SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwire) — 03/16/12 — , a global business network for energy, cleantech, and corporate sustainability, will be hosting its annual in San Francisco, on March 22, 2012. The day will consist of three panels discussion covering implemented Smart City Projects, Big Data Infrastructure, and Transportation Innovation & Smart Transit.
The AGRION Smart Cities Symposium, hosted at in San Francisco, will gather representatives from over 75 public and private entities for an interactive discussion on the design and implementation of Smart City Infrastructure. Speakers will highlight initiatives that are transforming the urban centers of the world into data-driven, integrated “Smart Cities.” “We collaborate with the major players who are implementing Smart City projects in Asia, Europe and Americas,” stated AGRION CEO Pierre Reboul. “We know that the city of the future is a business reality today, and we need to bridge public and private incentives to make it a reality. On March 22nd, our global professional network will turn to San Francisco, where ground-breaking technology and political will are fueling innovation, to explore best practices and share how other cities can join in implementing them.”
Timothy Papandreou, Deputy Director at of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), who will be participating on the panel on Smart Transportation, views this as an opportunity for the public and private sectors to work together. “Our cities are at a crossroads; the information and network integration opportunities are real and timely,” Papandreou noted. “If executed properly, this effort can close the loop on waste and energy challenges, congestion, and dwindling city budgets, once-and-for-all, resulting in more resilient systems and greater economic competitiveness.”
Appearances for the March 22nd event will occur in the following order:
(10:30am-12:00pm PST): Dr. Ryan Orr, of Stanford University, will moderate this discussion with key city officials who have overseen the process of implementing smart initiatives in their respective regions. Speakers include: Melanie Nutter, Director of SF Environment; Laura Stuchinsky Sustainability Officer of the City of San Jose; Corey Marshall, Policy Director of San Francisco Planning + Urban Research Association (SPUR); and Glenn Steiger, CEO of Glendale Water and Power.
(1:00-2:30pm PST): Christine Hertzog, Managing Director of the Smart Grid Library, will moderate a panel of Big Data service providers focusing on Smart City technology. Speakers include: Roland Acra, Vice President for Smart Grid of Cisco; Peter Williams, CTO – Big Green Innovations of IBM; Vladi Shunturov, CTO of Lucid Design Group; and Paul Doherty, President of Screampoint.
(3:00-4:30pm PST): San Francisco Department of Environment–s Manager of Clean Vehicle Programs Bill Zeller will moderate this panel of transportation experts including: Patrick McGowan, President of Telvent; Thilo Koslowski, Vice President of Gartner; Tony Bruzzone, Transportation Planner of Arup; and Timothy Papandreou, Deputy Director of SFMTA.
For California–s 15th District Congressman Michael M. Honda, this full-day meeting will be an “opportunity to share ideas and network among visionaries of today–s leading industries.” Congressman Honda stated: “AGRION has connected leaders among a wide spectrum of industries to promote business development and education …. I would like to congratulate AGRION for the dedication they have demonstrated in creating global partnerships to build sustainable solutions.”
The meeting will be streamed live via with question and answer sessions from AGRION communities in Beijing, Frankfurt, Paris and New York. Registration is required.
The AGRION Smart Cities Symposium will take place at the ARUP, 560 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA, 94105.
The Symposium will take place on March 22, 2012, from 10 am to 6:30 pm PST.
To learn more about the AGRION Smart Cities Symposium please visit .
AGRION is a global business community for energy, cleantech, and corporate sustainability. With offices in New York, San Francisco, Frankfurt, Paris, and Beijing, the mission of AGRION is to connect thought-leaders and executives, within and across borders, for the purposes of business development, education, idea-sharing, and networking.
AGRION currently has over 140 member companies spanning a wide spectrum of industries and sectors. Through weekly events held online and on-site, as well as an online networking forum, AGRION reaches over 100,000 professionals globally. For more information, visit
Rob Kishi
AGRION
415.882.4615