Programme
Tuesday 28 February
7.30pm - Informal drinks and dinner in Berts Bert's Jazz Bar, The Merchant Hotel
8.00pm - 9.00pm - Advance Registration available.
Conference Day 1 - Wednesday 29 February
8.00am - 9.00am - Exhibition open with tea and coffee.
Official Welcome – Session 1:
Shaping & Sharing The Vision
Session Chair:
This session will look at the future of energy provision from a local, national and international perspective with speakers from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and
continental Europe. It will challenge our understanding of the term 'Smart', explore the present applications, and importantly raise our sights for what should be credible and achievable for the future.
9.00am - 10.30am - 3 speakers with Q&A discussion.
10.30am - 11.00am - Morning tea/coffee break. Viewing of Exhibition stands.
Session 2:
Policy & Regulation - Frameworks For Sustained Success
Session Chair:
This session will take a national and international look at regulatory and policy frameworks and their effectiveness as catalysts for innovation and its commercial deployment.
What developments might be considered for acceleration, and what responses may be helpful as complexity increases and as cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary content becomes more important.
11.05am - 12.30pm - 3 speakers with Q&A discussion.
12.30pm - 1.30pm - Lunch served in Exhibition area.
Session 3:
Technology - Products or Partnerships?
Session Chair:
This session will bring together the perspective and experience of both vendors and network owners; it will consider the experiences of different commercial models,
ranging from standard product sales through to alliances, partnerships and shared risk ventures. Are there good practices guidelines that could be developed and shared,
and might some common preparatory work helpfully speed implementation? The session will also consider asset management perspectives and achieving migration from traditional to SMART.
1.30am - 3.00pm - 3 speakers with Q&A discussion.
3.00pm - 3.30pm - Afternoon tea/coffee break. Viewing of Exhibition stands.
Session 4:
Skills / Jobs - Imports & Exports
Session Chair:
This session will focus on the important range of issues concerning access to specialist and new skills and the wider implications for the economy in regard to jobs.
Does the skills and jobs agenda have a subtext of import or export, is there a serious risk of a skills shortage, and if so in what disciplines? Does it matter where the know-how resides?
15.30pm - 16.30pm - 3 leading individuals in a panel session.
16.30pm - Conference closes for Day 1. Guests have an opportunity to continue networking or to refresh for dinner.
18.15pm - Guest gather in the Hotel Foyer to travel to Hillsborough Castle.
19.00pm - Drinks reception at Hillsborough Castle.
19.45pm - Guests are seated for dinner.
10:15pm - Evening ends and guests depart for coaches.
Conference Day 2 - Thursday 1 March
Session 5:
The Data Explosion
Session Chair:
This session will focus on the issues of data, data processing, and architectures for data collection and application processing. It will address the quest for finding
information in large data volumes and consider intelligence systems for practical data management.
8.30am - 10.30am - 4 speakers with Q&A discussion.
10.30am - 11.00am - Morning tea/coffee break and viewing of Exhibition stands.
Session 6:
Beyond Technology - Consumers, Communities & Engagements
Session Chair:
This final session will explore good practices and hard-won lessons for gaining positive consumer engagement. This is recognised as being a serious challenge
and a potential show-stopper. What can technology offer to enhance the 'customer experience' and what benefits might there be in approaching consumers as social
or geographic groups, rather than as individuals?
11.00am - 12.30pm - 4 leading individuals in a panel session.
13.00pm - Conference Close followed by Lunch.