Live product demonstrations a focus of Transparency18

Demo Day will showcase emerging, disruptive and innovative solutions in 7-minute presentations

When it came time to develop a program for the upcoming Transparency18 Future of Freight Conference, organizers sought ways to turn the traditional freight conference into something that was truly unique to the industry, yet true to the overall theme.

What they settled on was Demo Day. Demo Day is an opportunity for just 40 companies to showcase their solutions.

“Participants should be prepared to showcase emerging, disruptive, and innovative technology solutions catapulting freight transportation and logistics to the next level,” organizers said. “There will be no slides. The format will be fast-paced, 7-minute demonstrations providing live, simulated or video of new technology products and services.”

Transparency18 is sponsored by FreightWaves and the Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Institute of Technology. Transparency18 will be held at the Georgia International Conference Center in Atlanta, GA, on May 22-23, 2018. Registration is now open.

Demo Day presentations may focus on, but are not limited to:

• Blockchain
• Internet of Things – Transportation (IoTT)
• Supply chain & logistics efficiency and optimization
• Semi-autonomous applications
• Data optimization
• Driver efficiency
• Fuel efficiency
• Tracking and visibility
• Driver management
• Truck and trailer efficiency

Companies can currently apply to participate in Demo Day, but there are rules. First, only 40 slots are available, and when they are filled up, applications for participation will close.

The final deadline for applications is March 9, 2018, but it is a rolling application process, so when all 40 slots are filled up, applications will close. There is a fee to present. One of the slots is being awarded to the winner of the HackTheIndustry event taking place April 13-14, 2018. Secondly, selection for participation will be based on product relevance to the industry and timeliness (to market in less than 6 months), and it must focus on emerging, disruptive and innovative solutions. Finally, each presentation will be limited to 7 minutes and slide decks or Powerpoint presentations will not be allowed.

“Powerpoint sucks for most technology presentations. People actually want to experience the application first-hand and a pitch deck doesn’t give that opportunity, so we have banned it from our Demo Day. No vaporware. The format is a lot of fun and engaging because you get just enough to see a taste of the app, without having to sit through a long-winded presentation that is there to just fill time,” notes Craig Fuller, managing director of BiTA.

Companies presenting on Demo Day will be provided a breakout area where presenters can network with attendees when not on stage and all presentations will be professionally recorded and posted to the event website for post-event viewing.

Some of the companies that have already signed up to present on Demo Day will be featured on FreightWaves in the coming weeks.

Transparency18 will feature Demo Day on May 22 and a more traditional format on Day 2, featuring industry-leading speakers and sessions led by top Wall Street sell-side analysts from the trucking and logistics space; futurists covering subjects impacting the industry such as blockchain, autonomous vehicles, hyperloop, drones, and digitization; and market data and research on the impact of technology on the freight markets.

The morning will feature keynote speakers followed by afternoon breakout sessions focused on financial, technology and commercial tracks. Keynote speakers include author and thought-leader Tony Seba, futurist Jason Schenker, blockchain researcher Bettina Warburg, and business executive Don Tapscott.  

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