Smart Cities Week conference expands to the West Coast

Washington, D.C. — Smart Cities Council announced that it will host a West Coast version of its Smart Cities Week conference in Santa Clara, Calif., on May 8-10, 2017. The new annual conference, which will focus on next-generation technologies, builds on the success of Smart Cities Week Washington, D.C. which brings over 1,400 federal, state and city leaders together with the sector’s leading smart city practitioners every fall.

Smart Cities Week Washington, D.C. focuses on proven technologies and best practices from around the world. Smart Cities Week Silicon Valley is tailored to help cities prepare for what’s coming next. The event will bring together city leaders and technology innovators to explore incoming trends and disruptive technologies.

“Disruption is a word that city leaders will be unable to avoid, as we remake virtually every aspect of urban life — our transportation, our policing, our power, the way we listen and talk to citizens, the way we deliver city services, everything,” said Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “Since you can’t dodge this disruption, your best strategy is to prepare now so you can be a victor instead of a victim.”

Unlike traditional conferences, Smart Cities Week will provide an intimate and interactive platform for city leaders to come together with the world’s leading tech pioneers to develop a roadmap to a better urban future.

It kicks off on Monday, May 8 with in-depth pre-conference workshops on topics such as resilience and readiness. It then continues for the next two days exploring topics such as:

• next-generation transportation for cities (including how to prepare for autonomous cars);
• applying machine learning and artificial intelligence to city problems;
• digital payments and citizen services; and
• compassionate cities (how technology can help reach underserved populations).

Event registration opens February 1. To learn more, visit www.smartcitiesweek.com.