Utility Week

32 | FEBRUARY 2023 | UTILITY WEEK Utility Week Live 2023 Event Utility Week Live returns for 2023 The industry's must-attend exhibition this year brings you our biggest ever content programme. Find out what's new for 2023 and who will be speaking. U tility Week Live 2023 (16-17 May, NEC), the exhibition for the UK's energy and water industries, has opened for visitor registrations. This year will mark our biggest ever content programme, new net- working opportunities, fresh features bring- ing the House of the Future and open data to life, and dedicated demonstration and net- zero exhibitor trails. Utility Week Live portfolio director Ellen Bennett said: "Utilities are in crisis. Floods, droughts, the cost of living and the war in Ukraine – energy and water companies have been battered on every front. But through it all, they remain committed to keeping the lights on, the taps running and the gas flow- ing. Against this backdrop, delivering secure, sustainable and affordable public services requires collaborative innovation, as well as deep market reform and an active commit- ment to resilience in all its guises. "Utility Week Live is where this is delivered. It brings together 2,500 leading pan-utility professionals under one roof to share their experiences, ideas and challenges. It showcases the most innovative solutions from hundreds of industry suppliers and partners. It celebrates the innovation inherent in the utilities industry and creates a time and space to drive that innovation forward." Utility Week Live's headline theme is collaborative innovation brought to life, and once again the show's features include the Energy Innovation Centre's Innovation Zone, hosting a collection of the UK's biggest energy networks; the Water Innovation Zone in association with Spring, supported by the UK's major water companies; Isle's Innova- tion Zone and a two-day programme of inter- active roundtables and workshops. UWL is also delighted to launch the House of the Future, a new interactive dis- play demonstrating the art of the possible in retrofit and smart home technologies; and an open data feature, exploring the major initia- tives taking place in open data and bringing together key projects from across energy and water to drive pan-utility collaboration. Bennett said: "Utilities are at the forefront of the drive to net zero – and we at Utility Week Live are proud to play our part in fos- tering the collaborative innovation needed to make this happen. We firmly believe that improving the energy efficiency of the UK's homes is key to achieving carbon reduction targets, and we're excited to be demonstrat- ing cutting edge techniques and technolo- gies, as well as highlighting the leading role utilities can play. "We also believe that open data is critical to speeding up innovation and delivering net zero – and we are very excited to be bringing together projects from energy and water to create pan-utility learnings." Utility Week Live's renowned Challenge Programme is returning for 2023, bringing frontline insight to bear on the biggest chal- lenges facing utilities today, from supporting customers through the cost of living crisis to rolling out technology to support the energy transition. The Challenge Programme will take place over three action-packed stages, and visitors also benefit from access to the conference programme on our Keynote Stage, with the headline themes of reform, resilience, and sustainability; and the inspi- ration offered on our Innovation Stage. All our Challenge Programme content is CPD accredited, enabling our visitors to earn CPD points by attending. In response to visitor feedback, UWL23 will offer a range of networking opportuni- ties, including new facilitated networking, where visitors' stated interests will be dis- played on their badges, allowing them to discover visitors with similar interests at dedicated, speed networking times. There will also be new opportunities for informal networking, including post-session network- ing breaks and an extended networking drinks reception on day one. UWL23 looks forward to hosting more exhibitors than ever before, with hundreds of thought leaders and innovators lining up to welcome visitors. To help visitors navigate the exhibition, there will be a new demonstration trail, showcasing innovation in action; and a net-zero trail, highlight- ing those exhibitors whose solutions help cut carbon emissions. There will also be the return of our popular show app. UWL23 will include a new dedicated cor- porate members' lounge, where members of UWL23's parent brand, Utility Week, will receive VIP treatment with lunch, tea and coffee provided. continued on p34 • UWL23 is FREE to attend. Register at: utilityweeklive.co.uk

• Cover