Laurie — The Raleigh Convention Center became a hub for both digital and human networks Wednesday for the first day of sessions convened for the Spring 2024 Smart City Connect Conference & Expo.
The four-day event began on Tuesday with a workshop and awards reception at SAS. Friday afternoon will conclude with a tour of the new Downtown Cary His Park, focusing on IoT (Internet of Things) applications within the park. More than 1,000 attendees and his 200-plus presenters are expected, with attendees coming from all over North America, the European Union, and as far away as Ethiopia.
Keynote speech and case study
After a welcome from Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin, the opening keynote panel discussed the broader applications of AI for city leaders. Representatives from Pittsburgh, Tucson, and Mesa, Arizona joined Raleigh CIO Mark Wittenberg to share their experiences and insights on how AI is transforming the possibilities for smart cities. It also concluded with a warning about AI's collection and use of personal data and other types of ethical oversight required for safe implementation.
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Additional keynotes continued throughout the morning, including the use of open networks and partnerships to deliver smart solutions. Case studies from Memphis and Philadelphia speak to the transformative power of lighting to improve public safety, equity, and sustainability. Alex Boakye, vice president of solutions development at SAS, also added more context to the AI conversation by talking about how AI can be leveraged and the importance of data and analytics.
Wednesday also included three rounds of sessions across the themes of digital transformation, city operations, smart mobility, urban infrastructure, and community engagement. Case studies from cities across the United States, including Texas, Michigan, and North Carolina, demonstrated improvements made possible by IoT, AI, analytics, and digital automation tools.
The Smart City Conference will also include a Startup Challenge, where competitors will be presented to a panel of judges in a day-long session. Twenty companies pitched their businesses and offered innovations such as improved operations, infrastructure, security and reliability plans, and smart air, water and energy technologies. The competition will be held in partnership with Raleigh's RIoT and RISE consortium, and will also include startups from as far away as Australia. The winner will receive an award and considerable bragging rights as the “Top Innovator” of the Smart City Innovation Challenge.
Finally, attendees will dedicate each afternoon to strolling through the event's “Expo,” a large-scale showcase of smart services and companies. According to Richard Erb, one of the conference organizers, the exhibition will have 82 exhibitors, making it the largest IoT exhibition in Japan.
“They bring great ideas and are very smart people,” Erb said. “This is just a showcase of solutions and great people doing great work.”
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higher mission
Held twice a year, the conference is an opportunity for many participants to both demonstrate emerging technologies and continue working to improve their communities. More than 400 city leaders are expected to participate among the more than 1,000 attendees.
“It’s a great crowd,” Erb said. “I think they have feelings.”
I have a higher calling in my role and field. [their] A community that strives to do good and bring good solutions to help people. ”
The event continues today and Friday. Tickets are still available at the door and more information can be found online at https://spring.smartcitiesconnect.org/.
