In less than a month, much of the wind energy industry will converge on Las Vegas, Nevada for the industry’s premier event, WINDPOWER 2014, hosted by the American Wind Energy Association.
For the first time, the event will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Exhibitors and attendees from around the globe will meet to discuss challenges, strategies, and opportunities.
As in years past, WINDPOWER 2014 will be centered dually on the educational conference and the industry exhibition, and flanked with special events, networking opportunities, technical training, and much more.
The overall theme for WINDPOWER 2014 is “Transformation in Motion,” signifying the core purpose of the event is drawing wind energy professionals together in a collaborative effort in formulating wind energy’s progression into the future.
The four-day event officially kicks off at 5 p.m. Monday, May 5, with an opening reception at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay.
Conference
On Tuesday, May 6, the WINDPOWER 2014 opening session at 8:30 a.m. precedes the opening of the exhibit hall and individual sessions. Conference attendees are able to attend any of 36 educational sessions, categorized into seven tracks. These sessions will feature more than 200 speakers from the wind energy industry, and address both general and specific challenges, trends, and outlooks directly related to the wind energy industry.
Session tracks include: The Business of Wind, Project Development, Driving Demand, Wind Resource and Planning, Technology and the Future, Wind Project Operations, and Community/Distributed Wind.
Following the individual sessions, attendees are invited to stay for the Knowledge Hub sessions for 15 minutes of informal discussion and networking.
At Tuesday’s Power Session, the U.S. Department of Energy will present WINDPOWER attendees with an update and outlook on its “Wind Vision” initiative.
Exhibition
Serving as an opportunity for business and overall industry development, AWEA has gathered more than 400 companies involved in the wind energy industry to participate in the exhibition portion of WINDPOWER 2014. Exhibitors from around the world will be on hand to showcase their services, products, and projects.
The exhibit hall opens at 10 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and at 9 a.m. on Thursday. The exhibit floor plan can be viewed online prior to the event by visiting www.windpowerexpo.org and navigating to the “Exhibitors” page. T
he floor plan site allows users to register an account and create a customized plan for use at the exhibition.
Registration
Those who wish to register to exhibit or attend WINDPOWER 2014, are invited to do so online at www.windpowerexpo.org. Early registration for the event has passed, but savings are still available through “Advance” registration through May 4. Registrants have multiple attendance options, ranging from single-day conference or exhibition passes up to the VIP conference pass. Registration price schedules vary depending on date of registration and AWEA membership status.
Special Events & Networking
Beyond the conference and exhibition, WINDPOWER 2014 offers networking opportunities and special events for its participants.
Prior to the event on Sunday, May 4, Suzlon is sponsoring the WINDPOWER 2014 Golf Open at Silverstone Golf Club. Proceeds from the event benefit the Wind Energy Foundation.
On Tuesday, May 6, beginning at 4:30 p.m., participants are invited to join in Exhibition Happy Hour in the exhibit hall. Extended booth receptions follow from 6–8 p.m. on Tuesday only.
The WINDPOWER 5K will be held on Tuesday, May 6 prior to the day’s events at Sunset Park. The run is sponsored by GE.
On Wednesday, May 7, at 4:30 p.m. educational poster authors will be on hand in the exhibition hall to discuss their scholarship.
Giving attendees the option to “take in a show” while in Las Vegas, AWEA has organized “A Sensational Night with a Sweet Bite,” featuring exclusive WINDPOWER seating for Michael Jackson ONE, presented by Cirque Du Soleil. A dessert reception follows. Individual and group pricing are available for this ticketed event.
Visit www.windpowerexpo.org for complete information on these events.
Lodging
Considering all of the regular events for WINDPOWER 2014 are located at the Mandalay Bay site, participants making reservations for WINDPOWER 2014 lodging may find it beneficial to do so at one of the three hotel properties on the Mandalay Bay site—Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino, and THEHotel at Mandalay Bay.
