Event Wrap Ups

Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer

Parks Associates annual executive conference Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer kicked off 2022 with a focus on sustainability.

The market firm’s first in-person event of the year was held over three days from Feb. 28 to March 2, at the Omni Hotel in Frisco, TX.

Several keynote speakers featured from industry leaders Google, Emerson, TXU Energy, and more.

Panels addressed post-COVID energy issues and a variety of other topics including consumer behaviors in energy efficiency, the next stages of growth for EVs and energy management solutions.

Photos courtesy of Smart Energy Summit

Lightapalooza

Lightapalooza, held Feb. 22 – 24 at Dallas Hilton Anatole, marked the first lighting conference exclusively for the custom integration (CI) industry.

The conference was based on three principles: Learn, Connect, and Grow.

In the Learn portion of the event, attendees had the opportunity to take eight hours of lighting fundamentals training, 16 hours of lighting design workshops, eight hours of expert panel discussions, and nearly 24 hours of manufacturer training sessions.

Photos courtesy of ETHDenver

ETHDenver 2022

ETHDenver is the largest and longestrunning Ethereum event in the world. Keeping with the blockchain ethos, the conference aimed to create the first eventbased decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). The founders achieved this by creating SporkDAO, a member-owned community. $SPORK holders directed the community’s events, investments, and interests.

The two-week series of events began Feb. 11, kicking off the virtual #buidlathon. The ramp-up to the opening ceremony included Technical Talks and workshops, open source meetups, events and parties, and even an NFT scavenger hunt. Speakers, panels, and workshops dominated the weekend following the opening ceremony, and the #buidlathon came to a close in true Colorado style with a Rocky Mountain retreat in Breckenridge for some R&R.

Organizers gave people in the industry the opportunity to Connect by networking over three days with others in the CI space. Attendees could talk lighting during breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in the evening at a fully stocked (and immaculately lit) bar.

The Grow principle helped set companies new to the CI category on a path to success by enabling younger companies to learn from industry experts at the many panel discussions and during Connect times.

Beyond Meta 2022

Beyond Meta 2022, an event in Tampa held at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), on April 15 and 16, centered around helping students bridge the gap between gaming for fun and building a career in the burgeoning field.

The Tampa-based event kicked off with a Madden 22 tournament, which was won by local gaming professional Tim Anselimo. Panels on several key aspects of the industry including eSports streaming and how to become an influencer, cryptocurrency and blockchain, music and a communitycentered discussion on how to grow the STEAM industry in the Tampa area.

Beyond Meta 2022 was hosted by High Point Gamer, an organization headed by Army veteran Derek Watford, that brings eSports local communities.