Preliminary programme now available for the 18th ITS World Congress

560 ITS America has released the Preliminary Programme for the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), an interactive e-brochure that is a one-stop resource for the latest information on the major activities planned for World Congress week which will take place in Orlando, Florida from 16 – 20 October, 2011. The event is expected to draw over 10,000 attendees from 75 countries including legislators, transport ministers and public sector officials, international business and technology leaders, and a broad range of transportation stakeholders.

Co-sponsored by ITS America, ITS Asia-Pacific, and 374 Ertico-ITS Europe, the five-day event will feature dynamic speakers and innovators from across the globe, interactive technology demonstrations, more than 250 policy, technical and special topic sessions, a 350,000 square-foot exhibit hall, and countless networking events with US and global ITS industry leaders.

Under the theme of ‘Keeping the Economy Moving’, the 18th World Congress will showcase the latest technological innovations, address existing and emerging transportation challenges, and provoke dialogue about the role of transportation and technology in spurring economic growth and job creation. The event will also be combined with ITS America’s 2011 Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Highlights of the interactive programme include session descriptions and an impressive list of confirmed speakers including Bill Ford, executive chairman of the 278 Ford Motor Company; Tom Stephens, vice chairman and global chief technology officer of 948 General Motors; Ben Verwaayen, CEO of 4054 Alcatel-Lucent; and senior political and transportation leaders from the US and across the globe.

The programme also features an online agenda builder which allows attendees to browse activities by day, topic or track and save a customised agenda to their smartphone or calendars. In addition, there’s a schedule at a glance — daily breakout of meetings, sessions and other events; listings of technical tours, exhibiting companies and agencies, and special events such as the Inaugural World Congress Golf Tournament and behind-the-scenes tours of new and innovative transportation projects across central Florida.

Also featured in the on-line programme is an interactive Technology Showcase, featuring over 20 state-of-the-art demonstrations in transportation safety, mobility, pricing, and sustainability, complete registration and hotel information with live links, as well as links to www.itsworldcongress.org for the most up-to-date news and announcements about the world congress.