See you in Atlanta for IBTTA’s 85th Annual Meeting and Exhibition
Fran O’Connor, Vice President and National Tolls Director at Atkins N.A., and Mary Sallach, Director of Integrated Program Delivery at Georgia’s State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), are Co-Chief Meeting Organizers for IBTTA’s 85th Annual Conference and Exhibition, September 10-12, 2017 in Atlanta. In this interview with Tolling Points, they talk about the transformative trends reshaping the tolling industry and the peer insights and learnings that are a hallmark of every IBTTA conference.
What do you see as the most important industry trends to emerge over the last year?
FO and MS: While interoperability has been an important topic for years, we’ve seen four more recent trends emerge: Mobility as a Service, including commuter choices, automated and connected vehicles, smart cities, and how to be prepared and fortified against security threats. The conference planning committee developed the content with those fundamentally important industry issues and IBTTA’s President Emanuela Stocchi’s theme, “International Mobility Connections” in mind.
Each of these areas is moving very quickly, and they’re all central to tolling agencies’ success. We knew it would be important to put together a series of panels that would deliver the expert insights that IBTTA members need, to make smart choices and plan for a future that is right in front of them. We’re very excited about the level of knowledge and experience that will be presented in Atlanta.
We are also celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the IBTTA’s Leadership Academy. More than 250 members have participated and benefitted from the development and training. And, no Annual meeting would be complete without the presentations of the Toll Excellence Awards.
The conference subtitle is based on Emanuela Stocchi’s theme for her year as IBTTA President: International Mobility Connections. What do Annual Meeting participants stand to gain from the association’s global reach?
FO and MS: You won’t find a better place to gather industry leaders from around the globe to discuss mobility. This conference is all about connecting people to exchange ideas within the global tolling and transportation industries. We’ve worked hard to bring together a mix of subject matter experts from the United States and the international community. We expect to have more than 20 countries represented.
The International Mobility Connections theme is all about the future of transportation, the future of our ability as an industry to deliver the safe, reliable mobility our customers expect and our communities need. IBTTA members have always been a fantastic, knowledgeable, willing resource to help each other succeed, and the Annual meeting is one place that community comes together to share insights and ideas.
The Annual meeting is one of the main opportunities each year for IBTTA to gather as a global community. How will the networking and informal conversations during the conference help advance the industry?
FO and MS: IBTTA conferences are not only a great place to share industry ideas and networking. They’re also a fabulous setting for business collaboration and international partnerships. The best on-the-ground results start with one-on-one conversations, new ideas, and lessons learned. That’s why the informal conversations at IBTTA events, in the hallways between sessions or on the trade show floor, deliver such tremendous return on the time you invest.
What can participants expect to see, hear, and learn in Atlanta that will make their conference experience especially worthwhile?
FO and MS: Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport, along with a dynamic, multi-jurisdiction/ multi-modal mobility network. The city is a microcosm of the complexities of today's transportation systems. In Atlanta, Annual meeting participants will see how smart planning, purposeful coordination, and innovative thinking can deliver success in transportation, innovation, and mobility. The sooner you register, the sooner you can sign up for a technical tour by helicopter, taking in all the SRTA road ways.
Register today for IBTTA’s 85th Annual Meeting and Exhibition, September 10-12, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.