PROGRAM     |     SPEAKERS     |     REGISTRATION

The ICF Summit Goes Virtual!

The ICF Summit is unlike any ”smart city,” urban planning or economic development conference you will attend. We're excited to be partnering with Dublin, Ohio - one of America's leading Intelligent Communities - for the 2020 Virtual Global Summit .

We've retooled our event to make sure it is safe to attend while the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic - while making sure all attendees will still get the education and networking opportunities provided by our traditional Summit conferences.

The retooled Summit will now take place from October 21 to 29, with about three hours of programming on each day. Attendees will get access to the ICF app, which will allow them to either view sessions live or on-demand, access documents and materials, network with other attendees, and more. If you have any questions about how the virtual Summit will work, email [email protected] for more information.

About ICF and the ICF Summit

The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) studies and promotes the best practices of the world’s Intelligent Communities as they adapt to the demands and seize the opportunities presented by the digital age. To help communities grow their economies, societies and cultures, ICF conducts and publishes research, presents workshops, hosts conferences and produces a high-profile international awards program. Over the last 20 years, ICF has become an international movement that attracts the attention of global leaders, thinkers and media observers.

The ICF Awards Program

Through its awards program, ICF has designated more than 180 cities and regions as Intelligent Communities. They gain global recognition and access to an international network of peer communities. The awards program culminates each year at ICF’s Global Summit with the naming of the Intelligent Community of the Year.

Taoyuan, Taiwan was named Intelligent Community of the Year
at the 2019 ICF Global Summit in New York.

Summit Theme: From Smart to Intelligent

You probably know what a Smart City is. “Smart” is about applying technology to make cities work better, faster and cheaper. Better data leads to better decisions, and automation lets you do more with less labor. It’s a win for the city, its residents and taxpayers.

But cities, of whatever size, are not just collections of technology and infrastructure. They have their roots in the first decisions of people to settle in that place, to group together by a riverbank or lake or ocean, or at a sheltered place where roads crossed and both water and fuel could be found. The visible parts of the city – and today, the invisible elements of the digital web being weaved within it – are the outward signs of an inward spirit. The life of a city, the spirit of the place, begins with its people.

That’s why, at ICF, we don’t think that being Smart is nearly good enough. We think the real journey of the place called home should be from Smart to Intelligent. Learn more.

Who Attends the Summit?

• Leaders of Smart21 and Top7 Intelligent Communities

  • Mayors, City Managers, CIOs, Economic Development Directors, Innovation Officers

• Community Partners

  • Sectors including Technology, Digital Media, Education, Economic Development, Healthcare and other related business sectors.

Source: Polling of ICF Summit attendees, 2019

Summit Attendees at the 2015 Global Summit in Toronto.

Leads, Learning, Inspiration

The ICF Summit is unlike any “smart city,” urban planning or economic development conference you will attend. It is an intimate setting, perfect for networking and has these takeaways that people have been coming for since 2004 to learn how to go from “smart city” to Intelligent Community and true, sustainable growth:

• A Proven Method for Growth. Meet officials from cities, counties and metro areas who have faced similar challenges and tried the ICF Method as the centerpiece of their growth and sustainability policies. Today they are known around the world for their success and quality of life.

• Inspiration.  Workshops, awards programs and inspiring examples teach, encourage and reinforce your community’s journey, and support your path forward.

• International Opportunities. McKinsey estimates that 80% of the world’s trade will cross international borders within 10 years. Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Solow proved that 80% of economic growth comes from technology innovation. The ICF Summit brings together cities and towns from Canada, Taiwan, Scandanavia, Europe and South America and has been the direct route to international opportunities in the innovation economy for nearly 180 of them.