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Keynote speakers, top industry experts lined up to present at Transparency18 conference

Blockchain, digital freight brokerages, and heavy-truck telematics are just a few of the themes that will be addressed at the upcoming Transparency18 Future of Freight conference, powered by FreightWaves and in conjunction with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance and Georgia Tech.

The conference will be held at the Georgia International Conference Center in Atlanta, GA, on May 22-23, 2018. On May 21, 2018, the BiTA Spring Symposium will be held for Blockchain in Transport Alliance members.

Special discount pricing for Transparency18 is available through March 31, 2018, by using code springdeal for $345 off normal registration price.

Conference sponsors include Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar, Slync, and Triumph Business Capital.

Transparency18 will open on Tuesday, May 22, with Demo Day, a never-before-seen display of live technology demonstrations. Forty companies in the freight space will provide a live demonstration (no slide decks) of their newest and upcoming products. Each presentation will be only 7 minutes in length and presenting companies will be available for networking opportunities following their demonstrations.

The evening will be capped with a networking reception, BBQ and live music for all Demo Day participants/sponsors and Transparency18 attendees.

Announced Demo Day presenters include:

  • PEIR
  • LoadBlock
  • Learning Machine
  • Fleet Complete
  • FreightRover
  • Konexial
  • FullBay
  • Lanehub
  • Phillips Technologies
  • Authenticiti Inc.
  • Orbcomm
  • project44
  • Kamion
  • Logistics Exchange
  • BoxLock Inc.
  • Slync.io
  • Sagewise
  • Microsoft
  • Fr8 Network
  • TransCard
  • Intelligent Audit
  • Spireon
  • Profit Tools
  • McLeod Software
  • Riskpulse
  • Triumph Business Capital 
  • Logistical Labs
  • BoxLock
  • Navistar
  • Daimler
  • Freight.Tech
  • SONAR
  • Redwood Logistics
  • HCL Technologies

The following day, Wednesday, May 23, will feature presentations from four of the leading thought leaders in transportation today as well as a full afternoon of breakout sessions focusing on technology and finance.

The morning will begin with a keynote address from Tony Seba, author and thought leader and co-founder of RethinkX, a think tank focused on technology disruption. Seba will discuss some of the leading trends for the next decade in his presentation, “Technology Megatrends leading to the Disruption of Transportation 2020-2030.”

Following Seba will be futurist Jason Schenker, who will discuss disruptions in the transportation space  in his speech, “Disruptions: Real or Imagined – The Future of Transportation.”

Don Tapscott, who wrote about the potential disruption of e-commerce in the 1990s and more recently authored the book, The Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World, will deliver a speech on that topic.

The final keynote speaker is Bettina Warburg. A blockchain researcher, entrepreneur and education, and founder of Animal Ventures, which focuses on building startups, educating executives, and designing comprehensive strategies to help large companies, governments, and SMEs take advantage of some of the most advanced technologies coming to market, Warburg will discuss the future economy in her address, “Rise of the Decentralized Economy.”

The afternoon will feature nine separate breakout sessions featuring some of the leading professionals in the industry and financial spaces. Among those scheduled to speak are:

  • George Abernathy, Chief Revenue Officer at FreightWaves
  • Thom Albrecht, CFO, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer of Celedon Group
  • Donald Broughton, Principal Managing Partner at Broughton Capital
  • Lauren Domnick, Senior Director of Analytics & Modeling, Omnitracs
  • Clint Elcan, Vice President at J.B. Hunt 360
  • Mark Ehrlich, Director, Van Product Line at Wabash National
  • Scott Friesen, VP of Strategic Analytics, Echo Global Logistics
  • Craig Fuller, CEO & Managing Director, FreightWaves
  • Sandeep Kar, Chief Strategy Officer at Fleet Complete
  • Grant Goodall, Co-Founder & CTO at Convoy
  • Bill Kozek, VP of Strategic Initiatives, Navistar
  • John Larkin, Investment Banking, Stifel at Stifel Financial Corp.
  • Philip Poulidis, Senior Vice President, Blackberry
  • Lori-Heino-Royer, Director, Business Development, Daimler Trucks North America

A full list of confirmed speakers can be found here.

The afternoon’s breakout sessions will center on three themes: technology, financial and commercial.

Technology Track sessions will include:

  • The Digitization of Freight Brokerage
  • Heavy Truck Telematics – Reshaping the Future of Transportation
  • Smart Trailers – Unleashing the Power of Connected Trailer Data

Financial Track sessions will include:

  • The Bull, The Bear and the Other Guy
  • Seed – Early Stage Startups
  • Venture Capital – Working with Start-ups at All Stages

Commercial Track sessions will include:

  • Navigating the Waters of becoming a Technology Company
  • How is Technology Affecting and Enabling the Micro-Carrier
  • Data Don’t Care. The Truth Behind the Impact of ELD’s, Rates, Regulations and Technology

The entire conference will feature opportunities for networking. Registration is ongoing for this must-see conference. If you register before March 31, 2018 and use the special code “springdeal,” you can receive $345 off regular registration price. Transparency18, powered by FreightWaves in partnership with the Blockchain in Transport Alliance and Georgia Tech, and with support of its universal sponsors Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar, Slync, and Triumph Business Capital, will take place May 22-23, 2018, at the Georgia International Conference Center in Atlanta, GA.

Brian Straight

Brian Straight leads FreightWaves' Modern Shipper brand as Managing Editor. A journalism graduate of the University of Rhode Island, he has covered everything from a presidential election, to professional sports and Little League baseball, and for more than 10 years has covered trucking and logistics. Before joining FreightWaves, he was previously responsible for the editorial quality and production of Fleet Owner magazine and fleetowner.com. Brian lives in Connecticut with his wife and two kids and spends his time coaching his son’s baseball team, golfing with his daughter, and pursuing his never-ending quest to become a professional bowler. You can reach him at [email protected].