America and partners, ERTICO and ITS Asia-Pacific, recently announced a global competition for start-ups, designed to highlight emerging technologies and solutions that create a safer, greener, smarter mobility system.The Global Innovation Competition is held in partnership with Prospect Silicon Valley, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, and Urban Movement Labs. Along with its sister organizations in Europe and Asia, ITS America will hold a regional semi-final to select two North American finalists, who will showcase their solution at the World Congress. The three regional semi-finals will produce two finalists by July 1, 2020. The two finalists from each region will pitch their emerging technology in front of global attendees and judges at the World Congress and will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions to all attendees.
Start-ups interested in participating must be less than five years old, have less than $5M in revenue, and have a product in pilot, beta, or prototype stage. Semi-finalist winners for each region will receive $5,000 (USD). At the ITS World Congress in Los Angeles, judges will select a U.S. winner as well as a global winner; each will receive $20,000 (USD), a robust marketing package and extensive networking opportunities with leaders in the ITS industry.
The Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), developed specifically for the 2020 World Congress, hopes to identify potential leaders from across the globe who will become part of tomorrow’s mobility workforce.
The ELP has three components: a Global Challenge for college students with a finals event in Los Angeles at the ITS World Congress; a National Immersion Program for high school students across the country; and a Local Awareness Program, which will provide opportunities for high school students in the Los Angeles metropolitan area to visit the exhibit floor.
- TheGlobal Challenge is a new program specifically developed for the 2020 ITSWC. Organizers will recruit teams of university students from across the world to solve a mobility puzzle, potentially related to the upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Three teams from differing geographic regions from around the world will be selected in advance and will travel to the ITSWC in Los Angeles for the final competition.
- The National Immersion Program will also feature a pre-event competition related to intelligent mobility, this time for high school students throughout the United States. Up to three teams will be selected to showcase their solution at the ITSWC, which will also feature programming specifically developed for these teams.
- The Local Awareness Program will offer high school students and their teachers from the Los Angeles Metropolitan area an opportunity to experience hundreds of mobility solutions that will be part of the ITSWC20 exhibit floor.
The college and high school pre-event competitions will take place during this school year; and on-site activities will be scheduled throughout the ITS World Congress in Los Angeles October 4 – 8, 2020.
On site at the LA Convention Center, more than 300 innovative companies will be exhibiting groundbreaking transportation technologies. Space is almost sold out – if your organization is interested in exhibiting, please contact Carly@CorcExpo.com as soon as possible.
Taking center stage, the “Pathways to Seamless Mobility Pavilion” will showcase select global cities leading the way on the integration of Mobility on Demand (MOD) and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) solutions. Stay tuned for more information on this in the coming weeks.
The 2020 World Congress website has additional information on this October’s event, and will be updated regularly in the coming months. We look forward to seeing colleagues from across the globe who share our vision of a better future transformed by intelligent mobility – one that is safer, greener and smarter. Please join us!
ITSA STAFF CONNECTION: CATHY ST. DENIS
Name: Cathy St. Denis
Name: VP, Communications & Strategic Initiatives
Company: ITS America
What’s the future of #ITS look like to you? I’m stealing this, but it’s the highest form of compliment – no crashes, no congestion, no emissions.
Hobbies: Cooking, baking and eating – and then playing tennis, hiking or practicing yoga to work it off
Family: It keeps growing – nieces, nephews and cousins are all getting married and having babies!
Favorite place to travel: I love being anywhere I can explore the great outdoors, and the best place I’ve explored so far is South Africa.
Most unusual job you have ever had before current position: I was an assistant innkeeper in southern France
If you could switch jobs in your company, who would you switch with and why?: I think I’ll stay put – everyone else is too good at what they do, so why mess things up?!
First car you drove?: This will totally age me – a Chevy Nova!
Karaoke song: I wish it was Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen, because I sing it all the dang time without an audience
Hidden talent: Baking (maybe not so hidden…see ‘hobbies’)
If you weren’t working in transportation industry you would: Open a neighborhood bakery
