Utility and Smart City Industry Leaders Come Together for Itron Utility Week 2019

LIBERTY LAKE, Wash.—Oct. 9, 2019--Itron, Inc. (NASDAQ: ITRI), which is innovating the way utilities and cities manage energy and water, today announced its flagship event, Itron Utility Week, will bring together more than 1,200 thought leaders, experts and peers in the global utility industry. The customer-focused event will be held in Marco Island, Florida and will foster thought-provoking discussions about the power of community and challenges and opportunities facing utilities and smart cities today.

“Each year at Itron Utility Week, the industry comes together to find common ground in addressing struggles and driving innovation for utilities and smart cities. The challenges facing our industry—digital transformation, aging infrastructure, changing customer expectations and resiliency—are daunting but are not insurmountable,” said Marina Donovan, vice president of global marketing and public affairs. “Focused on the power of community, this year’s event will explore our collective ability to transform the industry through knowledge sharing to design the future we want and need for ourselves, our businesses and our communities.”

Keynotes and breakout sessions will tackle issues such as evolving regulations, grid modernization, clean energy, cybersecurity, understanding data analytics and much more. This year’s event will also feature the presentation of the inaugural Itron Innovator Award, which recognizes a customer who has demonstrated excellence in innovation through Itron's partner enablement programs.

What: Itron Utility Week 2019 includes over 100 breakout sessions led by industry peers, four insightful keynotes, the Excellence in Resourcefulness and Itron Innovator Awards, pre- and post-conference training sessions, extensive networking opportunities and access to the Knowledge Center—a showcase of Itron’s comprehensive solutions and partner offerings.
When: Oct. 11-18, 2019
Where: JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort; 400 South Collier Boulevard, Marco Island, Fla.    
Who: Keynote and feature speakers at Itron Utility Week include:

• Christopher Chapel, vice president of customer service, Florida Power & Light
• Afdhel Aziz, marketing innovator and power of purpose expert
• Nick Wagner, president, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner
• Joe Vale, director, Duke Energy
• Michael Putt, director, smart grid and innovation, Florida Power & Light
• Lynda Ziegler, former senior vice president, Southern California Edison
• Dave DeYagher, senior manager, operations deployment, BC Hydro
• Tom Dietrich, CEO, Itron
• Marina Donovan, vice president global marketing and public affairs, Itron

Additional event activities:

• Industry Awards: During the opening general session on Monday, Frost & Sullivan will announce this year’s winners of the Excellence in Resourcefulness Awards for Energy and Water. On Tuesday, Itron will present its first-ever Itron Innovator Award.
• Women in Utilities Reception: Open to all, this session will explore the shifting trends in technology roles for female leaders, the importance of mentorship, how men can help with gender equality and industry-specific challenges and opportunities.
• Big Picture Sessions: This year Itron will feature two big picture sessions: “Getting to Yes - Helping Utilities Make the Case with Regulators,” a fireside chat with Nick Wagner of NARUC and Itron’s Dan Pfeiffer, to learn the ins and outs of securing commission approval; “Grid Modernization and Resiliency Amid Natural Disasters,” a panel discussion on the increasing number of natural disasters and how grid modernization and resiliency are helping.
• Breakout Sessions: Tailored breakout sessions provide the opportunity learn from and discuss with industry peers and Itron employees who have a firsthand understanding of the issues at play in the sector. Session tracks include Advanced Applications and Outcomes, Data Management, Mobile and Measurement Solutions and Multi-Purpose Network Solutions.
• Beach Block Party: The annual Monday night signature event takes place on the beautiful beaches of Marco Island at sunset. Attendees can wear their best beach attire for dinner, drinks, live music and dancing along the shores of the Gulf.
• Training and Users’ Forums: Both before and after the conference, attendees can participate in hands-on training sessions to better understand the depth and breadth of Itron’s core technologies. Additionally, the Itron Enterprise Edition (IEE) Meter Data Management Users' Forum will enable current users, managers and IT support employees to meet with counterparts from other utilities, as well as the Itron product team, and discuss recent product changes, the IEE roadmap, how Itron is investing in the future of meter data management, and open the floor for the exchange of best practices on operating and managing IEE.

A full list of breakout sessions is available here.
To keep up with live updates throughout the conference, follow the Itron blog, visit Itron’s Facebook page for livestreamed content or follow #IUW19. Also be sure to join us on Twitter on Monday, Oct. 14 at 10:30 a.m. EDT for the #ItronChat to discuss disaster preparedness. For more information about Itron Utility Week, visit www.itron.com/iuw.