Cover All the Bases at IBTTA’s 85th Annual Conference in Atlanta

Get ready for an amazing venue of technological innovations and customer service advances driving the global tolling industry when you attend IBTTA’s 85^th Annual Conference and Exhibition, September 10-12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Throughout 2017, I have stressed that IBTTA is THE place to share knowledge, exchange ideas and improve mobility and services for customers,” IBTTA President Emanuela Stocchi writes in the conference program. International Mobility Connections is Stocchi’s theme for her presidential year, and for this year’s annual meeting, and “CONNECTIONS refer not only to mobility and transportation links, but to connecting people to exchange knowledge and ideas within the tolling and transportation industries.”

Customers Speak. Atlanta Listens.

By attending the annual meeting in Atlanta, you’ll be connecting with a community at the forefront of tolling innovation—from managed lanes development, to deployment of Big Data, to an enduring commitment to day-to-day customer relations.

“Metro Atlanta Speaks and Transportation Answers” is the theme of a general session that delivers a compelling view of the city’s reliance on stakeholder input to shape policy and service delivery. Each year, a public survey gives transportation officials and other community leaders “the knowledge they need to understand residents’ perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of the Atlanta region,” the program states. “It seeks to assess residents’ attitudes and opinions about key regional issues such as transportation, the economy, education, and regional/neighborhood quality of life and aging.”

Lots of Ground to Cover

With three parallel discussion tracks—safety and security, mobility, and technology—the conference program reflects the flurry of issues and priorities that shape tolling authorities’ business strategies and operational activities.

The safety track begins with a look at predictive data as an essential tool in building a next-generation roadway patrol service. It continues through the day with sessions on cybersecurity, and on successful customer awareness campaigns that boost safety on the road.

The mobility track focuses on smart cities, automated vehicle testing, and the rapid rise of mobility-as-a-service as part of an “unstoppable technology-push strategy from the automotive sector to introduce the automated driving standard in the next years.” Knowing that “both the customer experience and the utilization of physical infrastructure will radically change” in the not-too-distant future, the program brings together the insights and tools that will help participants “take advantage of these technological waves.”

The technology track emphasizes the rise of Big Data, the trade-offs between owning or leasing the technologies tolling agencies need, and the ever-important role of technology-enabled back office services in electronic toll collection.

Leadership at All Levels

The Annual Meeting is one of the moments in the IBTTA calendar when members get to celebrate the very best—whether it’s the industry veterans whose hard work wins them one of the association’s coveted Toll Excellence Awards, or the creative, hard-driving participants in the annual student challenge hosted by the IBTTA Leadership Academy.

This year, students from the Georgia Tech College of Engineering will be called to create original transportation solutions that can increase mobility in the city of Atlanta. A team of judges will assess the presentations and award the final prize based on the efficiency, creativity, feasibility, impact, and data-driven character of each submission.

And finally, plan and register now so you won’t miss a unique helicopter tour on Sunday, September 10 that gives you a bird’s eye view of the State Road and Tollway Authority’s I-85 and 75S Express Lanes, as well as the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes and I-85 Extension (both still under construction), along with a succession of local landmarks. Space in this tour is limited, and you can’t sign up until you’ve registered for the conference. So, register today!

“The City of Atlanta is a multi-modal city striving to provide greater mobility to all its citizens and the millions of visitors each year,” Stocchi writes. “I’m looking forward to connecting with you in the exhibit hall or at one of the networking events during the event.”

To view the full program and content, visit IBTTA’s 85^th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, September 10-12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.