CIO Utilities Summit | TBD | Virtual Summit - Real-time Online Conversations

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Keynote Presentation

Visionary speaker presents to entire audience on key issues, challenges and business opportunities

Keynote Presentations give attending delegates the opportunity to hear from leading voices in the industry. These presentations feature relevant topics and issues aligned with the speaker's experience and expertise, selected by the speaker in concert with the summit's Content Committee." title="Keynote Presentations give attending delegates the opportunity to hear from leading voices in the industry. These presentations feature relevant topics and issues aligned with the speaker's experience and expertise, selected by the speaker in concert with the summit's Content Committee.

Executive Visions

Panel moderated by Master of Ceremonies and headed by four executives discussing critical business topics

Executive Visions sessions are panel discussions that enable in-depth exchanges on critical business topics. Led by a moderator, these sessions encourage attending executives to address industry challenges and gain insight through interaction with expert panel members." title="Executive Visions sessions are panel discussions that enable in-depth exchanges on critical business topics. Led by a moderator, these sessions encourage attending executives to address industry challenges and gain insight through interaction with expert panel members.

Thought Leadership

Solution provider-led session giving high-level overview of opportunities

Led by an executive from the vendor community, Thought Leadership sessions provide comprehensive overviews of current business concerns, offering strategies and solutions for success. This is a unique opportunity to access the perspective of a leading member of the vendor community." title="Led by an executive from the vendor community, Thought Leadership sessions provide comprehensive overviews of current business concerns, offering strategies and solutions for success. This is a unique opportunity to access the perspective of a leading member of the vendor community.

Think Tank

End user-led session in boardroom style, focusing on best practices

Think Tanks are interactive sessions that place delegates in lively discussion and debate. Sessions admit only 15-20 participants at a time to ensure an intimate environment in which delegates can engage each other and have their voices heard." title="Think Tanks are interactive sessions that place delegates in lively discussion and debate. Sessions admit only 15-20 participants at a time to ensure an intimate environment in which delegates can engage each other and have their voices heard.

Roundtable

Interactive session led by a moderator, focused on industry issue

Led by an industry analyst, expert or a member of the vendor community, Roundtables are open-forum sessions with strategic guidance. Attending delegates gather to collaborate on common issues and challenges within a format that allows them to get things done." title="Led by an industry analyst, expert or a member of the vendor community, Roundtables are open-forum sessions with strategic guidance. Attending delegates gather to collaborate on common issues and challenges within a format that allows them to get things done.

Case Study

Overview of recent project successes and failures

Case Studies allow attending executives to hear compelling stories about implementations and projects, emphasizing best practices and lessons learned. Presentations are immediately followed by Q&A sessions." title="Case Studies allow attending executives to hear compelling stories about implementations and projects, emphasizing best practices and lessons learned. Presentations are immediately followed by Q&A sessions.

Focus Group

Discussion of business drivers within a particular industry area

Focus Groups allow executives to discuss business drivers within particular industry areas. These sessions allow attendees to isolate specific issues and work through them. Presentations last 15-20 minutes and are followed by Q&A sessions." title="Focus Groups allow executives to discuss business drivers within particular industry areas. These sessions allow attendees to isolate specific issues and work through them. Presentations last 15-20 minutes and are followed by Q&A sessions.

Analyst Q&A Session

Moderator-led coverage of the latest industry research

Q&A sessions cover the latest industry research, allowing attendees to gain insight on topics of interest through questions directed to a leading industry analyst." title="Q&A sessions cover the latest industry research, allowing attendees to gain insight on topics of interest through questions directed to a leading industry analyst.

Vendor Showcase

Several brief, pointed overviews of the newest solutions and services

Taking the form of three 10-minute elevator pitches by attending vendors, these sessions provide a concise and pointed overview of the latest solutions and services aligned with attendee needs and preferences." title="Taking the form of three 10-minute elevator pitches by attending vendors, these sessions provide a concise and pointed overview of the latest solutions and services aligned with attendee needs and preferences.

Executive Exchange

Pre-determined, one-on-one interaction revolving around solutions of interest

Executive Exchanges offer one-on-one interaction between executives and vendors. This is an opportunity for both parties to make key business contacts, ask direct questions and get the answers they need. Session content is prearranged and based on mutual interest." title="Executive Exchanges offer one-on-one interaction between executives and vendors. This is an opportunity for both parties to make key business contacts, ask direct questions and get the answers they need. Session content is prearranged and based on mutual interest.

Open Forum Luncheon

Informal discussions on pre-determined topics

Led by a moderator, Open Forum Luncheons offer attendees informal, yet focused discussions on current industry topics and trends over lunch." title="Led by a moderator, Open Forum Luncheons offer attendees informal, yet focused discussions on current industry topics and trends over lunch.

Networking Session

Unique activities at once relaxing, enjoyable and productive

Networking opportunities take various unique forms, merging enjoyable and relaxing activities with an environment conducive to in-depth conversation. These gatherings allow attendees to wind down between sessions and one-on-one meetings, while still furthering discussions and being productive." title="Networking opportunities take various unique forms, merging enjoyable and relaxing activities with an environment conducive to in-depth conversation. These gatherings allow attendees to wind down between sessions and one-on-one meetings, while still furthering discussions and being productive.

 

Friday, November 16, 2998 - CIO Utilities Summit

12:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Optional Activities

Golf Tournament

 

12:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Registration and Greeting

 

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Summit Networking Happy Hour

 

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Welcome Dinner and Panel

The Next Phase of Digital Transformation

Today's digital technologies quickly become commodities, and adoption of emerging technologies provides only temporary edge and differentiation. To stay ahead, you must think bigger and take bigger risks. Do not make the technologies themselves the focal point, but the profound business transformations they make feasible.

 

8:30 pm - 9:30 pm

After Dinner Networking

 

Saturday, November 17, 2998 - CIO Utilities Summit

7:00 am - 7:45 am

Registration and Networking Breakfast

 

7:50 am - 8:00 am

Welcome Address and Opening Remarks

 

8:00 am - 8:40 am

Keynote Presentation

Life Shapes Leadership

"You can't choose what happens to you in life, you only choose how you respond." As a seasoned IT professional, Jody Davids' outlook on leadership is deeply impactful and inspiring. In this keynote, she will share learnings gleaned from an extraordinary career at iconic global brands.

 

8:45 am - 9:20 am

Keynote Presentation

Your Cloud for Smarter Business - Accelerate Your Digital Transformation with Cloud & AI

How can you accelerate your digital transformation journey? With Cloud! Listen and learn what it means when a Cloud is: 

  • Built for all your applications 
  • AI-ready 
  • Secure to the core  

Then, walk away with practical knowledge on how far and fast you can go and grow with an open, flexible Cloud architecture. This includes why and how you will want to migrate, modernize and innovate on Cloud using the latest AI technology and data -- and that's from any data source. 

You won't be locked in. Your options are limitless. You'll be on a clear path to digital transformation complete with rethinking client value and creating new business models.

 

9:25 am - 10:00 am

Keynote Presentation

Digital Transformation: You Know What it is, but are You Actually Executing? Learn How to Win the Digital Race.

Yes, we all know about Digital Transformation. You already know what you need to do. But how confident are you that your executive and IT teams are going to execute on the vision? Do they know how? For some businesses ?transformation? means creating immersive, interacting customer experiences. For others, it's incorporating AI and machine learning into operations. Whatever your goal, we all know we need to digitally transform. You know where you want to go, but what's your success of getting there â?" faster than your competitors? Executing change is about doing things differently. The winners in the Digital Age are the companies who have changed their point of view and transformed from the ground up. 

Learn what you can do in the next six months to change the course of your organization to make sure you're not only in the race, but leading it.

 

10:00 am - 10:15 am

Morning Networking Coffee Break

 

10:20 am - 10:45 am

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

Lessons Learned from Smart Grid Deployments

Perhaps the earliest IoT deployment that is familiar to most Americans is the ongoing Smart Grid rollout occurring now throughout our towns and cities. Based on current uptake, the potential for other public IoT deployments may be weak; only 25% of homes are currently smart meter enabled because for many the low current cost of electricity doesnâ??t justify the cost of Smart infrastructure investment. That the far wider potential benefits of greater resiliency and efficiency, of improved safety and reliability, are not being realized speaks clearly to the potential problems of poorly handled IoT implementations â?? all cost, not value. 

Takeaways:

  • Understand the route taken to the semi-autonomous driving world that exists today and the plan to get to the fully autonomous world of tomorrow.
  • See how gradual technological deployment and waves of increasing penetration and capability can create demand not resistance.
  • Learn how key technology hurdles can be overcome to facilitate technical and financial success.

 

10:50 am - 11:15 am

Executive Exchange

 

Thought Leadership

Managing Demand; IT's Role in Demand Response

As more and more utilities move toward Smart Grid implementation, increasingly they are gaining the ability to manage and shape end customer demand with Demand Response techniques. Efficient demand response has been shown to have tremendous benefit for utility companies since having the demand peaks means eliminating the most costly, and therefore least efficient generating facilities and a 5% reduction in demand can yield a 50% reduction in cost. Managing demand across tens of thousands of customers and hundreds of thousands of devices however is tremendously complex and requires the usage of a Demand Response Management System (DRMS) in order to achieve the necessary control and efficiency.

Takeaways:

  • As generation becomes more distributed, utilities need to become more efficient and eliminating peak demand is key to this 
  • Efficient and effective demand management is tremendously complex and requires a fully integrated demand response management system 
  • IT has a key role to play in gathering and analyzing the data captured by the DRMS to accurate predictive models

 

11:20 am - 11:45 am

Executive Exchange

 

Thought Leadership

Where Are We on Our Journey? Effective Dashboards for Decision Making

How fast are we going? Are we going in the right direction? How much fuel do we have in the tank? These are common questions for those on the move.  Companies on a digital transformation journey need effective dashboards to help them understand the myriad data sources screaming for attention. We will discuss best practices for the various types of dashboards that can be used to make the most important decisions for your company.

Takeaways:

  1. Digital Transformation is providing an increasing amount of data to be understood and analyzed in order to make the right decisions.
  2. Effective dashboards are a key tenet of consuming this onslaught of data.

 

11:50 am - 12:15 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

Emerging Technologies: Adopting Blockchain, Imagine the Possibilities!

Blockchain is an exciting new technology that is slowly proving to be a radical innovation since Internet that triggered previous industrial revolutions. Blockchain technology features like disintermediation, improved transparency, and increase auditability can significantly reduce transaction costs, introduce efficiency into existing value chains, challenge revenue models, and open new markets. It's potential to disrupt existing economic and business models through productivity gains to multiple industries has been very promising. It's data provenance features and trusted interactions could change how data is controlled, shared and governed. Although big technological hurdles remain, innovative data management opportunities are emerging. It's time for data and analytics leaders to start experimenting!

 

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm

Networking Luncheon and Panel

Charging Ahead: Speeding Up Transformation Through Disruption

Disruption alters, destroys, but also creates value. You realize the need to act once revenue starts to shift, which is happening at a faster pace than most would think. Disruption can be a great thing if you act upon it, but it's a threat if you watch idly. We will discuss how CIOs and CISOs can be proactive and act on disruption by figuring out how to identify, prioritize and respond.

 

1:35 pm - 2:00 pm

Solutions Spotlight

Deep dives into the latest and greatest technology solutions to today's business problems.

 

2:05 pm - 2:30 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Thought Leadership

Increase the Speed and Agility of Data Analytics

Hadoop and related technologies for Big Data analytics can deliver tremendous business value, and at a lower cost than traditional data management approaches. But early adopters have encountered challenges and learned lessons over the past few years.

In this presentation, we'll discuss:

  1. The five worst practices in early Hadoop deployments and how to avoid them
  2. Best practices for the right architecture to meet the needs of the business How to ensure highly scalable and elastic Big Data infrastructure

 

2:35 pm - 3:00 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

Managing Cyber Security Risks while Driving Innovation

Power & Utilities companies invested in smart meters before the term IoT even existed. Their early commitment enables them to reap the benefits of the data the smart meters provide. Their next step is to find new and innovative ways to create insight from this data to create micro offers and enhance the customer experience which is an area of opportunity for them.

With increased security and technology risks, managing cyber security risks is critical to the sector and compared to other industries, Power & Utilities are placing a higher priority on improving cyber security. The importance of critical infrastructure to the lives of people and businesses has made cyber security a boardroom and C-level issue.

Think Tank

IoT for Infrastructure Management

It is a fact of life that in our society we produce materials that are dangerous, hazardous, and toxic, whether intentionally (the production of powerful acids) and unintentionally (the releasing of radiation). In a non-connected world these facilities must be carefully manned to achieve rigorous monitoring, putting people at risk, and lives in danger. A fully networked mesh of redundant sensors that not only send data feeds to monitoring station is safer locations, but that also have ability to act on changes in hazardous materials levels (liquids, gasses, etc.) can allow for much safer materials handling and infrastructure management. In turn, this allows for a level of detection, and therefore also of response, that is simply not possible today.

Takeaways:

  • Early detection and response is often the key difference between a non-event and a news worthy catastrophe
  • "Old school" approaches to detection are labor intensive making them highly risky and tremendously expensive
  • Broad-scale IoT adoption for the monitoring and management of sensitive physical infrastructure promises higher performance and lower risk and cost
 

3:05 pm - 3:30 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Thought Leadership

Communications is the Key; Improving Field Support
In order to increase the efficiency of its field support staff, utility companies are increasingly adopting and rolling out mobility based solutions since a well-designed platform can increase operational efficiency while simultaneously improving work and data quality, a true win-win. But utilities must deal with far-flung locations, unforgiving terrain, and all the implications that come with maintaining connectivity in geographically diverse areas. Provisioning the right types of connectivity, whether it be wi-fi, cellular, or satellite based is essential to getting the most out of technology solutions that utilities are deploying into the field. 

Takeaways: 

  • Simply deploying mobility based technology solutions to field operatives is only half of the battle in terms of improving operational efficiency 
  • With appropriate levels of connectivity, field workers will fail to capitalize on these investments, but maintaining connectivity can be extremely challenging 
  • IT leaders need to consider all available communications technologies, as well as workable options when no connectivity exists, to ensure value is being realized

 

3:30 pm - 3:45 pm

Afternoon Networking Coffee Break

 

3:50 pm - 4:15 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

The Changing Role of the Utility CIO

The role of the Utility CIO is changing dramatically as new business models and business processes threaten a century-old institution. Innovative companies like Apple, Tesla and Google are now launching major initiatives, which will reduce electricity sold by utilities, change the customer engagement model and shift the consumers behavior.

In order to adapt to this challenge, the CIO must enable a real-time, complete view of company situations and key figures across departments. This real-time view is now critical for transitioning to a digital business landscape to improve productivity and decision making by accessing accurate information, analyzing alternatives and implications in real-time.

 

4:20 pm - 4:45 pm

Executive Exchange

 

Innovation Partners Showcase

A brief, but compelling review of three new innovative technologies supporting digital transformation.

 

4:50 pm - 5:30 pm

Executive Visions Panel

Influencing, and not Just Reacting to, the Business Strategy

Building up digital business hinges on being able to add in information and technology assets and capabilities much earlier into leaders' strategic plans. We will discuss how CIOs are aiming to revamp the dynamics of the provider/consumer relationship in order to have a strategic impact and influence across all levels of the business. 

 

5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Summit Happy Hour

 

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Networking Dinner and Panel

From the War Room to the Board Room; Communication is the Key

Digital transformation is changing how you equip your employees and how your company interacts with customers. It is also changing the role of the CIO and CISO to be a business leader and internal sales leader for transformation. CIOs are now responsible for communicating strategies and recommendations to CxOs, boards and key stakeholders within a company. Join us, during dinner, for a passionate panel discussion with your peers as they share how they are successfully communicating internally to accomplish the company's goals.

 

8:00 pm - 9:30 pm

After Dinner Networking

 

Sunday, November 18, 2998 - CIO Utilities Summit

7:00 am - 8:00 am

Networking Breakfast

 

8:05 am - 8:45 am

Keynote Presentation

CIOs & CISOs: One Foot on the Gas & One Foot on the Brake?

CIOs are facing increasing pressure to guide their companies to rapidly adopt new technologies and solutions to keep their companies competitive in their industry. CISOs are facing increasing pressure to keep their company and its data safe and secure from all threats. Without great vision and cooperation these goals can appear to be at cross purposes.

Takeaways:

  1. CIOs and CISOs are both facing pressures that could seem to be at cross purposes.
  2. CIOs and CISOs must work very closely together to accomplish both their individual organizational goals but also the overarching company goals to thrive.

 

8:50 am - 9:25 am

Keynote Presentation

The Power of Big Data: Energizing the Customer Experience

Customer intimacy is an imperative for companies who are struggling with increasing commoditization of goods and services and an explosive growth in the channels of engagement. Digital organizations have a head start and have disrupted traditional customer interfaces to gain competitive advantage. As a result, organizations across industries are now exploring ways to energize the customer experience and fill the digital gap. This session will present practical ways in which leaders in digital customer experience are leveraging big data to harvest customer insights, create new business applications and enable digital transformation within sales and marketing.

Takeaways:

  1. Discuss how CIOs and CMOs need to interact to enable effective operating models to monetize on big data.
  2. Discover how new data ingestion techniques and Big Data Lake are used to drive customer intimacy.

 

9:30 am - 9:55 am

Executive Exchange

 

Thought Leadership

Planning for a Multi-Cloud Future

The promise of the cloud is almost beyond compare; infinite computing resources, unmatched reliability and uptime, instantaneous service availability, simplistic self-service and provisioning, and the low-low prices of a buy by the drink model. These are the reasons behind the rush to the cloud that we are currently experiencing, but the wholesale adoption does bring a downside " as more and more capability is moved to the cloud, more and more cloud providers are utilized since, for the most part, each provider offers only a limited suite of services. The MultiCloud environment that creates a new set of challenges that IT leaders need to overcome, notably resiliency, interoperability/integration, and security and compliance through careful planning and the lessons learned from building complex on premise distributed systems.

Takeaways:

  1. As enterprises move to the cloud, MultiCloud environments will increasingly become the norm, not the exception
  2. Consistent planning and thoughtful architecture will be essential to efficient and effective cloud deployments

 

9:55 am - 10:10 am

Morning Networking Coffee Break

 

10:15 am - 10:40 am

Executive Exchange

 

Solutions Spotlight

Deep dives into the latest and greatest technology solutions to today's business problems.

 

10:45 am - 11:10 am

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

The Future of Data Management

Data is at the center of the digital business platform, but in reality, data is everywhere! Things, IT systems, customers, ecosystems, all have data. Organizations need to access, understand, manage and trust data in a flexible and agile manner. Taking an approach of collecting all possible data is becoming clearly impossible, balancing collecting data and connecting to data is the path to modernizing data management.

Think Tank

CIO, CISO & Cloud Transformation: Who's Watching the Watcher?

If all InfoSec-related tasks in Information Technology were performed by a member of the Information Security team, we would not need an IT team at all. So should we be asking if we even need an IT team? 

Mark will discuss what IT does in organizations using a hybrid cloud strategy, for Public and Private cloud.  What is the practical and good-practice boundary between InfoSec and IT? What are the most important cloud security priorities and who covers what tasks for which?

 

11:15 am - 11:40 am

Executive Exchange

 

Think Tank

CIO's Got Talent: Finding, Growing & Retaining the Best People

While new technology and solutions can help CIOs make more, faster and better decisions for an organization, nothing will take the place of a highly talented workforce. CIOs need to be great recruiters of talent but even more importantly growing the skills and capabilities of their team providing engaging and challenging opportunities for people. Competitive compensation is important for retaining great talent but so is a work environment where individual growth and development are front of mind and not an after thought.

 

11:45 am - 12:20 pm

Closing Keynote

CIO as Driver of Digital Disruption

Digital transformation is causing Digital Disruption.  Companies are faced with new competitors using new technologies to change how industries work.  The CIO is in the best position to understand the limitations of legacy systems and processes and the opportunities that come with new technologies and capabilities.  We will discuss in this panel the best practices for CIOs to be the drivers of Digital Disruption for their company.

Takeaways:

  1. CIOs are in the best position to know how new technologies and thought processes can help their company be Digital Disruptors
  2. Because of this, CIOs should be one of, if not THE, driver of Digital Disruption for their company

 

12:25 pm - 1:00 pm

Grab and Go Luncheon