By Riley Kaminer
Gearing up for its fifth annual edition, Smart City Expo Miami is doubling down on its offering to provide Miamians with the latest and greatest in urban innovation. Just like previous years, the Expo will bring upwards of 50 speakers from around the U.S. and the world – from Brazil to Bangkok, Italy to Israel, the United Kingdom to the United Arab Emirates, and beyond.
But this year, the event’s curator, Bernardo Scheinkman, told Refresh Miami that his team is building what he bills as nothing less than a “smart city experience.”
“This year, we’re expanding our offerings to include a bookstore, startup playground, and media hub, plus some new art and music offerings,” said Scheinkman.
Why focus on making this an “experience”? Scheinkman explained that for meaningful, sustainable change to be made to our urban spaces, we need to involve entire communities – not just experts. For that reason, this year’s edition includes a dynamic range of activities to keep participants engaged throughout.
This year, there will also be a renewed focus on networking, enabling participants to meet and become part of an international community looking to build better cities for all.
Oh, and did we mention that there’s a Messi angle? The event will include a raffle of a limited edition collectable replica of the soccer legend’s shoe, offered by Planet ReFi.
The event will take place from September 23rd to 25th at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in Downtown.
Aspects of the event that are carrying over from last year include the conference talks and panels, a show floor of corporate exhibitions, an awards ceremony related to smart city innovation [last year’s event is pictured above], and an AI summit for mayors [pictured below].
Despite the conference’s global perspective, Miami will play a protagonistic role throughout the event. For instance, attendees will hear from Maria Nardi, the director of Miami-Dade County Parks; Francesca de Quesada Covey, the Chief Innovation and Economic Development Officer for Miami-Dade County; and representatives from local governments including Coral Gables and Homestead.
Tech innovation has always been a key thread tying together the various aspects of the event, and this year is no exception. For instance, in this edition we’ll hear from local entrepreneurs Tim Sperry, the founder/CEO of carbon capture company Carbon Limit, and Alice McLaughlin, the CEO of compliance firm SyncData.
Some of the high profile speakers include:
- Dr. Janice Perlman, founder and president of the Mega-Cities Project, who will speak on “Accelerating Urban Innovations from Ideas to Implementation.”
- Dr. Patricia McCarney, president and CEO of the World Council on City Data, who will outline a data-driven future for city prosperity.
- Milan-based Sandra Candiracci, the global leader for social value and equity at sustainable development consulting firm Arup.
- Smart city thought leader Paul Doherty, who will discuss the role AI and the metaverse will have in cities of the future
“We look forward to welcoming attendees both local and international to learn from each other and collaborate in our 3D live experience to build future-ready communities,” asserted Scheinkman.
WHAT: Smart City Expo Miami
WHERE: Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus
WHEN: September 23-25, 2024
WHO: Anyone interested in the future of sustainable cities
HOW: Learn more and buy tickets on their website
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