Managed Lanes, AET, Technology Summit Tracks ‘Massive Wave’ of Tolling Innovation

Get set for an intensive start to the IBTTA conference season when you attend this year’s Managed Lanes, AET & Technology Summit, April 22-24 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Summit registration opens soon, and it scarcely needs to be said: Roadway technology is at the top of the agenda for every tolling agency, highway concessionaire and industry vendor, driven by a continuing, massive wave of innovation and a corresponding shift in customer and stakeholder expectations.

With the steady rise of All-Electronic Tolling (AET) and managed lanes, the global tolling community has delivered unparalleled convenience, efficiency, and reliability for highway users around the world. We made big promises. We delivered. Now customers expect us to continue innovating, and the industry’s various stakeholders—from finance and bond rating specialists, to elected officials—are looking for continuous quality improvements at lower cost.

Those are some of the factors that make IBTTA’s annual Managed Lanes, AET & Technology Summit a must-attend event. And this year, we’re holding the Summit in April, rather than August, so you can bring home the latest technology insights and tools earlier in the year.

Trust and Accountability Take the Stage

IBTTA President Tim Stewart’s theme for 2018 is Trust and Accountability, and several sessions in Charlotte focus on the customers whose confidence tolling agencies strive to earn and retain every day.

“In the face of rising cynicism in society about the trustworthiness of individuals, corporations, and government, it’s more important than ever to build and maintain trust with your customers,” said Tim Stewart, IBTTA President. “Our customers are not only the people who drive on our roads. They include vendors, consultants, partner agencies, elected officials, investors, and anyone with a stake in your success.”

“Forward-thinking operators don’t just use mail and email anymore,” said Pat Jones, Executive Director and CEO of IBTTA. “Enhanced websites, mobile apps, interactive voice response, SMS, and other technologies allow toll operators to provide greater self-service options, as well as communicate in real-time with their customers. Making customer service center processes and policies simpler can also help resolve customer issues more quickly.”

The Next Big Idea Starts Here

You can always expect to come away from the Managed Lanes, AET & Technology Summit with the next big idea for your agency or company. More likely, your mind and your laptop or notebook will be full of new possibilities that you can’t wait to bring back and share with your team to implement.

In Charlotte, a General Session on The Next Big Idea kicks off the topic with a look at Waze, AirBNB and Uber as services that all involve the clever application of technology to address real world needs. After listening to panelists and sharing your own ideas, you’ll have a chance to attend a series of technology track breakouts that capture the latest on lane solutions and roadway sensors, back office systems, and an outside-the-box future shaped by smart cities technologies, connected and autonomous vehicles, ride-hailing services, closer cooperation between tolling and transit…and the next wave of innovations that are still on the drawing boards today.

The business and operations track will cover the role of, and the ever-present issues of risk management, asset protection, cyber security, and efficient collections.

Don’t Miss This Year’s Tech Talks!

If you attended last year’s Managed Lanes, AET & Technology Summit, you’re already looking forward to this year’s Innovation TECH Talks. Modeled on the famous TED Talk series, we’ve received many stimulating, cutting-edge topics that will come at you in 12- to 15-minute bursts.

From future-proofed mobility to a future of disruptive change, connected and autonomous vehicles to the future of mobile phone tolling, TECH Talks give you a moveable feast of content and learning, all delivered in an easy story-telling style.

It’s going to be an intense several days of learning and networking with the industry’s brightest. So click here for more information on IBTTA’s Managed Lanes, AET & Technology Summit, April 22-24 in Charlotte, NC.