By Judie Nuskey, Director of Operations, ADTS
February 28, 2024
Neil Cawse
Geotab hosted their 2024 business conference at Resorts World Las Vegas, February 14th-16th. The resort, mall, and casino are located on the Las Vegas Strip in Winchester, Nevada. In 2023, the property became one of the few Las Vegas resorts to be powered entirely by renewable energy. Electric vehicles and renewable energy go hand-in-hand when it comes to forming a sustainable future. Neil Cawse, Founder and CEO of Geotab, began the conference with discussing the disruption in the industry, embracing change, trusting the data, and partnering with companies that are disruptive to the industry.
The conference ended with the ‘Sphere Experience – Postcard From Earth.’ The film is a technical marvel and took the audience on a journey. Geotab Connect took attendees on a journey through the event center, marketplace, vehicle showcase and ride and drive, as well as breakout sessions, public sector State of the Nation, and new to the conference, the connected women segment, ‘Empowering Success – Unleashing the Domino Effect.’
As part of Connect 2024, Geotab launched several new centers of excellence, including the new Geotab Safety Center, which will be the next generation of fleet safety tools driven by data intelligence, predictive collision insights, and AI. Fleet managers will be able to gather a large volume and variety of data reports for their day-to-day operations for asset tracking, safety, maintenance, productivity, compliance, and sustainability. Improvement opportunities can be further defined, prioritized, and actioned to ensure success in meeting strategic goals, which will help create a benchmark, set unique fleet goals, and then make necessary adjustments to save money and resources.
Also announced, available directly in the MyGeotab platform, Geotab Ace, an artificial intelligence copilot designed for fleets. Ace will enhance user experience by offering tailored insights through intuitive dialogue. Mike Branch, Vice President of Data & Analytics described Ace as “data intelligence and AI, to have a conversation with fleet data, to reduce the time taken to gain insights, access customized data reflections that are tailored to their specific needs and enjoy an enhanced capacity for making data-driven decisions. Geotab Ace represents not just an evolution in fleet management, but the next step in harnessing the power of trusted data.”
Returning this year was the popular expert bar, face-to-face appointments with Geotab subject matter experts, to help better understand and optimize the Geotab solutions. This year’s Geotab Product Hub displayed interactive demos, early prototypes and product concepts, and also provided opportunities for feedback on driving business solutions. The latest offerings were on display at Industry Alley, where sponsored partner booths provided valuable insights into transformative solutions offered by valued partners. Popular partners on display: Xtract360, software that uses a modern approach to auto accident reconstruction, which saves fleet managers time and improves their bottom line. Xtract360 collaborated with the Bumper Car Exhibit, a joint adventure with the Geotab Team, which promised sparks of innovation, featuring live crash reconstruction, and included three Dashcam providers – Sensata, SureCam, and Lytx.
Kate Harrison, Co-Founder and head of marketing at MoveEV, an AI-powered EV transition company, shared her experience as an exhibiter on the Geotab show floor:
“MoveEV had an incredible experience at this year’s Geotab Connect conference. From start to finish, the conference was impeccably organized and executed, with the perfect mix of inspiring talks, engaging panels, fun activities, and networking opportunities for all attendees. One of the most striking aspects of Connect was the palpable spirit of collaboration that is a direct outgrowth of Geotab’s ecosystem/marketplace approach. We loved being part of the sustainability lounge. Our booth location provided us with an unparalleled opportunity to connect with clients and resale partners interested in electric vehicles and sustainable solutions. In addition, the Geotab Sustainability Solutions Team went above and beyond to provide additional opportunities for us to educate attendees about the many benefits of a home-charging program and to showcase our ReimburseEV home charging reimbursement software. We could not have asked for more!”
New at Geotab Connect, IOX Games, which tested the skills of installers on wiring harnesses, accessories and the installation of Geotab devices over 2 days, to see who the best installer in the world is. Congratulations to Justin Forsman from Totally Wireless GPS, who said “It was a rigorous contest, requiring us to create a working display board utilizing all the IOX accessories in round two, and culminating in a vehicle install challenge. The finalists were tasked with a list of essential equipment for installation, and our performance was evaluated based on the quality and completeness of the tasks. We couldn’t be prouder of our installation technician, Justin Forsman, who represented Totally Wireless GPS, Inc. with exceptional skill and dedication. His expertise and hard work were instrumental in our win, earning us the custom championship belt – a symbol of excellence in our field. A huge thank you to Justin and everyone who supported us throughout the competition. This achievement is not just a win for our team but a testament to the quality and dedication we bring to every installation and service we provide. Here’s to many more successes and to continually setting the standard in GPS tracking and camera installation for government and commercial fleets!”
Hackathon, geared for the innovative and/or tech enthusiasts, was an opportunity to turn imagination into innovation. Colin Sutherland, Chief Customer Officer, describes what Hackathon is about: “This was an opportunity to develop and demonstrate new cutting-edge tools and demonstrate them for prizes. Show us how you can build tools and add-ons that make a difference in the Geotab ecosystem.”
A new, enterprising breakout session, Empowering Success: Unleashing the Domino Effect of Connected Women, recognized the future of commercial vehicles, and the crucial role of women in fleet leadership. Led by Lori Olson, Signature Team Lead, Geotab, the panel included Jessica Gray, Telematics Program Manager, Cox Automotive; Cristina Contreras, Move and Sel EHS Manager, PepsiCo México; Barbara Agogliati, Project Manager, G&A Gruppo Gavio; and Kim Clark, Director of Product Strategy & Telematics, Element. The session promoted empowerment and encouragement, defining how one domino can knock over another that is 1.5x larger than itself, with this definition:
Chain reaction – The cumulative effect produced when one event sets off a chain of similar events. Typically refers to a linked sequence of events where the time between successive events is relatively small.
The message was clear: celebrate each other’s victories, promote yourself, and encourage others to be brave.
To close the conference, leaders from Ford Pro, OnStar Business Solutions, Rivian and Stelantis, talked about steering the course of automotive innovation, and the intersection of telematics in software defined vehicles, and amplifying the driver experience. Geotab will continue to bring new innovations to its customers. They will work together with marketplace partners as architects of trust, and work as a change agent for the industry. What can one expect from Geotab in 2024: provide tools to accelerate change, from data, to insight, to enablement.
The 2025 Geotab Connect will be held in Orlando, FL February 25th-27th, a decision that was inspired by the community of tomorrow, Disney’s Epcot, which revolves around technology and the future, and aligns with Geotab’s connection with mobility and transportation. Mauricio Berber, Safety Specialist at Predictive Coach reflects on his experience and excitement for 2025: “In my experience, Geotab Connect has always been an exciting conference filled with collaborative professionals with similar missions in mind. The feeling you get as soon as you hit the registration desk is that of a friendly open-arm reception, with an exciting emphasis on working together to make this world a better place. This year was no exception, and I took away a revalidation that everyone is constantly looking to be better and roll out exciting new tech. It’s only been a week and I’m already excited about Connect 2025! See you in Orlando!”
